Abstract

This book examines key issues in theories of what language is and what happens in the mind during second language acquisition (SLA), inspiring readers to think in new and exciting ways about language learning and teaching. Chapters, written by both established and rising star scholars, provide cutting-edge insights and new empirical findings on major topics of formal and cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics and second language development, and offer a coherent, wide-ranging, reader-friendly examination of learner-internal factors in SLA. The first section of the book focuses on issues that are pertinent to our understanding of language acquisition, particularly in relation to syntax. The second section comprises empirical chapters on syntax, the lexicon, phonetics/phonology and language production in English and other languages. These chapters refer to theories and frameworks from within SLA to enable the reader to grasp the key questions and issues that are currently relevant. The final section focuses on research relating to how second language (L2) learners make transitions from one stage of development to the next; it covers state-of-the-art psycholinguistic research concerning how L2 acquisition occurs in real time, and includes discussion of models of L2 development both in and out of the classroom.

This book provides language teachers and applied linguists with a rich, comprehensive and carefully arranged smörgåsbord of theoretical issues relevant for understanding the mismatch between what teachers teach and what learners learn. Even the more challenging aspects of some topics are worth the reader’s careful attention and will pay rich dividends.

This book provides an accessible background on linguistics, language acquisition and experimental methodologies. Each chapter presents new empirical data and the volume will appeal to second language specialists, as well as a general audience. Its fine writing and broad range of topics – from language evolution to psycholinguistics – make it a welcome contribution to the field.

This is a highly recommended volume for three reasons: 1. It covers both property and transition theories and focuses on language representation and processing. 2. The chapters have been authored by the researchers involved in the reported research. 3. Chapters discuss teaching-related issues and make for invaluable reading for teachers and students alike.

Clare Wright is Lecturer in Linguistics and Language Teaching at the University of Leeds, UK. Her research investigates the interfaces between linguistic, cognitive and pedagogic factors in second language acquisition, with particular focus on teaching and learning Chinese as a second language.

Thorsten Piske is Professor of Foreign Language Learning and Teaching at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. His research focuses on first and second language acquisition and on bilingual education.

Martha Young-Scholten is Professor of Second Language Acquisition at Newcastle University, UK. Her research currently focuses on the reading development of migrant adults with little or no home language literacy.