Breaking the "Earlier Is Better" Myth

This article was written by Teng Sue-feng, translated by Bruce Humes, and published by The Sinorama Magazine in May 2003.

Taiwan's English-learning craze ap-pears to have entered the hysterical stage: Even young children still at the age where they are mimicking basic pronunciation are clambering aboard the "early-bird" train for students of English. But in actuality, is there a critical period for mastery of a second language, and is it a case of "the earlier the better"?