The Development of Conceptual Fluency in Second Language Acquisition

Learning a second language (L2) is not merely mastering an additional linguistic system, but rather learning a new way of conceptualizing the world. Grammatical development does not always align simultaneously with conceptual development in L2. That explains why L2 learners may produce sentences tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied language learning Vol. 30; no. 1-2; pp. 1 - 17
Main Author Gong, Zhiqi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center 2020
Subjects
Concept Formation
Figurative Language
Grammar
Language Usage
Learning Processes
Metalinguistics
Native Language
Phrase Structure
Second Language Instruction
Second Language Learning
Sentence Structure
Socialization
Teaching Methods
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Summary:Learning a second language (L2) is not merely mastering an additional linguistic system, but rather learning a new way of conceptualizing the world. Grammatical development does not always align simultaneously with conceptual development in L2. That explains why L2 learners may produce sentences that are grammatically correct, but pragmatically inappropriate. Research needs to address conceptual fluency which consists of, but not exclusively, formulaic competence and metaphorical competence. There should be a shift from a focus on isolated grammar and formal knowledge to the changes that first-language-governed conceptual base undergoes in the process of second language acquisition. A competent second-language learner is expected to use the target language in ways that native speakers use it. Conceptual fluency has substantial pedagogical implications in L2 acquisition.
ISSN:1041-679X