A brief review of the effects of age on second language acquisition: Is younger better?

Abstract

The present review provides a brief overview of relevant theories and empirical findings relating to the effects of age on second language acquisition and to evaluate the notion ‘the young is the better’ in educational language learning contexts. While some evidence suggests that age is a strong predictor of language learning, there are certain caveats required. The implications of research related to age on second language acquisition on language teaching are also explored.