Reconceptualising Second Language Acquisition as a Dynamic, Cyclical, and Socially Mediated Process
Abstract
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has traditionally been explained through linear and reductionist frameworks that emphasise isolated factors such as linguistic input, cognitive processing, or structural knowledge. However, recent scholarship increasingly questions these simplified accounts, highlighting instead the complex, variable, and socially situated nature of language learning. This paper proposes a reconceptualisation of SLA as a dynamic, cyclical, and socially mediated process in which learning emerges through the continuous interaction of input, attention, interlanguage development, output, feedback, and sociocultural engagement. Drawing on established theoretical foundations as well as contemporary advances in complexity and sociocultural theory, the study integrates these perspectives into a unified framework that emphasises recursive learning processes and the active role of learners in shaping their development. The discussion is contextualised within Nigerian English as a Second Language (ESL) settings, where persistent mismatches between exposure to English and communicative proficiency reveal the limitations of input-centred explanations of acquisition. The paper argues that successful language learning depends not on passive exposure alone, but on sustained engagement, meaningful interaction, and supportive affective conditions. It concludes by proposing pedagogical implications for the design of more interactive, learner-centred, and context-sensitive language learning environments that better reflect the realities of acquisition as a dynamic process.
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