ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 presents background of some of the major issues confronting researchers as they use judgment data in second language research. Specifically, the chapter covers historical and theoretical perspectives. The chapter opens with a discussion of terminology, comparing the use of the terms grammaticality and acceptability with their use (theoretically and in practice) found in the linguistic literature. The discussion also brings in theoretical issues of the differences in L1 and L2 knowledge and the task of asking a second language learner to judge sentences in their second language. The chapter considers the value of judgment data in second language research and brings the construct of indeterminacy and the issue of a comparative fallacy to bear. Also discussed is the important issue of knowledge types (implicit and explicit knowledge) and what it is that judgment data tap. As with judgments in native language research, intervening variables affect learner judgments and are discussed in this chapter.
