Proficiency in a second language (L2) may depend upon the age of exposure and the continued use of the mother tongue (L1) during L2 acquisition. The effect of early L2 exposure on the preattentive perception of native and non-native vowel contrasts was studied by measuring the mismatch negativity (MMN) response from 14-year-old children. The test…

Evaluates the role of age on the rate of acquiring English as a second language in an immersion setting in children with native languages typologically very different from English. Results suggest that on certain aspects of grammar, different-aged children can acquire a second language during the first three years of acquisition at similar rates…

Reviews impact of Canadian French immersion research on theoretical conceptions of bilingualism and biliteracy and identifies four major issues: effects of bilingualism on children's cognitive and academic development; effects of intensity of school exposure to the second language; the "optimal age" issue; and the suitability of a…