Key Questions in Second Language Acquisition
An Introduction

Now in its second edition, this textbook provides a highly accessible introduction to the field of second language acquisition.

Bill VanPatten (Author), Megan Smith (Author), Alessandro G. Benati (Author)

9781009306010, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 April 2025

249 pages
25.4 x 17.8 x 1.6 cm, 0.67 kg

'This is a solid entry-level textbook in the SLA field written in an easy-to-read fashion; this especially desirable in a field that can sometimes be a bit of a theoretical slog to present, rife with competing and even contradictory perspectives and terminologies. VanPatten et al. doesn't hold back on concepts, of course, but it does manage to present them in a highly accessible manner.' Justin McBride, Northeastern State University

Now in its second edition, this highly accessible introductory textbook establishes the fundamentals driving the field of second language (L2) acquisition research, including its historical foundations. Intended for the novice in the field with no background in linguistics or psycholinguistics, it explains important linguistic concepts, and how and why they are relevant to second language acquisition. Topics are presented via a 'key questions' structure that enables the reader to understand how these questions have motivated research in the field, and the problems to which researchers are seeking solutions. This edition has been fully updated to incorporate new research, with a new chapter focusing on language transfer, and new sections on the growing field of third and subsequent language acquisition, and how the acquisition of phonology reflects the key questions. With discussion questions and project ideas as well as a glossary, this is a complete package for an introductory course on second language acquisition.

Foreword
Preface
1. What are the origins of Second Language Acquisition as a research field?
2. What does development look like?
3. What are the roles of input and output?
4. What roles do previously acquired languages play in the acquisition of a new language?
5. Can L2 learners become nativelike?
6. Does instruction make a difference?
7. What role does explicit learning play in L2 acquisition?
8. What are individual differences and how do they affect L2 acquisition?
Epilogue
Glossary
Index.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]