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The Critical Period Hypothesis and Language Acquisition

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Eric Lenneberg's contributions to linguistics revolve around the biological foundations of language and the critical period hypothesis. His work, alongside Noam Chomsky, challenged behaviorist views, emphasizing an innate capacity for language learning linked to early childhood. Lenneberg's theories on brain development and language acquisition have influenced educational and therapeutic practices in language learning.

Eric Lenneberg: A Trailblazer in Linguistic Theory

Eric Heinz Lenneberg was a prominent figure in the realm of linguistics, celebrated for his groundbreaking work on language development and acquisition. Born on September 19, 1921, in Düsseldorf, Germany, Lenneberg escaped the rise of Nazism by emigrating to the United States in 1938. His academic journey led him to the University of Chicago, where he obtained a Bachelor of Philosophy in 1942, and subsequently to Harvard University, where he earned his PhD in Psychology and Social Relations in 1956. Lenneberg's research was characterized by a deep interest in the biological foundations of language, which formed the basis of his scholarly contributions.
Detailed human brain model with color-coded lobes beside black over-ear headphones, against a backdrop of blurred, engaged children in a classroom setting.

The Biological Foundations of Language and the Critical Period Hypothesis

Eric Lenneberg's seminal work, "Biological Foundations of Language," published in 1967, was a transformative text in the study of language acquisition. In this book, he introduced the critical period hypothesis, which asserts that there is an optimal time window in early childhood for acquiring language. Lenneberg proposed that this critical period lasts until around the onset of puberty, after which the ability to learn a language to native-level fluency significantly decreases. His hypothesis emphasized the role of biological factors in language learning, suggesting that the capacity for language is an innate feature of human biology.

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Eric Lenneberg's birthplace and date

Born in Düsseldorf, Germany on September 19, 1921

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Lenneberg's migration to the US and reason

Emigrated to the US in 1938 to escape Nazism

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Lenneberg's academic path and degrees

Bachelor of Philosophy from University of Chicago in 1942; PhD from Harvard in 1956

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