This volume looks at the phenomena of 'intake' versus 'input' in second language learning, bringing together a team of scholars to explore the problem that the 'input' learners are exposed to - that is, how much of the second language that they hear and read - is not equal to their 'intake', that is, how much of the input they actually process and learn. Looking at second-language learners of a range of languages including English, German, Korean, Polish and Spanish, it explores the cognitive process involved in input and intake, in doing so explores the fundamental mechanisms underlying adult second language acquisition, which is of central importance to theoreticians and teachers alike.