ABSTRACT
In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), interaction has long been considered important in language learning. However, much of this research has been based on a traditional psycholinguistic perspective of language and learning. In this view, language is assumed to be a discrete set of linguistic systems external to the learner, whereas learning is viewed as the process of assimilating the structural components of these systems into preexisting mental structures. Although the specific goals of research carried out from this perspective may vary from finding the most effective way of facilitating the assimilation of new systemic knowledge to discovering and constructing the ideal linguistic system, it is generally agreed that language learning and language use are two distinct phenomena (Firth & Wagner, 1997, 1998; Gass, 1998; Hall, 1993, 1995, 1997).
