Meaning & use
second language
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A language that a person learns after their first language, often because they live or work in a place where it is spoken.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a second language' or 'second languages'.
Patterns
- learn a second language
- speak a second language
- English as a second language
Many children in Canada learn French as a second language.
She speaks English as a second language and uses it every day at work.
Learning a second language can improve your memory.
nouncountabletechnical
The language that a person uses most often after their native language in daily life.
Grammar: In this technical sense, it contrasts with 'foreign language' because it is used regularly in the community.
Patterns
- use something as a second language
- a second language for someone
For many immigrants, the local language becomes their second language.
In India, English often functions as a second language for educated speakers.
Word forms
| plural | second languages |
|---|
Common combinations
- learn a second language
- Adults can learn a second language with regular practice.
- speak a second language
- He speaks a second language fluently.
- English as a second language
- She teaches English as a second language to newcomers.
- a second language learner
- Second language learners often need extra support.
Synonyms and how they differ
- additional language
- More neutral and avoids the idea of a strict order; often used in education.
- foreign language
- Refers to a language not spoken in the learner's community; a second language is typically used in daily life.
Opposites
Word family
- second-language adjective
- Used before a noun, as in 'second-language acquisition'.
Commonly confused: second language or foreign language?
second language vs foreign language
A foreign language is learned but not usually spoken in the learner's own country; a second language is often used in the surrounding society.
Practice
For many immigrants, the official language of their new country becomes their ______.
Choose one answer.
A 'second language' is learned after the first and used in daily life, which fits immigrants using the official language. 'First language' and 'native language' refer to the language learned from birth, and 'foreign language' is not typically used in the local community.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “second language”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.