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Second-language acquisition (SLA), second-language learning, or L2 (language 2)

acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language


acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. The field of
second-language acquisition is a subdiscipline of applied linguistics, but also receives
research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education.

A central theme in SLA research is that of interlanguage, the idea that the language that
learners use is not simply the result of differences between the languages that they already
know and the language that they are learning, but that it is a complete language system in its
own right, with its own systematic rules. This interlanguage gradually develops as learners
are exposed to the targeted language. The order in which learners acquire features of their
new language stays remarkably constant, even for learners with different native languages,
and regardless of whether they have had language instruction. However, languages that
learners already know can have a significant influence on the process of learning a new one.
This influence is known as language transfer.

The primary factor driving SLA appears to be the language input that learners receive.
Learners become more advanced the longer they are immersed in the language they are
learning, and the more time they spend doing free voluntary reading. The input hypothesis
developed by linguist Stephen Krashen makes a distinction between language acquisition and
language learning (acquisition–learning distinction),[1] claiming that acquisition is a
subconscious process, whereas learning is a conscious one. According to this hypothesis, the
acquisition process in L2(Language 2) is the same as L1 (Language 1) acquisition. The
learning process is consciously learning and inputting the language being learned.[2]
However, this goes as far as to state that input is all that is required for acquisition.
Subsequent work, such as the interaction hypothesis and the comprehensible output
hypothesis, has suggested that opportunities for output and for interaction may also be
necessary for learners to reach more advanced levels.

Research on how exactly learners acquire a new language spans a number of different areas.
Focus is directed toward providing proof of whether basic linguistic skills are innate (nature),
acquired (nurture), or a combination of the two attributes. Cognitive approaches to SLA
research deal with the processes in the brain that underpin language acquisition, for example
how paying attention to language affects the ability to learn it, or how language acquisition is
related to short-term and long-term memory. Sociocultural approaches reject the notion that
SLA is a purely psychological phenomenon, and attempt to explain it in a social context.
Some key social factors that influence SLA are the level of immersion, connection to the L2
community, and gender. Linguistic approaches consider language separately from other kinds
of knowledge, and attempt to use findings from the wider study of linguistics to explain SLA.
There is also a considerable body of research about how SLA can be affected by individual
factors such as age and learning strategies. A commonly discussed topic regarding age in
SLA is the critical period hypothesis, which suggests that individuals lose the ability to fully
learn a language after a particular age in childhood. Another topic of interest in SLA is the
differences between adult and child learners. Learning strategies are commonly categorized
as learning or communicative strategies, and are developed to improve their respective
acquisition skills. Affective factors are emotional factors that influence an individual's ability
to learn a new language. Common affective factors that influence acquisition are anxiety,
personality, social attitudes, and motivation.
Individuals may also lose a language through a process called second-language attrition. This
is often caused by lack of use or exposure to a language over time. The severity of attrition
depends on a variety of factors including level of proficiency, age, social factors, and
motivation at the time of acquisition. Finally, classroom research deals with the effect that
language instruction has on acquisition.

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