ABSTRACT
The relationship of pedagogy to second language acquisition is complex and is one that is not clearly agreed upon in applied linguistics. The potential influence of instruction on acquisition—both benefits and limitations—is an empirical question. Yet even the empirical evidence is subject to different interpretations. In this chapter I attempt to contribute to the study of the effect of instruction on acquisition by considering the acquisition of tense and aspect in an instructional setting. The study of a single subsystem of grammar facilitates the examination of certain details of acquisition that broader studies may not provide.
