Those who learn sign language as teens never become as fluent as children exposed to sign language from birth. This best illustrates the importance of ________ for mastering language.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concept of a critical period suggests that there is a limited window of time in which individuals can master certain skills, such as language acquisition. Children exposed to sign language from birth have a greater opportunity to fully develop their language abilities because they have not yet passed this critical period. Those who learn sign language as teens may have already passed this period and therefore struggle to become fully fluent. Heuristics, telegraphic speech, and universal grammar are not directly related to the concept of a critical period for language acquisition.

Those Who Learn Sign Language as Teens Never Become as Fluent