Age still matters after early adulthood

Abstract The role of age in second-language acquisition has provoked much debate and research, especially with respect to pronunciation. However, little emphasis has been placed on acquisition between early adulthood and middle age. We examined combined speaking and listening proficiency scores from 1,992 immigrants to Canada with ages of arrival (AOA) ranging from 15 to 50 and a mean of 5 years of Canadian residence. Eleven diverse L1 groups were represented, and proficiency was measured via the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) assessment tool. Mixed-effects statistical modelling indicated a strong negative relationship between AOA and CLB test scores. In general, older learners were less likely to obtain higher test scores, with the effect varying across L1 groups. In contrast, no evidence emerged of a meaningful relationship between length of residence and proficiency scores.