Some Limitations to the Classroom Applications of Current Second Language Acquisition Research

Abstract

Second language acquisition research is still in its infancy, and hasty pedagogical applications should not be made on the basis of its findings. Among the limitations of current research are the following: (1) the restricted linguistic scope of studies to date, (2) lack of data on cognitive processes and learning strategies, (3) limited information about the role of individual variables in second language acquisition, (4) insufficient information about the role of social and environmental variables in second language acquisition, (5) undeveloped methodology for data collection and (6) for data analysis, and (7) the limited number of replicated studies to date. Suggestions are made for future research.