Second Language Acquisition

by Rod Ellis

Book Overview

This book outlines the study of how people learn a language other than their mother tongue. It is designed to make the essentials of this rapidly expanding field as accessible as possible.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019437212X
• ISBN13: 9780194372121
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Received the product on time in great condition

The book was delivered according to the promised date and it was in a great condition, new and neat.

A Great Little Intro

Rod Ellis is pretty much the guru on second language acquisition in this part of the world and usually writes some pretty heavy books on the subject. This little book, weighing in at just over 100 pages, stands in stark contrast. As the title of the series suggests, this is an introduction only and not for people who are already well-versed in second language acquistion theory. This book was really written for those wanting a launching point to further reading or just a quick overview of the main concepts, brief historical developments and some of the terminology. The majority of the book deals with various aspects of a learners interlanguage, taking in social, psycholinguistic and other facets. It also looks at variation between students, Universal Grammar and a few more topics. None are dealt with in to any great depth, but there is enough to give you some good insights into what you may have observed in the classroom. The discussion on developmental stages was particularly useful in this regard. Like Pragmatics (Oxford Introductions to Language Study), this book is not a heavy read that bombards one with lashes of indecipherable terminology. Easy on the brain, it is a very good starting point for people interested in the field. Definitely recommended!