LOOKING FOR THE EVIDENCE OF THE CRITICAL PERIOD IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

This article is an attempt to clarify whether the Critical Period Hypothesis, asserting that there are certain age limits for a second language learning, can be applied to actual second language learning. The Critical Period Hypothesis generated a common stereotype that one can acquire a second language effectively only as a child, and any language learning later in life will not be efficient. The conducted experiment compared testing results of two age groups (5 year-old versus 23 year-olds). The data we obtained throughout our research demonstrated no considerable differences in the knowledge of English of both groups. This can be also interpreted as another evidence that learners' age is not the only constituent of potential efficacy of language learning as motivation and language input can also be of particular importance.