The question of how people learn a second language is one that has received a great deal of scientific attention. Research has offered evidence that has been used to support a number of conflicting claims about second language (SL) learning. However, there is one fundamental observation that is less open to dispute than others. If success in adult second language learning is measured by how close the learner comes to the level of a native speaker, it is possible and quite common for adults to achieve a high degree of success in learning SL grammar and vocabulary. Strangely enough, the same degree of success does not seem to be attainable in SL phonology; adult SL learners who sound like native speakers are extremely rare, perhaps even nonexistent.
How have scientists attempted to account for the remarkable inability of adult second language learners to acquire a nativelike pronunciation in the second language? One likely explanation is to be found in the so-called critical period theory. Proponents of this theory argue that the acquisition of native-speaker pronunciation in any language is biologically possible only until about the age of twelve. But it must be emphasized that there is too much counterevidence for such a conclusion to be valid; there are too many cases of adults who acquire adequate or good pronunciation in a second language through instruction and practice. While they will never be mistaken for native speakers, their efforts are rewarded by speech that is perfectly comprehensible. 【題組】50 According to the passage, what does the word “phonology” mean?
(A) The study of second language acquisition.
(B) The study of grammar and vocabulary in a particular language.
(C) The study of sounds in a particular language.
(D) The study of reading comprehension.
寫作批改
VIP與詳解卡管理
私人筆記( 0 )
