Among ordinary language learners, the acquisition of vocabulary has long been felt to be a crucial component of learning a foreign language. Second Language Vocabularly Acquisition has the goal of comparing the effectiveness of the direct learning of vocabulary (through memorization) and the indirect learning of vocabulary (through context); it encourages an appropriate balance between direct and indirect teaching of vocabulary in second language classrooms. The authors of these original articles present theoretical background, empirical research, and case studies focusing on a variety of...

The wide range of languages and purposes now served by immersion worldwide is illustrated by case studies of thirteen programs. Immersion, a relatively new approach to bilingual education, originated in Canada. It uses the target language as a medium of instruction in order to achieve "additive bilingualism" -- a high level of second language proficiency. The wide range of languages and purposes now served by immersion worldwide is illustrated by case studies of thirteen programs presented and discussed in this paperback edition. The introductory chapter defines immersion education theory and...

This volume examines theoretical foundations, empirical research, and pedagogical implementations of focus on form. Traditional language teaching can result in limited fluency, whereas communicative approaches tend to produce fluency with less accuracy. This book presents a potential solution to this dilemma. The paperback edition respects students' "internal linguistic syllabus" by drawing their attention to problematic linguistic features during communicative activities, thus providing an alternative to methodologies that treat accuracy and fluency separately. This volume examines...

Computer Applications in Second Language Acquisition explores computer applications in second language acquisition by reviewing and interpreting research and development in three areas: computer-assisted second language learning, computer-assisted second language assessment, and computer-assisted second language research - addressing issues such as effective use of software in language teaching, values and limitations of computer-assisted testing, and the study of second language development with interactive computer programs. It offers a unique view of the topic by examining computer...

This book identifies the many facets of culture that influence second language learners and teachers. The paperback edition identifies the many facets of culture that influence second language learners and teachers. It addresses the impact of culture on learning to interact, speak, construct meaning, and write in a second language, while staying within the sociocultural paradigms specific to a particular language and its speakers. By providing a comprehensive introduction to research from other disciplines on the interaction between language and culture, this volume offers an important...

The volume includes original papers addressing different aspects of the interface between second language acquisition and language testing research. This paperback edition provides a fresh look at areas of common interest to both SLA and LT research, and ways in which research in these two areas of applied linguistics can be fruitfully integrated. The volume includes original papers dealing with different aspects of the interface between SLA and LT research. This collection thus constitutes a starting point for a continuing and expanding dialogue between SLA and LT researchers.

The number of non-native students studying in English-medium universities has increased over the past decade. Paralleling this growth is the interest in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). No one research-based volume has yet investigated the theoretical issues and pedagogical concerns of the area. This wide-ranging volume of specially commissioned articles from leading scholars in the field aims to bring to the wider community current research in the field and its implications for pedagogy. It offers a state-of-the-art representation of research in EAP and will help define the field in the...

An important new collection of original papers dealing with essential issues and research in the learning of language by deaf people. The book addresses issues in the fields of second language acquisition and deafness, and draws upon the fields of linguistics, psychology, and education. Of particular importance is the relationship between the learning of English by the deaf and by hearing speakers of other languages. The first five chapters concern theoretical issues on language varieties among the deaf population, American sign language and the biology of language, sign language instruction,...

This cutting edge volume explores holistic trends in multilingualism, analysing the processes of both 'becoming multilingual' and 'being multilingual'. Multilingualism has increased in recent years due to globalisation, transnational mobility and the spread of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This volume explores some of the trends in the study of multilingual education by putting together research studies that analyse the processes of both 'becoming multilingual' and 'being multilingual' in educational contexts.

An intelligibility-based approach to teaching that presents pronunciation as critical, yet neglected in communicative language teaching.