Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course

Rating:
Summary: A necessity for all serious SLA/TESOL students
Review: I am a graduate student in Michigan State University's MA TESOL program, and have the distinct honour of having Dr. Susan Gass as my advisor. In addition to being a University Distinguished Professor at MSU and President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics, Dr. Gass has published extensively on SLA research. Her textbook "Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course" is required reading as part of the TESOL program at MSU, and is an indispensable condensed guide to the hundreds of research articles on topics such as child language acquisition, interlanguage data and processes, SLA and linguistics, universal grammar, input, interaction and output, instructed L2 learning and nonlanguage influences (Critical Period Hypothesis, aptitude, anxiety, motivation, personality factors).

"SLA: An Introductory Course" is a necessity for all serious SLA/TESOL graduate students. As I am reading the full versions of many of the articles summarized in the book (over 500 pages of unabridged research), I frequently consult Dr. Gass' guide for overviews, charts, and discussions that pertain to the original articles while making the results salient and easier to put in perspective. To give the prospective buyer an idea of the inclusiveness of the book, there are over 35 pages of references (including landmark studies from the 1950s to the present), a handy ten-page glossary, and an author index and subject index for easy retrieval.

To the reviewer who stated : "[the book] is only for college folks (probably graduate students and up), and there is little if any value for the utiltarian teacher. My warning goes out to anyone who thinks the book might help them as teachers or as students of a foreign language. You are not the intended audience," I disagree. As a future ESL/EFL teacher and a language learner (I am trilingual and can understand basic Japanese), I believe that understanding the complicated mechanisms and processes that govern second language acquisition and keeping on top of current research in the field is just as important as being fluent in the language that you are teaching.

I highly recommend "SLA: An Introductory Course" to those who are interested in linguistics and second language acquisition. It is truly an indispensable overview to the myriad of research conducted in second language acquisition. The book is filled with numerous charts, statistics and examples taken directly from the original studies, all of which are seamlessly interwoven into intuitively organized, easy-to-digest chapters.


Rating:
Summary: Great for introducing students to the field.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Only for Hard-Core SLA Folk
Review: While SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION is well-researched and provides a thorough overview of the field, it is only for college folks (probably graduate students and up), and there is little if any value for the utiltarian teacher.

This book is dry and fat and tough-going. Not to fault Gass and Selinker for that. They are researchers and scholars.

My warning goes out to anyone who thinks the book might help them as teachers or as students of a foreign language. You are not the intended audience.