To What Extent is the Innate Linguistic Knowledge Involved in Second Language learning?

Abstract

A number of theoretical possibilities regarding UG and L2 learning have emerged in recent years. Some theories lend support to the fact that UG plays a role in L2 acquisition, where as other hypothesis claims that L2 learners have no access to UG. In this paper, a detailed explanation of these hypothesis in the light of different studies shall be presented, and the claim that L2 learners have no access to UG is falsified by studies that prove the opposite.