The boundary of adulthood is not the easiest subject for a large population survey. Reaching adulthood is usually associated with crossing a certain age threshold and achieving various event-related, biographical milestones or a certain stage of personal maturity. These are not alternative or competing perspectives, but the ones representing…

It is widely assumed that ultimate attainment in adult second language (L2) learners often differs quite radically from ultimate attainment in child L2 learners. This article addresses the question of whether learners at different ages also show qualitative differences in the process of L2 acquisition. Longitudinal production data from two…

The superfluous man became a prominent literary figure in Russia during the 19th century. This article makes a comparison of the superfluous experience to the "celebutante" phenomenon, as reflected in the media. It also includes a discussion on the impact that the celebutante influence may have on the dreams, values and meaning-making…