I. Introduction

Looking at issues of any journal in two or more different periods of time with an analytic view of factors causing that journal to change is an interesting activity. This project appeals to me since it shows me how ignorant of one to think of others, especially in the past, as being naive. It is ignorant since everything about today's world will make us look naive to some people in the future. It is, then, my aim to investigate the past issues and compare them with more recent issues in an attempt to see the growth line and what makes those changes occur. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (SSLA) is the refereed journal I chose for this study.

SLA is a considerably new interdisciplinary field when compared to the other disciplines. Theoretical Linguistics, education, pedagogy, psychology, neurolinguistics, intercultural communication, and many other fields contribute to the field of SLA at different rates. The need for this field has given it the attention of a number of linguists who gave SLA the distinguished character to stand by itself. The major role SLA seeks to play is to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of second language acquisition and instruction. That is, teachers of second languages need someone to bring those theorists closer to classrooms and make their theoretical efforts fruitful and useful for practitioners in the field of second language education. Therefore, the study of interlanguage and second language acquisition problems is the thrust of this field.