Stages of Language Learning
Individuals learning a second language use the same innate processes that are used to
acquire their first language from the first days of exposure to the new language in spite of their
age. They reach similar developmental stages to those in first language acquisition, making some
of the same types of errors in grammatical markers that young children make, picking up chunks
of language without knowing precisely what each word means, and relying on sources of input
humans who speak that language-to provide modified speech that they can at least partially
comprehend (Collier, 1998). Second language learners are usually observed developing a new
language system that incorporates elements from the native language and elements from English
they recently learned.
Inter-language actually helps second language learners test hypotheses about how language
works and develop their own set of rules for using language.