Ability Quote by Norman Doidge
“Language development, for instance, has a critical period that begins in infancy and ends between eight years and puberty. After this critical period closes, a person’s ability to learn a second language without an accent is limited. In fact, second languages learned after the critical period are not processed in the same part of the brain as is the native tongue.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Brain That Changes Itself, 2007
A critical period in early childhood determines accent‑free second‑language acquisition; after it, brain regions differ.
In simple terms: Early childhood is key for accent‑free language learning.
Key Takeaway
Start language learning early.
Themes
neurodevelopment
language acquisition
critical periods
Mood
informative
neutral
Type
educational
scientific
When to use this quote
- education policy
- early childhood programs
- language tutoring
Key Concepts
brain plasticity
accent
learning windows
Questions to Reflect On
- How can adults improve accent later?
- What teaching methods aid late learners?
A Different Perspective
Late learners may still achieve proficiency.
![“Language [can] be expressed . . . by movements of the hands and face just as well as by the small, sound-generating movements of the throat and mouth. Then the first criterion for language that I had learned as a student—it is spoken and heard—was wrong; and, more important, language did not…” quote by Harlan Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d1/harlan-lane-110195_ability_language-can-be-expressed-by-movements-o_1734575.jpg)
