Complex Dynamic System Theory and Language Learning
Marijn van Dijk, Paul L. C. van Geert, Marjolijn H. Verspoor · The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics · 2025
Abstract Various studies have been published based on complex dynamic systems theoretical (CDST) interpretations of second language development (SLD). According to these approaches, a second language emerges in a specific and dynamic communicative context as a result of a process of self‐organization. This research has provided empirical support for the existence of the main theoretical concepts of CDST, such as the fact that the course of development is highly idiosyncratic, that SLD is nonlinear and variable, and that complex interactions exist between variables within and outside the individual.