Ambient Input, Instructed Input, and Absent Input: A Reflection on L2 Acquisition in Different Input Conditions

Abstract

In the second language (L2) acquisition context, poverty of the stimulus is defined as a situation where neither incidental input nor instruction provide direct evidence for a particular property in the L2. Research has shown that L2 acquisition is nonetheless possible in such conditions, even when the L2 speakers' first language differs from the L2 in the relevant respect. In other words, L2 properties can (in some cases) be acquired despite the absence of direct evidence in the input for the given property. However, even when direct evidence of an L2 property is available through ambient input or instruction, research findings—along with the personal experiences of many L2 learners—show that acquisition of that property does not always proceed as might be anticipated. This paper reflects on how acquisition proceeds in light of ambient input, instructed input, and absent input, and identifies a key commonality in the role of input, regardless of the input context. The paper draws on data from a range of studies, with a focus on work by the present author on L2 acquisition in Japanese, Korean, and German.