1-What are sensitive periods?

1-Sensitive periods are periods of psychological development in the child. This

period is a time of limited duration. During the sensitive periods, the child has very
powerful capacities. The child is able to do great things and make very important
acquisitions, like language and movement. But after some time, these powers
disappear.

According to Dr. Maria Montessori During the sensitive period for language,
children can learn any language perfectly. That’s why is necessary to stimulate the
child as much as possible during this stage of life and have the child in a proper
environment to develop these abilities correctly. If that doesn’t happened, it will be
more difficult for the child to do anything.

When occur the sentive period in the life of a child?

The 6 main sensitive periods

Sensitive period to language
2-This sensitive period for leaning language lasts from birth (even in utero) to 6. Neuroscience has
shown that the window of opportunity for language acquisition begins to shut at around 5 years old.

Maria Montessori used to say that “the only language men will ever speak perfectly is the one they
learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything. That’s why a child by the age of 6, will
have acquired an extensive vocabulary, basic sentences patterns and the inflections and accent of
his mother’s tongue. That is with almost no direct teaching, because the learning is naturally during
this time.

2- So , what could happen if the sensitive period for language

closed before a child ever heard spoken language .

2-When a child spends sensitive period without being exposed to language, it

could be difficult or almost imposible for the child to learn how to speak a
language or communicate properly. An example of this, it’s the wild boy called
victor and gennie “ the girl who was raise in her room in totally insolation”

Victor was a boy found in a forest in france, he was about 12 years old and he was
mute. Dr. Itard who was the scientific that took Victor case, assume that he had
been living on his own since about the age two or three. This was a young person
who has never experienced language, so Dr. Itard study was to see if he could
teach victor speek and how to communicate. Victor did learn to speak not very
well, so this study was only mildly successful but what this show us is that
language adquisition can happen after sensitive period closes, but it is
extremely difficult

The same happened to the girl raise in her room in totally isolation without hearing
spoken language. She went through multiples studies and investigation and some
scientifics tried to to teach her how to speek but she could’nt as victor did.
Tell the history of genie. The raised in isolation.

3-Is there a sensitive period for sencond language

adquisitionn SLA?
3. According to the hypothesis of Critical Period, “there is a period during which language
acquisition is easy and complete (i.e. native-speaker ability is achieved) and after this, it is difficult
and typically incomplete” (ELLIS, 1997: 67). This means, it that language learners must begin at
an early age to learn a language in order to reach proficiency like native speaker

This sensitive period occurs before puberty, the child is able to learn to speak a second language
like native speakers, however after puberty it is more difficult for a child or an adult to speak like a
native speaker. Studies have shown that an adult can speak L2 like a native speaker depending on
his ability to speak the language and how long he is exposed to the use of L2 . it also depend on

Native pronunciation of a second language or dialect is more likely (not guaranteed) for those
with an AO between 0 and 6, still possible, but less and less likely, with an AO during the
compensation period of 6 to 12, and impossible for anyone with an AO after 12.

Foreign accents (The accent of a speaker of a second language) are very noticeable when a
person begins to learn a second language after the age of 12. They are so normal that it is no
longer surprising for SLA researchers to identify them.

Beyond 12 years, it seems that the degree of accent will depend on factors such as the
proportions of exposure and use of L1 and L2, motivation and intensive training in
pronunciation (Bongaerts 1999: 155), plus linguistic aptitude, and therefore, they will only be
indirectly and weakly related to increasing age, in the same way that other cognitive factors
tend to deteriorate throughout life, especially during the last years of a person.

4.What are the masturational constraints in second laguange

adquisitions?

it has been conventionally believed that younger children are better at learning an
additional language than older children and adults. ... They explained that the diminished
L2 learning ability is caused by the loss of plasticity in human brains by the age of
nine years old (Penfield and Roberts, 1959).

Neural plasticity, also known as neuroplasticity or brain plasticity, can be defined as the
ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or
extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections.
What is the importance of brain plasticity?
Summary. The biological process of neuronal plasticity allows for changes in
neural circuitry, which can amend the structure and function of the brain. These
changes allow learning and memory to work properly, and deviations in its working
are related to neuropsychiatric disorde
Does the brain have plasticity?
the brain is not made of plastic… Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, refers to the
brain's ability to CHANGE throughout life. The human brain has the amazing ability
to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells (neurons).

