Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[missdaredevil]

1
My favourite types of food are Indian, Italian and er� English. Having said that,
English food can be a bit *heavy*�.
Does that mean a lot or oily?

2
As ever=as always=as usual
Do they mean the same thing?

3
What could be the reasons for this, is there some
*cut-off* point in our growth after *which* the ability to absorb language easily changes?

Why is it *cut-off* and what does the *which* mean in that case?

4
The Critical Period Hypothesis is quite controversial and comes in many *forms.* Common to most versions is the claim that for a certain period of your life things are very beneficial for acquiring languages.

Does that mean *shape* in this case and does form have to be physical?

Thanks to you guys out there.

[CP]

1. I think it means dense and filling. A big plate of boiled meat and potatoes is filling and makes one feel heavy afterward. I think that's what the person meant.

2. "As ever" often is used to mean that nothing has changed. "He is as stubborn as ever." (He is just as stubborn now as he was when I first knew him.)
"As always" also means that something is unchanged, but used a little differently than "as ever," I believe. "As always, they brought flowers for the hostess." (Every time they come to dinner, they bring flowers. They always do it.)
"As usual" is a lot like "as always," used to indicate a habit or pattern. "As usual, they ordered coffee after dinner."

You could end a letter or note to someone special by signing off with "As ever," or "As always," to indicate that your feelings are still the same, but you wouldn't want to sign off with "As usual."

3. A cut-off point is a point in time or space where something comes to an end, or where one can depart from the path. Sometimes a freeway exit is referred to as a cut-off, especially if it is one leading to another freeway or highway. The police academy might have an age cut-off: Maybe they accept applicants 25 and under, so 26 is the cut-off.

So this passage refers to an age cut-off or a developmental cut-off for language learning. A two-year-old can pick up any language without effort. A 20-year-old has to study hard daily for years, and may never become fluent. Somewhere in between there must be a change that cuts off the ability to learn languages without effort.

After that cut-off point -- maybe it's age 3; maybe it's the development of an area of the brain that happens at different ages for different people; maybe it's after the child has heard 20 million words -- is the ability lost. That is the point after which the ability is lost. The "which" just substitutes in for "cut-off point" so that you don't have to repeat it.

4. Not "shape," but "versions." The writer uses "versions" in the next sentence, and probably didn't want to use it twice in so short a space, so replaced it with "forms."
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb