An Analysis on the Role of Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

This study examines the Universal Grammar’s complicated role in second language learning. The paper firstly presents a brief description of the UG and a review of recent studies in SLA with UG approach. Then the paper discusses the relevance of Universal Grammar to SLA from five aspects: accessibility of UG, L1 and L2 acquisition differences, learning models, poverty-of-the-stimulus argument, and debates on principles and parameters in SLA. Finally, pedagogical implications are proposed.