Introducing Second Language Acquisition: Perspectives and Practices represents a clear and concise introduction to the main concepts, issues, and debates in second language acquisition studies aimed specifically at undergraduates encountering the topic for the first time.
- Follows six fictitious language learners throughout the text whose stories serve to introduce various concepts and issues
- Contains specific chapters on first language acquisition and bilingualism, as well as explicit references to the most recent and important research
- Covers key topics including acquisition contexts, theoretical perspectives, language teaching methods, second language development, and individual differences (such as age, aptitude, and motivation)
- Grabs student attention with lighthearted cartoons that illustrate and reinforce key ideas
- Features a full range of pedagogical tools to aid student learning, including “language learning in practice” textboxes; bolded new terms defined in the margins; an end-of-book glossary; self-assessment and classroom discussion questions; exercise and project ideas; and further online viewing sections
Kirsten M. Hummel is Professor in the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Translation at Laval University, Quebec, Canada. She is the editor of An Introduction to Language, Fourth Canadian Edition (with V. Fromkin, R. Rodman and N. Hyams, 2010), has published in several areas of second language acquisition, and has taught as a visiting professor in Eastern Europe and Central Africa.
Acknowledgments xi
1 Introduction 1
2 First Language Acquisition 5
2.0 Chapter overview 6
2.1 From sound to word 6
2.2 From word to sentence 10
2.3 Theoretical views 13
2.4 First language vs second language acquisition 18
2.5 Summing up 25
Key concepts 26
Self-assessment questions 26
Discussion questions 27
Exercises/Project ideas 28
Further reading and viewing 30
References 31
3 Language Learning Contexts 35
3.0 Chapter overview 36
3.1 Naturalistic contexts 36
3.2 Instructed learning 41
3.3 Summing up 52
Key concepts 52
Self-assessment questions 53
Discussion questions 54
Exercises/Project ideas 54
Further reading and viewing 55
References 55
4 Theoretical Perspectives: Past and Present 59
4.0 Chapter overview 60
4.1 Contrastive analysis 61
4.2 Error analysis 64
4.3 Universal Grammar 67
4.4 The Monitor Model/Input Hypothesis 70
4.5 Information processing/cognitive approach 75
4.6 Processing-related hypotheses 77
4.7 Emergentism and usage-based approaches 86
4.8 The Sociocultural approach 91
4.9 Summing up 93
Key concepts 94
Self-assessment questions 95
Discussion questions 96
Exercises/Project ideas 97
Further reading and viewing 97
References 99
5 Teaching Approaches and Instructional Issues 105
5.0 Chapter overview 106
5.1 Historical and current perspectives on language teaching 106
5.2 Classroom instructional issues 118
5.3 Summing up 129
Key concepts 130
Self-assessment questions 130
Discussion questions 131
Exercises/Project ideas 132
Further reading and viewing 132
References 133
6 Second Language Development 137
6.0 Chapter overview 138
6.1 Common processes and infl uences 138
6.2 L2 development across linguistic sub-areas 144
6.3 Investigating learner language: Language corpora 159
6.4 Summing up 159
Key concepts 160
Self-assessment questions 160
Discussion questions 161
Exercises/Project ideas 162
Further reading and viewing 162
References 163
7 The Age Factor 169
7.0 Chapter overview 170
7.1 The critical period hypothesis 170
7.2 Abnormal instances: Children raised in isolation 173
7.3 Empirical studies 174
7.4 Exceptional cases 184
7.5 Summing up 185
Key concepts 186
Self-assessment questions 186
Discussion questions 187
Exercises/Project ideas 188
Further reading and viewing 188
References 189
8 Individual Differences 193
8.0 Chapter overview 194
8.1 Intelligence 194
8.2 Language learning aptitude 195
8.3 Attitudes and motivation 201
8.4 Personality 205
8.5 Learning style and cognitive style 208
8.6 Learning strategies 211
8.7 Summing up 214
Key concepts 214
Self-assessment questions 215
Discussion questions 216
Exercises/Project ideas 216
Further reading and viewing 217
References 217
9 Bilingualism 223
9.0 Chapter overview 224
9.1 Who is a bilingual? Defi nitions of bilingualism 224
9.2 Bilingual development 228
9.3 Bilingual lexical representation and lexical access 234
9.4 Bilingual cognition 241
9.5 Summing up 242
Key concepts 243
Self-assessment questions 243
Discussion questions 244
Exercises/Project ideas 244
Further reading and viewing 245
References 246
10 Concluding Words 251
Epilogue 252
Glossary 255
Index 267
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