Second language acquisition: A processing-based perspective

Abstract

This contribution provides an overview of second language acquisition research from a psycholinguistic perspective. The overview is mainly focused on cross-language interactions during word and sentence production and comprehension at different points in the second-language acquisition process. The main conclusion is that language learning is interactive and dynamic. Because of this interactivity and dynamicity, the process and outcome of second-language acquisition can be influenced by many different factors, like the similarity between the first and second language, the learning context, learner motivations, the age at which a second language is learnt, and the learner's language proficiency and background.