L1 and L2 Language Learners

In language pedagogy, L1 refers to a learner's first or native language and L2 to a language learned after L1 is established. In ASL education, L1 learners are typically Deaf children of Deaf parents who acquire ASL as their first language, while L2 learners are most commonly hearing university students learning ASL as a second or foreign language. L1 and L2 learners have very different instructional needs: L1 signers benefit from literacy and grammatical analysis of a language they already speak, while L2 learners need scaffolded vocabulary, handshape practice, and exposure to non-manual grammar. Many design recommendations for AI-based ASL learning tools emphasise tailoring feedback to learner background, because an L1 signer making a deliberate stylistic choice and an L2 learner making a grammatical error look very similar to naive models.