Second language acquisition of phonology, morphology and syntax

This article examines how developmental patterns found in second language acquisition result from a complex interaction of influence from the first language and input from the target language under constraints imposed by an innate language faculty. Examples of second language learner behavior in each of phonology, morphology and syntax have been arbitrarily selected for discussion from a large body of existing research. Implications of the observed behavior for a theory of second language acquisition are considered