An introduction to the key questions that drive the field of L2 acquisition research, including its historical foundations.

Bill VanPatten was formerly Professor of Spanish and Second Language Studies at Michigan State University and is now an independent scholar. He has had a long and distinguished academic career and has published widely in the fields of second language acquisition and second language teaching.

1. What are the origins of second language acquisition as a research field?; 2. What does development look like?; 3. What are the roles of input and output?; 4. What is the initial state?; 5. Can L2 learners become native-like?; 6. Does instruction make a difference?; 7. What role does explicit learning play in acquisition?; 8. What are individual differences and how do they affect L2 acquisition?