REVIEWS TESOL Quarterly welcomes evaluative reviews of publications relevant to TESOL professionals Edited by MARGARET HAWKINS University of Wisconsin Age and the Rate of Foreign Language Learning Carmen Muñoz (Ed.) Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters, 2006 Pp xii + 296 Ⅲ The hypothesis of the existence of a critical period for language learning has motivated theoretical and empirical research since the 1970s Both theoretical explanations and empirical research regarding the critical-period hypothesis are based on learners in natural or immersion settings As a result, findings from second language learning in naturalistic contexts have been used to explain the effect of the age factor in foreign language situations In line with DeKeyser and Larson-Hall (2005), who include the learning context as a relevant factor in the discussion of the critical-period hypothesis, this book acknowledges the learning setting as a potential factor that may explain differences in both natural and formal language learning All 10 chapters in this edited volume report on research conducted under the umbrella of the Barcelona Age Factor Project, a 9-year project which focuses on the process of acquiring English as a foreign language by learners who begin English acquisition at different ages In the first chapter, the editor, Carmen Muñoz, presents an excellent review of previous research on the critical-period hypothesis and emphasizes its relevance specifically to foreign language learning She explains the Barcelona Age Factor Project: the objectives, setting, research design and materials, and the learners’ responses, which are analyzed in the subsequent chapters Through this introduction, the reader becomes familiar with the framework used by the volume’s contributors to examine specific aspects of foreign language learning in relation to age differences Muñoz also provides an overview of the results of the project, suggesting that, in contrast to results in naturalistic settings (Singleton, 1995), success in foreign language contexts may be as much a function of exposure as of age The subsequent four chapters examine in detail the effects of the TESOL QUARTERLY Vol 42, No 2, June 2008 345 initial age of learning on the areas of pronunciation, oral fluency, vocabulary, and morphology, respectively In chapter 2, “The Development of English (FL) Perception and Production Skills: Starting Age and Exposure Effects,” Fullana analyses the influence of age of onset of foreign language learning and exposure on the acquisition of a foreign language phonology and reports that these variables were not conclusive determinants for perceiving and producing English sounds in a native-like manner Similar results are reported by Mora in chapter 3, “Age Effects on Oral Fluency Development.” The author compares the results of the two learner groups and reports that late starters outperformed early starters on oral fluency measures Chapter 4, “Age and Vocabulary Acquisition in EFL,” provides findings in the area of vocabulary acquisition Miralpeix examines the influence of age of onset on vocabulary development by using free and controlled tasks and shows difference in favour of the late-starting pupils In “Accuracy Orders, Rate of Learning, and Age in Morphological Acquisition,” Muñoz (chapter 5) analyses the use of a set of English morphological functors by children and adult learners of different proficiency levels Results of the study show a superior rate of learning in older learners, and no differences are found in the way different-aged students use these forms accurately These chapters raise methodological issues for second language acquisition (SLA) research, such as the importance of defining variables as discriminators of the level of oral fluency, the effect of using different lexical measures on learning outcomes, and the effect of proficiency level as a variable to consider in cause-effect studies In chapter 6, “Rate and Route of Acquisition in EFL Narrative Development at Different Ages,” Álvarez identifies nine developmental stages in which syntactic and discourse components interact In line with the rest of the contributions in the volume, the author reports a rate advantage for older learners, although this advantage disappears with longer exposure to the target language In chapter 7, “Age and IL Development in Writing,” Torrás, Navés, Celaya, and Pérez-Vidal analyse how the number of hours of instruction affects four areas of learners’ written competence—fluency, lexical complexity, grammatical complexity, and accuracy Their study provides evidence that these areas of language not develop in tandem, whereas their rate of development seems to be affected by age Findings of the study, which suggest that an earlier start in a foreign language context does not mean more effective acquisition of the skill of writing, draws attention to issues of research methodology for those interested in foreign language writing The interaction of age and language learning factors is the focus in the final three chapters In chapter 8, “Age, Proficiency Level and Interactional Skills: Evidence From Breakdown in Production,” Grañena pro346 TESOL QUARTERLY vides evidence of the influence of age and proficiency level on learners’ behaviour in conversation Taking into account Long’s (1996) interaction hypothesis, the author suggests that older learners’ more explicit behaviour creates more conditions for language learning The use of language learning strategies (“Reported Strategy Use and Age,” Tragant & Victori, chapter 9) and levels and types of motivation (“Language Learning Motivation and Age,” Tragant, chapter 10) are examined on the basis of different-aged learners’ answers to a series of written questionnaires On the one hand, the study by Tragant and Victori shows that learners tend to undergo developmental changes in strategy use as they increase in age, although these changes are not systematic for all learning strategy types On the other hand, Tragant reports that the starting age of learning English does not significantly alter the level of motivation, since motivation seems to be stronger among older students The pedagogical implications of the interaction of age and the abovementioned factors are particularly relevant for those interested in language teaching and language planning To sum up, Age and the Rate of Foreign Language Learning offers welcome and valuable research that increases our understanding of the effects of age in formal language contexts in contrast to naturalistic settings The results included in the 10 chapters are worthy of attention from educators and from those interested in educational policy and planning, especially in countries where bilingual contexts provide the conditions for the learning of English as a third (or additional) language In addition, the large-scale research reported provides methodological insights for those interested in investigating this particular area in the field of SLA Readers will encounter many issues worth examining in relation to the widespread belief that beginning a foreign language at a younger age guarantees a higher level of foreign language attainment REFERENCES DeKeyser, R., & Larson-Hall, J (2005) What does the critical period really mean? In J F Koll & A M B de Groot (Eds.), Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches (pp 88–108) Oxford: Oxford University Press Long, M H (1996) The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition In W C Ritchie & T K Bathia (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp 413–468) San Diego, CA: Academic Press Singleton, D (1995) A critical look at the critical period hypothesis in second language acquisition research In D Singleton & Z Lengyel (Eds.), The age factor in second language acquisition (pp 1–29) Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters EVA ALCÓN SOLER Universitat Jaume I Castelló de la Plana, Spain REVIEWS 347