GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF NEUROFUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND THEIR MANIFESTATION IN PRIMARY AND NONPRIMARY LANGUAGE ACQUISITION1

In this paper an attempt is made to characterize and contrast aspects of the functional organization of neuropsychological systems carrying out primary language acquisition and two distinct types of nonprimary language acquisition: secondary language acquisition, and foreign language learning. It is noted that foreign language learning is quite different from primary language acquisition, but that between secondary language acquisition and primary language acquisition there seem to be more similarities than differences. One of the most significant differences is that secondary language acquisition is based on neurofunctional systems that are fully operational for children 6–13, but essentially mature for still older learners. While there is no critical period for secondary language acquisition such as exists for primary language acquisition, there is evidence that younger children are in fact better able to achieve communicative competence in a new language than teens or older adults. Several explanations have been proposed for the existence of what may be called a sensitive period for secondary language acquisition, and it is concluded here that in addition to a combination of personality variables, affective variables, social variables, cognitive style and environmental circumstances, there still remains an intrinsic neurofunctional basis for the greater facility with which young children achieve secondary language competence.