In this book the verbal means that are acquired by adult learners of a second language to express spatial concepts are studied to determine which linguistic (source and target language), communicative, and cognitive factors influence the observed acquisition patterns. The data analyzed were drawn from the European Science Foundation's second language database and allow the adoption of both a longitudinal and a cross-linguistic approach: the acquisition of Dutch by Moroccan and Turkish adult learners during a two-and-a-half-year period of language acquisition is compared.The study of such natural learning processes is aimed at gaining insight into general factors influencing the second language acquisition process. Once established, knowledge of these factors may inform second language educational practice by giving teachers more understanding of the process of second language acquisition.
