Second Language Acquisition (SLA) refers to the process of learning a second language in addition to one's native language. Key aspects of SLA include the role of the first language, how language develops naturally, individual differences in learners, and the role of input and instruction. There are also different proposed stages of SLA. Individual learners vary in terms of factors like age, learning strategies, personality, aptitude, cognitive style, motivation, and intelligence, which can all influence the process of acquiring a second language.

1. SLA
Second
Language Acquisition

2. Second Language Acquisition
 Second-language learning, or L2
acquisition, is the process by which people
learn a second language. Second-language
acquisition (often abbreviated to SLA) also
refers to the scientific discipline devoted to
studying that process. Second language
refers to any language learned in addition to
a person's first language; although the
concept is named second-language
acquisition, it can also incorporate the
learning of third, fourth, or subsequent
languages. Second-language acquisition
refers to what learners do; it does not refer to
practices in language teaching.

3. Key issues in Second
Language Acquisition
 The role of first language
 Te natural route of development
 Contextual variation in language -
learner language
 Individual learner differences
 The role of input
 Learner process
 The role of formal instruction

4. Important concepts in SLA
 Acquisition vs Learning
 Second Language Acquisition vs First
Language Acquisition
 Competence vs Performance
 Accuracy vs Fluency

5. Stages of Second Language
Acquisition
 The silent or pre-production stage
 The early production stage
 The speech emergence stage
 The intermediate language proficiency
stage
 The advanced language proficiency
stage

6. Individual variation in language
learning
 Age:
The issue of age was first addressed with the critical period hypothesis.
This strict version has since been rejected for second-language
acquisition, as adult learners have been observed who reach native-like
levels of pronunciation and general fluency. However, in general, adult
learners of a second-language rarely achieve the native-like fluency that
children display, despite often progressing faster in the initial stages.
This has led to speculation that age is indirectly related to other, more
central factors that affect language learning.
 Strategy:
Strategies are commonly divided into learning strategies and
communicative strategies, although there are other ways of categorizing
them. Learning strategies are techniques used to improve learning, such
as mnemonics or using a dictionary. Communicative strategies are
strategies a learner uses to convey meaning even when she doesn't
have access to the correct form, such as using pro-forms like thing, or
using non-verbal means such as gestures.

7.  Personality:
Second-language acquisition is defined as the learning and
adopting of a language that is not your native language.
Studies have shown that extraverts (or unreserved and
outgoing people) acquire a second language better than
introverts (or shy people). People’s personalities vary
between those who relate to objects outside themselves
(extroverts) and those who relate to the contents of their
own minds (introverts).
 Aptitude:
Most aptitude tests predict success in L2 academic
classrooms. Aptitude breaks down into different factors
such as memory and grammatical sensitivity.

8.  Cognitive/ learning Style: :
It is a person's typical ways of thinking, seen as a continuum
between field-dependent (FD) cognitive style in which thinking
relates to context and field-independent (FI) style in which it is
independent of context.
There are reflected systematic differences in the way individual
preferred to approach learning and problem solving tasks these
are generally known as learning or cognitive styles
(McDonough: 1981). Rod Ellis (1985) describes these as the
‘manner in which people perceive, conceptualize and recall
information.’ Among the studied cognitive styles Field
Independence/ Dependence dichotomy has shown a significant
positive correlation with language learning achievement. Field
Dependence shows that the person is oriented personally, has
holistic view, is dependent and socially sensitive. On the other
hand, in Field Independence person has impersonal
orientation, analytic approach, is independent and socially
unaware.

9.  Motivation:
There are many different kinds of motivation; these are
often divided into types such as integrative or
instrumental, intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation
refers to the desire to do something for an internal
reward.
 Intelligence: It refers to a hypothesized ‘general factor’
or ‘G’ factor which underlies our ability to master and
use a whole range of academic skills. According to
Stern (1983), intelligence is a general academic or
reasoning ability. Cummins (1979) distinguishes two
kinds of language ability to show the importance of G-
factor in SLA. These are- CALP (Cognitive/ Academic
Language Proficiency) and BICS (Basic Interpersonal
Communication Skills).