1. second language acquisition: It refers to the systematic study of how one person acquires a second language subsequent to his native language.

2. target language: The language to be acquired by the second language learner.

3. second language: A second language is a language which is not a native language in a country but which is widely used as a medium of communication and which is usually used alongside another language or languages.

4. foreign language: A foreign language is a language which is taught as a school subject but which is not used as a medium of instruction in schools nor as a language of communication within a country.

5. interlanguage: A type of language produced by second and foreign language learners, who are in the process of learning a language, and this type of language usually contains wrong expressions.

6. fossilization: In second or foreign language learning, there is a process which sometimes occurs in which incorrect linguistic features become a permanent part of the way a person speaks or writes a language.

7. contrastive analysis: a method of analyzing languages for instructional purposes whereby a native language and target language are compared with a view to establishing points of difference likely to cause difficulties for learners.

8. contrastive analysis hypothesis: A hypothesis in second language acquisition. It predicts that where there are similarities between the first and second languages, the learner will acquire second language structure with ease, where there are differences, the learner will have difficulty.

9. positive transfer: It refers to the transfer that occur when both the native language and the target language have the same form, thus making learning easier. (06F)

10. negative transfer: the mistaken transfer of features of one’s native language into a second language.

11. error analysis: the study and analysis of errors made by second and foreign language learners in order to identify causes of errors or common difficulties in language learning.

12. interlingual error: errors, which mainly result from cross-linguistic interference at different levels such as phonological, lexical, grammatical etc.

13. intralingual error: Errors, which mainly result from faulty or partial learning of the target language, independent of the native language. The typical examples are overgeneralization and cross-association.

14. overgeneralization: The use of previously available strategies in new situations, in which they are unacceptable.

15. cross-association: some words are similar in meaning as well as spelling and pronunciation. This internal interference is called cross-association.

16. error: the production of incorrect forms in speech or writing by a non-native speaker of a second language, due to his incomplete knowledge of the rules of that target language.

17. mistake: mistakes, defined as either intentionally or unintentionally deviant forms and self-corrigible, suggest failure in performance.

18. input: language which a learner hears or receives and from which he or she can learn.

19. intake: the input which is actually helpful for the learner.

20. Input Hypothesis: A hypothesis proposed by Krashen , which states that in second language learning, it’s necessary for the learner to understand input language which contains linguistic items that are slightly beyond the learner’s present linguistic competence. Eventually the ability to produce language is said to emerge naturally without being taught directly.

21. acquisition: Acquisition is a process similar to the way children acquire their first language. It is a subconscious process without minute learning of grammatical rules. Learners are hardly aware of their learning but they are using language to communicate. It is also called implicit learning, informal learning or natural learning.

22. learning: learning is a conscious learning of second language knowledge by learning the rules and talking about the rules.

23. comprehensible input: Input language which contains linguistic items that are slightly beyond the learner’s present linguistic competence. (06F)

24. language aptitude: the natural ability to learn a language, not including intelligence, motivation, interest, etc.

25. motivation: motivation is defined as the learner’s attitudes and affective state or learning drive.

26. instrumental motivation: the motivation that people learn a foreign language for instrumental goals such as passing exams, or furthering a career etc. (06C)

27. integrative motivation: the drive that people learn a foreign language because of the wish to identify with the target culture. (06C/ 05)

28. resultative motivation: the drive that learners learn a second language for external purposes. (06F)

29. intrinsic motivation: the drive that learners learn the second language for enjoyment or pleasure from learning.

30. learning strategies: learning strategies are learners’ conscious goal-oriented and problem-solving based efforts to achieve learning efficiency.

31. cognitive strategies: strategies involved in analyzing, synthesis, and internalizing what has been learned. (07C/ 06F)

32. metacognitive strategies: the techniques in planning, monitoring and evaluating one’s learning.

33. affect/ social strategies: the strategies dealing with the ways learners interact or communicate with other speakers, native or non-native.