ABSTRACT
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is concerned with the nature of the hypotheses (whether conscious or unconscious) that learners come up with regarding the rules of the second language. In fact, a major goal of SLA research is the determination of linguistic constraints on the formation of second language grammars. A rationale related to language pedagogy has to do with the expectations that teachers have of their students. It is the point of view that understanding how second languages are learned and how nonnative speakers use language allows us to separate issues of cross-cultural communication from issues of stereotyped behavior or personal idiosyncrasies. Knowledge of the sound system (phonology) of the native language is complex. Minimally, it entails knowing what sounds are possible and not possible in the language. Because of the difficulty in determining when learning has ceased, one frequently refers to stabilization of linguistic forms, rather than fossilization or cessation of learning.