Examples of Neuroplasticity in Cognitive Domains

 Navigation skills. Neuroplasticity has been demonstrated in several
cognitive domains. ...
 Second-language learning. ...
 Musical abilities. ...
 Neuroplasticity after brain injury. ...
 Neuroplasticity and aphasia. ...
 Plasticity and treatment of aphasia. ...
 Plasticity and neglect. ...
 Caveats.

According to Lenneberg People in adulthood loose a plascity in the brain …

Los periodos sensitivos son ciertos lapsos de tiempo en los que existen sensibilidades
internas hacia algunos elementos que el niño encuentra en su ambiente. Estos lo guían y
ayudan a desarrollar sus capacidades físicas, intelectuales y psicológicas con facilidad y
perfección.
 

Lenguaje: presente en los primeros seis años

Desde el nacimiento hasta los seis años, los niños están en el período sensible del
lenguaje. Esta sensibilidad implica tres fases clave:

1. Lenguaje hablado: El período sensible para el lenguaje hablado comienza

cuando el niño crea sonidos al imitar los movimientos de la boca y progresa
con el tiempo, a medida que aprende a formar palabras y oraciones simples
(de los 12 meses a los 3 años aproximadamente).
2. Lenguaje escrito: El período sensible para aprender a escribir comienza
cuando el niño aprende los sonidos que forman las palabras, después los
relaciona con las letras para posteriormente poder formar pequeñas
palabras que serán la base de las habilidades de escritura y lectura (de los 3
años y medio a los 4 años y medio aproximadamente).
3. Lectura: Las habilidades de lectura se desarrollan después de que el niño
aprende a escribir, ya que implica habilidades intelectuales que debe
 desarrollar previamente. Podemos observar gran interés hacia la lectura en
niños de 4 años y medio a 5 años y medio de edad.

3.1 Delimitación de términos

3.1.1 PERÍODO CRÍTICO VERSUS SENSIBLE
(1-2)Mientras que Lenneberg tituló su hipótesis con el término "crítica", la idea de una
"Hipótesis de período sensible" (SPH) también se puede encontrar en diferentes fuentes de
diferentes autores. Aunque ambos términos también se utilizan a menudo como sinónimos
en la literatura, existen diferencias entre ellos (cf. HYLTENSTAM, ABRAHAMSSON,
2003: 556).

Ambos se refieren al concepto de restricciones de maduración y una sensibilidad para la

entrada del lenguaje durante una etapa temprana de la vida. El CPH sigue la idea de
restricciones madurativas sobre la base de cambios irreversibles en las funciones cerebrales
(cf. HERSCHENSOHN, 2007: 11). De acuerdo con esta hipótesis, “se piensa que la
maduración tiene lugar y llega a su fin en una fase temprana de la vida, separada
abruptamente del resto en una edad específica (pubertad o antes)” (HYLTENSTAM,
ABRAHAMSSON, 2003: 556 ). Por el contrario, se cree que el período sensible es más
gradual en su punto final. De manera característica, la sensibilidad para la entrada del
idioma disminuye durante un período de tiempo más largo. El momento,] cuando esto
sucede, no se puede asignar definitivamente. Puede ir desde la niñez tardía o la pubertad
hasta la adolescencia (cf. GASS, SELINKER, 2008: 405; HYLTENSTAM,

En general, diferentes estudios han demostrado que los estudiantes mayores, tanto adultos
como niños mayores, adquieren un segundo idioma (L2) más rápido en la primera fase del
proceso de adquisición. Los niños pequeños son más lentos al principio, pero finalmente
alcanzan un nivel más alto de competencia que los mayores. Sin embargo, estas ventajas de
los alumnos mayores y menores pueden aplicarse a aspectos particulares de una lengua (cf.
AGULLÓ, 2006: 367; HYLTENSTAM, ABRAHAMSSON, 2003: 545f; MUNOZ, 2006:
2f).

Se asume que los estudiantes mayores utilizan sus capacidades para el aprendizaje explícito
y el pensamiento analítico de los que carecen los niños pequeños. En consecuencia, los
alumnos mayores obtienen mejores resultados, especialmente en la sintaxis L2, la
morfología y otras habilidades relacionadas con la alfabetización en la primera etapa. En
contraste, los estudiantes más jóvenes hacen uso de mecanismos implícitos que desarrollan
una intuición más parecida a la nativa. Los niños pequeños dominan mejor los aspectos del
lenguaje que no se relacionan con las dimensiones cognitivas y las habilidades académicas,
como la fluidez oral y el acento (cf. MUNOZ, 2006: 6, 10f; SAVILLE-TROIKE, 2007: 84).