Sensitive periods, language aptitude, and ultimate L2 attainment: 35

Eleven state-of-the-art chapters explore age-related variables and language aptitude as explanatory factors in second language (L2) development in this carefully edited volume. It presents a refreshing combination of rigorous review chapters and research reports that question current assumptions about maturational constraints and aptitude, break new ground, and propose productive directions for future inquiry. […]Researchers and educators will welcome this informative and highly focused book as a substantial contribution to our understanding of the dynamic combination of age and aptitude in promoting L2 learning. — John Hedgcock, Monterey Institute of International Studies, in Studies in Second Language Acquisition 36: 597-600 , 2014

This important book includes chapters describing up-to-date, and insightful overviews of research on age effects on second language acquisition (SLA), current conceptions of aptitude, and the methodology for constructing aptitude-treatment-interaction (ATI) research, along with carefully reported empirical research into the effects of aptitude on second language learning. It is essential reading for SLA researchers, and for those concerned with the design of effective second language instruction across the lifespan. Ground-breaking, and highly recommended! — Peter Robinson, Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo

This is a most interesting and timely volume that brings together sensitive periods, ultimate L2 attainment, and language aptitude, while at the same time examining a range of individual and social factors. The result is a rich collection of articles that take the debate of maturational constraints a long way forward and offer significant implications for language teaching. A must read. — Carmen Munoz, Universitat de Barcelona

In this foundational and timely collection of new empirical studies and state-of -the-art critical reviews, Granena and Long move us several steps forward toward a clearer understanding of the relationship between language aptitude, age effects, and L2 ultimate attainment, and their broader implications for educational policy and language teaching. This invaluable volume is a must-read for language teachers, researchers of second language acquisition and educators. — Silvina Montrul, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A cornucopia of cutting-edge research on age of learning, aptitudes, and their interaction; a must-read for all those interested in how individual differences in cognitive functioning shape a variety of phenomena in second language learning. Stimulating contributions from both established researchers and recent graduates point to new perspectives for theories of second language acquisition and provide valuable pointers for future empirical research. — Robert DeKeyser, University of Maryland