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Abstract: Second language acquisition (SLA) has been one of the central topics in cognitive science. Various theories regarding the SLA process have evolved and have been a subject of debate over the years. With a critical review of the competing theories of cognition and language development, this paper examines the differences between L1 and L2 acquisitional processes and then proposes a model of SLA process from a cognitive information-processing perspective. The pedagogic implications of this model are also discussed.

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