ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of usage-based research on the acquisition of formulaic language. A definition of construction that includes formulaic sequences as defined in usage-based linguistics is outlined, followed by a description of the input properties that impact the learnability of (formulaic) constructions: distribution, recency, salience, prototypicality, and contingency. Studies testing learners’ constructional knowledge as well as studies examining the role of formulaic constructions in the acquisition process are summarized, and the chapter closes with some suggestions for future research directions.
