Constructionism in language pedagogy: Usage-based approach to foreign/second language learning

Language is a complex, highly adaptable, ever-changing system. Many complex agents interact and underlie language learning ranging from linguistic, social, psychological, cognitive, cultural etc. Take just one agent from the language-learning equation and the final outcome will be considerably different. This paper highlights and elaborates on some of the most striking features of the usagebased approaches to Foreign/Second Language Learning (Acquisition) which are the following: 1) L2 learning primarily depends on learners’ exposure to their second language (L2) in real-life conditions/ use, that is, the linguistic input they receive, and 2) L2 learners induce the rules of the L2 surface structure from the input by employing cognitive mechanisms which are not exclusive to language learning, but that are general cognitive mechanisms at work in any kind of learning, including language learning ((Ellis, N. & Wulff, S. 2015; Vujić, 2016). The main tennet of such approach is that in the L2 learning process there is no strict delimitation between grammatical and lexical component of the language i.e. it is a phrase-oriented approach which insists on mobilization of students’ full cognitive capacities as well socio-cultural proficiency in L2. Although this paper primarily focuses on English as L2, we believe that it could be highly valuable to all those directly or indirectly interested and involved in language pedagogy.