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

Introducing Second Language Acquisition: Perspectives andPractices represents a clear and concise introduction to themain concepts, issues, and debates in second language acquisitionstudies aimed specifically at undergraduates encountering the topicfor the first time.* Follows six fictitious language learners throughout the textwhose stories serve to introduce various concepts and issues* Contains specific chapters on first language acquisition andbilingualism, as well as explicit references to the most recent andimportant research* Covers key topics including acquisition contexts, theoreticalperspectives, language teaching methods, second languagedevelopment, and individual differences (such as age, aptitude, andmotivation)* Grabs student attention with lighthearted cartoons thatillustrate and reinforce key ideas* Features a full range of pedagogical tools to aid studentlearning, including "language learning in practice"textboxes; bolded new terms defined in the margins; an end-of-bookglossary; self-assessment and classroom discussion questions;exercise and project ideas; and further online viewingsections

Acknowledgments xi1 Introduction 12 First Language Acquisition 52.0 Chapter overview 62.1 From sound to word 62.2 From word to sentence 102.3 Theoretical views 132.4 First language vs second language acquisition 182.5 Summing up 25Key concepts 26Self-assessment questions 26Discussion questions 27Exercises/Project ideas 28Further reading and viewing 30References 313 Language Learning Contexts 353.0 Chapter overview 363.1 Naturalistic contexts 363.2 Instructed learning 413.3 Summing up 52Key concepts 52Self-assessment questions 53Discussion questions 54Exercises/Project ideas 54Further reading and viewing 55References 554 Theoretical Perspectives: Past and Present 594.0 Chapter overview 604.1 Contrastive analysis 614.2 Error analysis 644.3 Universal Grammar 674.4 The Monitor Model/Input Hypothesis 704.5 Information processing/cognitive approach 754.6 Processing-related hypotheses 774.7 Emergentism and usage-based approaches 864.8 The Sociocultural approach 914.9 Summing up 93Key concepts 94Self-assessment questions 95Discussion questions 96Exercises/Project ideas 97Further reading and viewing 97References 995 Teaching Approaches and Instructional Issues 1055.0 Chapter overview 1065.1 Historical and current perspectives on language teaching1065.2 Classroom instructional issues 1185.3 Summing up 129Key concepts 130Self-assessment questions 130Discussion questions 131Exercises/Project ideas 132Further reading and viewing 132References 1336 Second Language Development 1376.0 Chapter overview 1386.1 Common processes and infl uences 1386.2 L2 development across linguistic sub-areas 1446.3 Investigating learner language: Language corpora 1596.4 Summing up 159Key concepts 160Self-assessment questions 160Discussion questions 161Exercises/Project ideas 162Further reading and viewing 162References 1637 The Age Factor 1697.0 Chapter overview 1707.1 The critical period hypothesis 1707.2 Abnormal instances: Children raised in isolation 1737.3 Empirical studies 1747.4 Exceptional cases 1847.5 Summing up 185Key concepts 186Self-assessment questions 186Discussion questions 187Exercises/Project ideas 188Further reading and viewing 188References 1898 Individual Differences 1938.0 Chapter overview 1948.1 Intelligence 1948.2 Language learning aptitude 1958.3 Attitudes and motivation 2018.4 Personality 2058.5 Learning style and cognitive style 2088.6 Learning strategies 2118.7 Summing up 214Key concepts 214Self-assessment questions 215Discussion questions 216Exercises/Project ideas 216Further reading and viewing 217References 2179 Bilingualism 2239.0 Chapter overview 2249.1 Who is a bilingual? Defi nitions of bilingualism 2249.2 Bilingual development 2289.3 Bilingual lexical representation and lexical access 2349.4 Bilingual cognition 2419.5 Summing up 242Key concepts 243Self-assessment questions 243Discussion questions 244Exercises/Project ideas 244Further reading and viewing 245References 24610 Concluding Words 251Epilogue 252Glossary 255Index 267