Product Description

A clear and accessible introductory textbook on second language acquisition research, focusing on methodological issues, L1 influence, theories of second language research, interlanguage issues, L2 input, nonlinguistic factors, affecting L2 acquisition, instructed SLA, and the role of the lexicon. It is intended for UG or G students who have little or no background in SLA research but do have a basic grounding in general linguistics. Each chapter has exercises and a list of references.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40510 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 598 pages

Review
"A tour de force. The authors have taken the best text available for an introductory course in second language acquisition (SLA) and made it even stronger!. The improvements in the third edition are palpable from the very beginning of the text !.The third edition of "Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course" should form the basis for any introduction to SLA, at either the graduate or undergraduate level. This text would also, in my view, be an ideal point of entry for any linguists or language specialists who would like to familiarize themselves with the field of SLA theory." Fred Eckman, Center for the Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland "Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course" presents the most balanced, grounded, and accessible introduction to a broad field. The field has grown rapidly since publication of the second edition in 2001, and a new, updated, and expanded edition is most welcome. In the third edition, Gass and Selinker's overview of the field of SLA continues to be encyclopedic!. Gass and Selinker make this breadth of knowledge accessible to students with little background in the feeder disciplines. The authors have painted an accurate and detailed picture of a vibrant field!. "Second Language Acquisition" has now become a living standard in our field." Richard Young, Professor of English Linguistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison "This text presents a comprehensive overview of SLA in an accessible, highly readable manner appropriate for readers new to this discipline!. The new edition includes even more data samples than the previous edition, both integrated into the main text and in the discussion questions at the end of each chapter." Deborah Pilcher, Gallaudet University "Gass & Selinker have assembled a reference text that will be able to generate many different courses for many types of SLA audience. As one gains historical perspective on a discipline, it becomes clear that the challenge is to find the balance between recognizing how new theoretical approaches may illuminate old questions, and simultaneously holding the new theories' feet to the fire to account for well-documented empirical facts. Gass & Selinker successfully steer this fraught course. This text is a guidebook which will allow teachers and students alike to both sample the highlights and explore the lesser-known nooks and crannies of the SLA terrain." Dr. John Archibald, Professor and Head, Dept. of Linguistics, Member of the Language, Research Centre, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Humanities, University Orator, University of Calgary

From the Back Cover

In 1994, … I wrote that [the first edition of Second Language Acquisition: An IntroductoryCourse] was the best textbook available for introductory SLA courses. Since then, I have required the book in its two editions in my annual introductory courses in SLA and now, 13 years later, my opinion is unchanged. Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course presents the most balanced, grounded, and accessible introduction to a broad field…. I will continue to require this book in my introductory courses. It has now become a living standard in our field."

-Richard Young, Professor of English Linguistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"In reviewing the new third edition of Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course…I am again impressed by the two major attributes that led me to adopt the previous edition for my courses. First, this text presents a comprehensive overview of SLA in an accessible, highly readable manner appropriate for readers new to this discipline…The second major attribute of this textbook is its extensive integration of actual SLA data samples into the text….The new edition includes even more data samples than the previous edition ….I look forward to adopting the new third edition."

-Deborah Chen Pichler, Gallaudet University

The much anticipated revision of this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of SLA. The accessible format is designed for use in the introductory second language acquisition course taken by undergraduate and graduate students studying second language acquisition or applied linguistics in a variety of departments. Changes in the textbook reflect changes in the field: The field of SLA is now even more interdisciplinary than it was at the time of the previous edition.

Continuing the previous editions’ successful tradition of a clearly written and illustrated presentation, an emphasis on empirical findings, and the up-to-date research, the Third Edition offers a new chapter on "SLA and Related Disciplines" discussing multilingualism; new sections about the relationship between L1 and L2 acquisition, language transfer, sociocultural theory, working memory, among other changes.

The authors believe strongly that the follow-up activities and Points for Discussion (many of which are new to this edition) are as important as the descriptive summaries of SLA issues. The structured data problems allow students to gain hands-on experience with what language learners do and do not produce. The goal of the text is to encourage a new generation of second language researchers and educators.

Susan M. Gass is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages at Michigan State University.

Larry Selinker is one of the original contributors to the research field of Second Language Acquisition. Currently, he is Visiting Professor at New York University.

About the Author

Susan M. Gass, Michigan State University and Larry Selinker, NYU

Susan Gass is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages at Michigan State University. She has conducted research in a wide variety of sub-areas of second language acquisition including language transfer, language universals, second language research methods, and input and interaction. She is the author/editor of numerous books, has served as the President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and is the President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA).

Larry Selinker is one of the original contributors to the research field of Second Language Acquisition, having introduced the concepts "interlanguage" and "fossilization" and having conducted one of the first empirical studies in "language transfer" research in 1969. Consistently seeking a more unified account which would integrate concepts of "interdialect," "interculture," and "interliteracy" with new media, he is now preparing a 40-plus year fossilization study on participants first looked at in 1964. He has held professorships at the Universities of Michigan and London and visiting professorships at various universities around the world. Currently, he is Visiting Professor at New York University and, exploring processes of  "around sourcing," is helping to organize Research Production Associates.

Customer Reviews

Great for introducing students to the field.
The book provides a good introduction to the second language acquisition field, as well as the research done in the area. It covers all the major issues, such as first language influence, universal grammar, and classroom learning. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are particularly useful for students in an SLA introductory class.