An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research (Applied Linguistics and Language Study)

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Summary: An introduction to Second Language Acquistion Research
Review: I am a K-12 teacher and I've used this book in an introductory second language acquisition class for teachers. I and my classmates found that the authors used a heavy academic discourse. The book doesn't not provide a glossory of the technical terminology. I believe that this book would be useful for someone who already has a backgound in second language acquisiton and is interested in doing reaserch in this field. I DO NOT recommend this book to be used as a basic textbook for a Second Language Acquisition Introductory course.

Rating:
Summary: Not for persons without previous knowledge of this subject
Review: I am a professor of Spanish Linguistics. I used this book one semester in an undergraduate applied linguistics course and received very negative feedback from the students. In spite of the fact that the back cover claims that the book is for those with no previous knowledge of L2 acquisition research, it was definitely not accessible to my students. It lacks a clearly organized approach in explaining the history of the discipline, existing L2 acquisition theory, what motivates researchers to conduct the studies that they do, and the terminology of the discipline. I have since found that a better choice for real begginers in this area is "Principles of Language Learning and TEaching" by H.D. Brown (1994). Its scope includes more than L2 acquisition theory, as the title suggests, but it provides the basic understanding necessary to then begin to talk about current research.

Rating:
Summary: not an easy introduction to SLA
Review: I read An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research a number of years ago while I was studying for my Master's in TESOL, and picked it up again only recently in order to review it. I had no recollection of it being a good read, but it's actually quite good. It covers just about everything that the applied linguist needs to know, including research methodology, data collection, modern theories of second language acquisition together with their historical development, learner variables and their relation to success or failure, and an excellent bibliography for those who would like to read more. I think that although this book claims that its intended audience needs no prior knowledge of SLA, from my personal experience, I would contest that it takes a few years for everything to sink in! I recommend this book only if you have been involved in linguistics for a number of years, or are an exceptionally keen or smart grad student. If you are considering doing your own research, then this book is also a very worthwhile read.