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Cited by 460

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How native is near-native? The issue of ultimate attainment in adult second language acquisition

White, Lydia, Genesee, Fred·1996·Second Language Research
DOI 10.1177/026765839601200301
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Abstract

A number of studies have reported that there is a negative correlation between age of L2 acquisition and performance on a variety of measures of L2 ability, and that individuals who begin learning an L2 after approximately 15 years of age fail to attain native-like levels of competence. These results have been interpreted as support both for the hypothesis that there is a critical period for L2 acquisition and for the hypothesis that there is a maturational decline in access to Universal Grammar (UG). We argue that extant results are not an adequate test of the critical periods hypothesis because they are based on the performance of learners who have not necessarily achieved native-like proficiency in the L2. In this study, we develop criteria to establish whether an L2 speaker has achieved native-like proficiency. We compare the performance of three groups (near-native speakers of English, non-native speakers and controls) on two tasks designed to tap aspects of UG which have been claimed to be subject to critical period effects. We found no significant differences between our near-native group and native speakers on either of the tasks. We conclude that native-like competence in an L2 is achievable, even by older L2 learners.

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Metadata

Authors
White, L., & Genesee, F.
Venue
Second Language Research
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1996-07
Volume
12
Issue
3
Pages
233-265
ISSN
  • 0165-9960 (ISSN-L)
  • 0267-6583
  • 1477-0326
DOI
10.1177/026765839601200301
OpenAlex
W2157102621
Cited by
460
References
2
FWCI
82.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)

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