L1 influence on Second Language Acquisition and Teaching

Abstract

The effect of the first language (L1) on the acquisition of a second (L2) or additional language has been a long-debated issue in the area of second language acquisition, from early contrastivist approaches to current cognitive perspectives. In this paper we will review the main theoretical accounts of cross-linguistic influence focusing on recent perspectives, such as linguistic relativity, the multicompetence framework and cognitive linguistics/usage-based approaches. We will also point to the teaching implications, not only as regards the native vs. the non-native teacher but also the role of the L1 in classroom instruction and the elaboration of textbooks and teaching materials.