| Acknowledgements | 第1-4页 |
| Abstract | 第4-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-6页 |
| Contents | 第6-8页 |
| Chapter I Introduction | 第8-14页 |
| ·Research Orientation | 第8-10页 |
| ·Motivation for the Present Study | 第10-11页 |
| ·Need of the Study | 第11-12页 |
| ·Overall Structure of the Dissertation | 第12-14页 |
| Chapter II An Overview of Previous Research | 第14-40页 |
| ·Definitions | 第14-16页 |
| ·Foreign Language and Second Language | 第15-16页 |
| ·Acquisition and Learning | 第16页 |
| ·Theoretical Framework | 第16-23页 |
| ·Critical Period Hypothesis | 第16-18页 |
| ·Non-critical Period Hypothesis | 第18-22页 |
| ·Piaget's Theory on Child Language Learning | 第22-23页 |
| ·Review of the related studies | 第23-38页 |
| ·Rate of Learning | 第23-26页 |
| ·Route of Learning | 第26-27页 |
| ·General Achievement in Foreign Language Learning | 第27-33页 |
| ·Explanations of the Differences in Foreign Language Learning | 第33-36页 |
| ·Research of Age Factor in Foreign Language Learning by Chinese Scholars | 第36-38页 |
| ·Significance of the Study | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter III Research Design | 第40-57页 |
| ·Hypotheses | 第40页 |
| ·Subjects | 第40-43页 |
| ·Instruments | 第43-45页 |
| ·Data Collection and procedure | 第45-46页 |
| ·Data Analysis | 第46-57页 |
| ·Analysis of Hypothesis One | 第47-49页 |
| ·Analysis of Hypothesis Two | 第49-51页 |
| ·Analysis of Hypothesis Three | 第51-52页 |
| ·Analysis of Questionnaires | 第52-57页 |
| Chapter IV Discussion and Results | 第57-72页 |
| ·Discussion | 第57-65页 |
| ·The Relationship between Onset Age and Postgraduates' Entrance English Test Scores | 第58-60页 |
| ·The Relationship between Onset Age and Postgraduates' Oral English Test Scores | 第60-64页 |
| ·What Do the EFL Learners Think of the Relationship between Starting Age and English Achievement | 第64-65页 |
| ·Conclusion | 第65-66页 |
| ·Implication | 第66-69页 |
| ·Further Studies | 第69页 |
| ·Limitations of the Study | 第69-72页 |
| Bibliography | 第72-81页 |
| APPENDIX I | 第81-83页 |
| APPENDIX II | 第83-87页 |
| 发表论文情况说明 | 第87-89页 |
