Critical periods

Eric Lenneberg (linguist, neurologist

and a pioneer in the ideas of the language acquisition).

In the decade of the 60, suggested that there was a

critical period between 18 months and puberty, during which language was acquired, and the rules of this, with more ease.
Gave support, its concept of critical period, based on

studies of children and adults, with damage to the left hemisphere of the brain.

He discovered, that the children were able to recover

their language skills, but the adults do not.

The difference was that the brain of the adult, it was a

mature brain and didnt have, neurological capacity to re-learn the skills of the language that had been lost.

Conclusion
Today, thanks to many studies, we know that the

critical period for language acquisition, isnt only, between 18 months and the puberty.
The people also, can continue learning, acquiring

language skills, after that period, but if, with greater difficulty, that a child.