关键期假设（英文：critical period hypothesis）是一个长期存在争论的假说，关于人是否存在一个语言学习的关键年龄段。 该假说一般认为，存在一个理想时期更容易受语言环境影响从而比其他时间更容易学习一门语言。关键期假设认为，生命的最初几年是关键时期，在足够的刺激下，人都能习得第一语言。如果超过这个时期，语言的学习将会非常困难，特别是在语法方面。然而事實上這種說法目前在學界仍然只是一種假說，各方學者對此仍有許多批評爭議，未有定論。
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延伸閱讀
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