ABSTRACT
During the mid- to late 1970s, those interested in Second Language Acquisition became less interested in a wholesale acceptance or rejection of the role of the native language (NL). Rather, the emphasis was on the determination of how and when learners use their NL and on explanations for the phenomenon. It is clear that the NL may influence which structures a learner produces and which structures are not produced (i.e., avoidance). The greatest likelihood of language transfer is in core elements, regardless of perceived distance. The second area of probable transfer is between languages perceived as close (e.g., Spanish/Italian, Dutch/German), regardless of the status of core versus noncore elements. The morpheme order studies were instrumental in attempts to minimize the role of the L1 by showing a more or less universal order of acquisition of English morphemes; this was known as the natural order and was supported by many, years after the original formulation.
