This paper presents a theory of inductive learning (i-learning), a form of induction
which is neither concept learning nor hypothesis-formation, but rather which takes
place within the autonomous and modular representational systems (levels of
representation) of the language faculty. The theory is called accordingly the
Autonomous Induction Theory. Second language acquisition (SLA) is conceptualized in
this theory as:
• learning linguistic categories from universal and potentially innate
featural primitives;
• learning configurations of linguistic units; and
• learning correspondences of configurations across the autonomous levels.
Here I concentrate on the problem of constraining learning theories and argue that
the Autonomous Induction Theory is constrained enough to be taken seriously as a
plausible approach to explaining second language acquisition.
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