ABSTRACT
Within the field of Applied Linguistics, the two terms Complex Systems and Dynamic Systems Theory are both used. Complexity and Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) has provided a powerful framework to study the developmental processes in second language (L2) learners showing that development is an individually owned process, which is not predictable and always non-linear. The main goal of CDST inspired research is to explore individual learners’ trajectories to discover to what extent variability and interacting variables play a role in the emergence of new forms and self-organization of the linguistic system. The collection of CDST inspired studies thus far has shown that L2 development is dynamic with individual learners following their individual trajectories. To summarize, the methods and analyses in CDST start from individual observations to trace degrees of variability in single measures and interactions among various measures. Finally, and even more importantly, the findings from CDST studies need to be communicated to L2 teachers.
