Content area
Full Text
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)
Muriel Saville-Troike , Introducing Second Language Acquisition . Second edition. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press , 2012. Pp. ix + 218. Paperback £23.99, ISBN 9781107648234
Reviews
Forming part of the series Cambridge Introductions to Language and Linguistics, this book is intended as a 'brief but comprehensive' introduction to the study of second language acquisition (SLA), primarily for undergraduate students. Taking a broad, interdisciplinary approach, it investigates the light that linguistic, psychological and social perspectives have thrown on three questions which recur throughout the text: What does the learner need to know? How does the learner acquire this knowledge? Why are some learners more successful than others?
Each of the seven chapters is framed by a preview and a summary. Chapters 1 to 6 include activities for readers to check their understanding and/or for class discussion, and Chapters 2 to 6 include annotated suggestions for further reading. Key terms are listed at the beginning of chapters and highlighted with explanations and examples in the text. As well as a list of references and an index, the end matter includes an answer guide to the self-study questions and a very useful glossary of around 220 terms. A rather endearing feature of the book is the inclusion, at various points in the text, of short biographies of some of the key figures mentioned, with photos. Additional downloadable resources include further questions to stimulate critical thinking, a further reading list for advanced students, and listings of relevant professional organisations, journals and institutes.
The main change from the first edition...