Abstract
Second language acquisition research focuses on how people acquire and use a second language (L2), and the underlying mechanisms that support these processes. Key issues include the nature of learners' L2 linguistic representations, how such representations develop from the L2 input learners receive, and the ways in which features from learners' two languages interact to influence L2 acquisition and use. These issues address larger debates concerning the extent to which L2 learners <spaced en> and especially adult learners<spaced en>can acquire nativelike L2 proficiency, and whether L1 and L2 acquisition rely on the same underlying mechanisms, or whether fundamentally different mechanisms and strategies are involved. For over 40 years, Germanic languages, especially German and Dutch, have played a central role in L2 acquisition research. The present chapter reviews selected findings from this research and discusses how these findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms that drive L2 acquisition and use.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | The Cambridge Handbook of Germanic Linguistics |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 689-713 |
Number of pages | 25 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781108378291 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781108421867 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 16 2020 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Arts and Humanities
- General Social Sciences