Contrastive Analysis and Second Language Acquisition

The relatively fixed sequence in which linguistic features are acquired in both first and second language development. Research in this area often compares acquisition orders across languages to identify universal patterns versus language-specific influences.

One of Stephen Krashen's five hypotheses about second language acquisition, which posits a distinction between 'acquisition' (a subconscious process similar to first language acquisition) and 'learning' (a conscious process involving formal instruction and explicit knowledge of rules). According to Krashen, only acquired language contributes to spontaneous communication.

In interlanguage theory, this refers to the language system that a learner has developed at a specific point in time, containing elements from both the native language and the target language, as well as unique features belonging to neither.