L2 ACQUISITION AND BILINGUALISM

Abstract

The term Second Language Acquisition (L2A) is misunderstood in the Brazilian context. It is widely used to refer to the process of L2 development, within the Generativist tradition. In this paper, I will address the area of second language acquisition, from a generative perspective, expanding on the concept and the fruitful area of research and investigation. Among the common issues debated in L2A is the question of whether innate Universal Grammar (UG) mechanisms guide L2 acquisition in ways that are similar to L1 acquisition. An equally relevant discussion, namely that of early L2 acquisition in the Brazilian context of Bilingual Education will also be addressed.