「子どもは大人より早く外国語を覚える」はウソだった？ 最初は大人が速い、でも…

Q1. Who learned the fastest in the first few months?

1. AChildren aged three to five
2. BBabies
3. CTeenagers and adults
4. DNobody learned anything

In the first few months, teenagers and adults learned the fastest. とあるので C。

Q2. What is the strength of people who start young?

1. AThey often reach a higher level after many years.
2. BThey learn faster in the first month.
3. CThey never make mistakes.
4. DThey do not need to study.

people who start young and live with the language for many years often get closer to a native-like level とあるので A。

Q3. In this passage, "native-like" means ...

1. Avery young
2. Bliving in the Netherlands
3. Clearning very quickly
4. Dlike a person who grew up speaking the language

native-like は「ネイティブ（母語話者）のような」なので D。

Q1. What should we separate, according to researchers?

1. AChildren and adults in the same class
2. BThe speed of learning and the final level reached
3. CGrammar and vocabulary
4. DSpeaking and writing

we should separate the speed of learning from the final level reached とあるので B。

Q2. In the Swedish study, who was usually judged as native speakers?

1. AMost people who started before age 12
2. BMost people who started after age 12
3. COnly people who studied in classrooms
4. DNobody at all

Most of those who started before age 12 were judged as native speakers. とあるので A。

Q3. What can we infer from the passage?

1. AAdults should not try to learn languages.
2. BYoung children learn faster in every way.
3. CAdults have an advantage at the start, while young starters have an advantage in the long run.
4. DAge has no effect on language learning.

大人は最初が速く、子どものうちに始めた人は最終到達度が高い、というのが全体の内容なので C。

Q1. What distinction does the author say is often blurred?

1. ABetween grammar and vocabulary
2. BBetween rate of learning and ultimate attainment
3. CBetween reading and writing
4. DBetween Dutch and Swedish

That image blurs a distinction between rate of learning and ultimate attainment. とあるので B。

Q2. What happened when later starters in the 2009 study took detailed linguistic tests?

1. AMost of them scored higher than native speakers.
2. BThey all passed as native speakers.
3. CThe tests could not be completed.
4. DNone of them fell within the native range.

none of the later starters fell within the native range とあるので D。

Q3. What does the analysis of online grammar tests suggest about older learners?

1. AGrammar-learning ability seemed to stay high until about 17, even if native-like grammar is harder for late starters.
2. BAdults cannot learn grammar at all.
3. CChildren over ten cannot learn grammar.
4. DOnline tests are useless for research.

native-like grammar には10歳ごろまでの開始が必要かもしれないが、Grammar-learning ability itself seemed to stay high until about 17, although a reanalysis later questioned this sharp cutoff. とあるので A。