What Can Younger Learners Teach Us?

This presentation will begin by exploring the differences in language learning/acquisition processes of children and adults through the examination of various physiological/neurological, psychological/cognitive, and sociolinguistic patterns that are emerging currently in the fields of SLA, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. The latter half will shift to identifying respective advantages children are thought to possess in the language learning process that may potentially benefit adults with language learning along with practical suggestions for incorporating these concepts into one’s teaching practice. Time will be allocated throughout the presentation for others to ask questions or add to the discussion.