Before early 1990，the falsification of the CPH in L2 acquisition mainly focused on the issue of acquisition rate and eventual attainment both in naturalistic and experimental environments with limited and short acquisitional periods between younger / older child and adult． The short － term rate studies （ e． g． ，Asher and Price，1967； Snow and Hoefnagel － Hohle，1978） fell out of fashion due to its inability to answer whether the CPH really exists in L2 acquisition． In contrast，the studies of eventual attainment （ e． g． ，Johnson and Newport，1989，1991； Oyama， 1978； Patkowski，1980） showed the strong correlation between age of arrival （ AOA） and L2 ultimate attainment． During the 1990，the investigation of the CP on L2 acquisition focused on the relationship between the falsification of CPH and the application of UG principles in SLA，to test whether adult L2 learners have access to UG，immune to the effect of the critical period （ e． g． ，Bley － Vroman，Felix and Ioup，1988； Johnson and Newport，1991； Juffs and Harrington 1995； Hilles，1991； Lee， 1992； Li，1998； Schachter，1989，1990； White and Genesee， 1996； White and Juffs，1998； Young － Scholten，1994） ． However，as to the relationship between the falsification of CPH and the application of UG principles in SLA，the findings seem controversial．
语文学刊·外语教育教学
2011 年第 12 期
Critical Period Hypothesis Studies and Universal Grammar
○ Yin Li
（ Central China Normal University，Wuhan，Hubei，430079）
［Abstract］ Since the 1960s，considerable empirical studies have focused on the on of the Critical Period
Hypothesis （ CPH） proposed by Lenneberg （ 1967 ） ． Some studies investigated the rate of second language acquisition （ SLA） between child and adult either in naturalistic or experimental settings． Some concerned ultimate attainment between child and adult． Some studies even related the falsification of CPH to the application of Universal Grammar （ UG） in SLA to test whether adult second language （ L2） learners have access to UG，immune to CP． This paper analyzes theoretical and empirical issues on the CPH studies and UG． Based on the analysis，selection of L2 learners，integrity and diversity of linguistic structures related to UG，and use of different instruments are put forward for the future investigation．
Ⅱ． CPH Studies and Access to UG
In 1967，Lenneberg，inspired by findings from the work of his contemporaries （ e． g． ，Penfield，Roberts，1959） ，proposed the Critical Period Hypothesis （ CPH） and suggested that there is a critical period during the human life span from infancy to puberty for language acquisition，during which acquisition is successful and after which it is effortful． Harley ＆ Wang （ 1997 ） proposed six characteristics of the critical period： （ 1） an onset； （ 2） a terminus； （ 3） an intrinsic component； （ 4） an extrinsic component； （ 5） an affected system； and （ 6） ultimate causes． The elaboration of Harley ＆ Wang lays stress on different onsets and offsets for different sub － components of language，inborn predisposition，environmental factors for language acquisition， and sociolinguistic / discourse competence development． Patkowski （ 1980） differentiated the term“sensitive period”from“critical period”． That is，the critical period has sudden onsets and offsets within an early phase of the life span in the case of first language acquisition，and environmental factors such as input and motivation do not play any role； the maturational changes for second language acquisition within the sensitive period are gradual and linear，and the sensitive period affects different linguistic domains，constraining“the ability to acquire complete native － like proficiency in L2”（ Patkowski，1980： 450） ． However，in practise these two terms are often used interchangeably． No matter which one is more generally accepted，both holds that there exists a period of “heightened sensitivity or responsiveness to specific types of environmental stimuli or input ” （ Schachter， 1996： 165） ．
Schachter （ 1989，1990） studied four groups of highly proficient speakers of English whose native languages are，respectively，Dutch，Indonesian，Chinese and Korean，together with a group of native English speakers as controls． The experiment was designed to test the acquisition of the English Subjacency． The
［基金项目］华中师范大学人文社会科学“丹桂计划”———跨学科多视角下的中介语语法石化实证研究（ 09DG034） 。 ［作者简介］尹立，男，华中师范大学外国语学院讲师，英国爱丁堡大学应用语言学硕士，研究方向： 普遍语法框架下的二语习得、中介语