Which factor is listed as affecting second language acquisition?

Which factor is listed as affecting second language acquisition?

• A. Pronunciation clarity
• B. Motivation level
• C. Differences between L1 and L2
• D. Age of arrival in the country

Answer: (C)

Understanding how a learner’s first language compares to the language being learned helps explain why second language acquisition unfolds the way it does. The differences between L1 and L2—the linguistic distance in sounds, grammar, and writing systems—shape how learners process new input, transfer familiar patterns, and struggle with mismatches. When the two languages are quite different, learners must build new rules and generalizations rather than relying on their existing L1 structures, which often makes learning harder and guides the kinds of errors they make. That direct influence on the learning process is why this factor is highlighted as affecting how a second language is acquired. Pronunciation clarity reflects an outcome of practice rather than a primary driver of how the language is learned; motivation affects persistence and exposure but not the linguistic relationship between languages; age of arrival is another influential factor, but the question emphasizes the impact of the linguistic distance between languages.

Understanding how a learner’s first language compares to the language being learned helps explain why second language acquisition unfolds the way it does. The differences between L1 and L2—the linguistic distance in sounds, grammar, and writing systems—shape how learners process new input, transfer familiar patterns, and struggle with mismatches. When the two languages are quite different, learners must build new rules and generalizations rather than relying on their existing L1 structures, which often makes learning harder and guides the kinds of errors they make. That direct influence on the learning process is why this factor is highlighted as affecting how a second language is acquired. Pronunciation clarity reflects an outcome of practice rather than a primary driver of how the language is learned; motivation affects persistence and exposure but not the linguistic relationship between languages; age of arrival is another influential factor, but the question emphasizes the impact of the linguistic distance between languages.