A key difference between L1 and L2 learners is that L2 learners are usually older and have a knowledge base about how language works. Which view does this statement support?

• A. Cognitive processing theories in language acquisition
• B. Interactionist Theory
• C. Noam Chomsky
• D. Communicative language teaching or communicative approaches

Answer: (A)

This item tests the idea that language learning depends on how learners process linguistic input and use their existing knowledge about language. Cognitive processing theories argue that older L2 learners bring developed cognitive resources—like working memory, attention, and explicit metalinguistic knowledge—to the task. This means they can notice patterns, apply rules, and draw on prior understanding of how languages work to interpret and internalize new language, which aligns with the statement about having a knowledge base and being older.

Why this fits best: these theories foreground the learner’s mental processing and existing knowledge as central to acquiring a second language. They explain why older learners, with more developed cognitive skills and explicit knowledge about language structure, might approach and absorb input differently than younger learners, who rely more on implicit, experiential exposure.

Why the other options fit less: interactionist approaches emphasize social interaction and communicative practice as the primary route to learning, rather than the internal processing of language and preexisting knowledge. Noam Chomsky’s innatist view focuses on an innate universal grammar that guides language ability, not on how learners’ knowledge about language affects processing. Communicative language teaching centers on meaningful communication and tasks rather than the cognitive processing of input and reliance on a personal knowledge base about language.