Research in the past decade has focused increasingly on the central
role of input. In particular, the importance of negotiated input and learning
through interaction has been noted in Day (1986); Doughty (1991);
Gass and Varonis (1994); Pica (1992), among others. Interaction is central
to the social processes of SLA and is closely related to context of learning.
Clearly, the type and amount of input available is conditioned by the environment
and interaction with interlocuters. In relation to the study abroad
environment, the role of input is related to where the learner is learning
and how much contact and feedback he is getting from native speakers in
the speech community in which he is living temporarily.