CHILD DEVELOPMENT PEDAGOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A second language (L2) is a language spoken in addition to one’s first language (L1). A second language may be a neighbouring language, another language of the speaker’s home country, or a foreign language.

Detailed explanation-2: -These terms are frequently used in language teaching as a way to distinguish between a person’s first and second language. L1 is used to refer to the student’s first language, while L2 is used in the same way to refer to their second language or the language they are currently learning.

Detailed explanation-3: -This is true even of very basic terms, such as first language (L1), second language (L2) and, not least, third language (L3), which will be at the centre of the following discussion.

Detailed explanation-4: -One often quoted definition is the one from Hammarberg (2001: 22): ‘In order to obtain a basis for discussing the situation of a polyglot, we will here use the term L3 for the language that is currently being acquired, and L2 for any other language that the person has acquired after the L1’ (emphasis added).

Detailed explanation-5: -Languages learned under different circumstances have been given a variety of names: First language, mother tongue, native tongue, native language, L1, second language, non-native language, foreign language, L2, third language, L3, L4, L5, among others.