The risk of fossilization in language acquisition....

I read this article tonight about the risks of fossilization in language acquisition. http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/63102.aspx As I read, I was thinking, "Great. Two of the top risks my students inherit as soon as they enter my classroom!" The article talks about commonly known research that shows that once a child hits puberty, it's more difficult to learn a language. In addition, it highlights the fact that my students are going to hit a brick wall because they are learning Spanish in a classroom in Ohio instead of in a Spanish speaking country. I thought it was interesting that they also included this reason on their list: some people just can't get past their native language paradigm to learn a new one. The author also mentioned how even living in a native speaking country for decades may not help this type of person overcome the risk of fossilization. I can only hope to make my students' language learning experiences as authentic as possible!