Second language, also referred to as L2, is defined as a language mastered after a speaker’s first language; it is an additional language obtained in a naturalistic environment, after a speaker’s native tongue, and can be the third or fourth language learnt. There are various different opinions on what it means to acquire L2 but we believe it is deemed as when a speaker is able to read and write fluently in that language, and we strongly believe that the acquisition of this second language is affected by many factors, of which social environments and cognitive behaviour have the most influence.
The study of second language learning has been gaining interest in recent years. Research has been conducted to study many aspects of second language learning including the effects of learning techniques and social environment, and mental processing and storage which have profound effects on the L2 learner’s ability to process their second language.