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XVI. Pedagogy: Second Language Acquisition Ortega, Lourdes. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. London: Hodder Education, 2009. Paper, 304 pp., $39.95. «www. hoddereducation .com»
In the preface to her text, Ortega has clearly identified her reading authence as graduate level students beginning their study of second language acquisition (SLA). In addition, she writes that she kept her students in mind as she wrote the text, asking questions how students would benefit from the topic, how she could make the material more engaging, and share her passion of the study of second language learning with students. If readers keep this information in mind, they will discover a textbook that provides a detailed, comprehensive presentation of critical issues in SLA and is subdivided into sections with clear, concise language. However, one should realize this textbook is best for graduate students who are interested in research on SLA, not necessarily for preparation in teaching.
Ortega has included a multitude of pervasive issues on SLA in this book, which consists of ten chapters. The first chapter is an introduction in which she does an excellent job defining the...