The Development of Formulaic Language in L2

Abstract

The prevalence of formulaic language in language use has been acknowledged for long, and in the past decade research around formulaic language seems to have increased considerably. This article reviews the studies which examined the acquisition and processing of formulaic sequences in recent years. Based on the observation that formulaic sequences were less successfully and used less by nonnative speakers than native speakers, I discuss the difficulties second language (L2) learners face in the acquisition of formulaic sequences and the factors that could explain these challenges. Intervention studies on formulaic language are also reviewed, examining the effectiveness of teaching formulaic sequences to learners. I argue that much can be done to promote the acquisition of formulaic sequences, but one should keep in mind that this is an area where L2 learners make slower progress than other L2 properties and which shows an incremental process that typically requires multiple encounters with target items.