Conclusion

Having come to the end of our survey of current trends in second language learning (SLL) research, we are left with a reinforced impression of great diversity. Different research groups are pursuing theoretical agendas that centre on very different parts of the total language learning process; while many place the modelling of learner grammars at the heart of the enterprise, others focus on language processing, or on second language interaction. Each research tradition has developed its cluster of specialized research procedures, ranging from the grammaticality judgement tests associated with Universal Grammar-inspired research, to the naturalistic observation and recording practised by ethnographers and language socialization theorists. On the whole, grand synthesizing theories, which try to encompass all aspects of SLL in a single model, have not received general support. Rather than a process of theory reduction and consolidation, of the kind proposed by Beretta and others (1993), we find that new theoretical perspectives (such as connectionism or socio-cultural theory) have entered the field, without displacing established ones (such as Universal Grammar).