Aims
The module aims to familiarise students with some well-known facts about how second languages are learned. The role that innate linguistic knowledge (‘nature’) plays, and the effects of input on development (‘nurture’) are examined. Theories that make use of these factors to explain how second languages are learned are evaluated.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the module you should be able to describe some of the ways in which learners develop knowledge of a target second language, have a clear understanding of some of the topics which have been addressed by researchers who have studied second language learner development, you will be familiar with some of the techniques used to collect data, and you will have assessed some of the theories which have been proposed to account for second language development by researchers working within a generative paradigm.