Lead supervisor:
Dr Andreas Buerki 
Start date: September 2020 (Full time)
Award: Collaborative
Subject Pathway:
Linguistics and Bilingualism
Thematic Cluster:
Language, Learning and Behaviour Cluster
In partnership with:
SaySomethingIn 
Usage-Based L2 Learning
The project aims to investigate the application of usage-based language acquisition theories to the learning of second languages (L2s), including Welsh. Usage-based theories of language and of language learning have become very influential over the past 15 years; they have primarily focused on first language acquisition (FLA), but there is now a growing body of work exploring second language acquisition (SLA). This project aims to bring together the existing research on usage-based language acquisition to create a framework for usage-based SLA.
It will use SaySomethingIn (SSi) as a case study of a potentially usage-based language learning programme to ascertain how the framework may or may not be an accurate and useful portrayal of second language acquisition. This will involve a mixed methods approach, including quantitative data from the SSi programme and qualitative data from participants.