Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course [Paperback]

Susan M. Gass (Author), Larry Selinker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805835288 | ISBN-13: 978-0805835281 | Publication Date: June 2001 | Edition: 2

This work is a revised edition of the text first published in 1994. The authors retain the multidisciplinary approach that presents research from linguistics, sociology, psychology, and education, in a format designed for use in an introductory course for undergraduate of graduate students. New chapters have been added, which cover: child language acquisition; universal grammar; and instructed language learning. New sections address that data analysis does not show, replication of research findings, interlanguage transfer, the aspect hypothesis, general nativism, connectionist approaches, and implicit/explicit knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The revised edition capitalizes and expands on the strengths of the first edition. As in the first edition, Gass and Selinker offer focused treatments of certain areas of learner language that are typically missing from other introductory SLA textbooks, such as pragmatic competence and the lexicon.
—Second Language Research

Gass and Selinker have produced an updated text with nice coverage of the breadth of information related to second language acquisition. The detail with which interlanguage data is discussed makes this text appropriate for graduate level instruction but its readability also makes this a viable choice for advanced undergraduates....the intellectual connections made between disciplines that contribute to second language acquisition research are commendable.
—LINGUIST List

Praise for the first edition:
...the best textbook available for introductory SLA courses to date....Gass and Selinker describe accurately and in detail all the issues that normally concern students and scholars of SLA....this textbook by two of the most influential linguists working in SLA not only reflects their own extensive contributions but is a broad and fair coverage of the whole field....[they] have done an excellent job of presenting an accessible, accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date picture of SLA research.
—Studies in Second Language Acquisition

Praise for the first edition:
The authors have offered a useful, up-to-date overview of SLA research for either undergraduate or graduate students.
—EFL Gazette

Praise for the first edition:
...a welcome addition to the growing number of introductory texts on second language acquisition....Gass and Selinker are to be congratulated for having produced a stimulating, highly-readable book which should become one of the standard introductory texts in the field of SLA.
—TESL-EJ

Praise for the first edition:
...an attractive and sufficiently complete textbook for introductory purposes, especially due to the practice-to-theory approach, of which the inviting 'points for discussion' are evidence.
—Applied Linguistics

Their description of the field is accurate, fair, and comprehensive, and their second edition comes back toward the world of pedagogy in ways that will help students and newcomers put the entire discussion in better perspective. I strongly recommend the book as a starting point in understanding the field and its various frameworks for understanding second language acquisition.
—TESL-EJ

About the Author

Susan M. Gass, Michigan State University and Larry Selinker, NYU

Susan Gass is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages at Michigan State University. She has conducted research in a wide variety of sub-areas of second language acquisition including language transfer, language universals, second language research methods, and input and interaction. She is the author/editor of numerous books, has served as the President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and is the President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA).

Larry Selinker is one of the original contributors to the research field of Second Language Acquisition, having introduced the concepts "interlanguage" and "fossilization" and having conducted one of the first empirical studies in "language transfer" research in 1969. Consistently seeking a more unified account which would integrate concepts of "interdialect," "interculture," and "interliteracy" with new media, he is now preparing a 40-plus year fossilization study on participants first looked at in 1964. He has held professorships at the Universities of Michigan and London and visiting professorships at various universities around the world. Currently, he is Visiting Professor at New York University and, exploring processes of  "around sourcing," is helping to organize Research Production Associates.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805835288
• ISBN-13: 978-0805835281
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SLA. An Introductory Course, September 2, 2005

By 

Theodoor PUTTEMANS "http://www.paris4.sorbonn... (Sorbonne-Paris IV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course (Paperback)

A serious SLA scholar needs at least three broad introductions to begin with. This one is the first to have. Other ones are Ellis (1994) and Doughty & Long (2003). Needless to plough through articles in libraries because the field of SLA is too dispersed and chaotic.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for introducing students to the field., August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course (Topics in Applied Psycholinguistics) (Paperback)

The book provides a good introduction to the second language acquisition field, as well as the research done in the area. It covers all the major issues, such as first language influence, universal grammar, and classroom learning. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are particularly useful for students in an SLA introductory class.

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A necessity for all serious SLA/TESOL students, November 19, 2004

By 

Sarah - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course (Paperback)

I am a graduate student in Michigan State University's MA TESOL program, and have the distinct honour of having Dr. Susan Gass as my advisor. In addition to being a University Distinguished Professor at MSU and President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics, Dr. Gass has published extensively on SLA research. Her textbook "Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course" is required reading as part of the TESOL program at MSU, and is an indispensable condensed guide to the hundreds of research articles on topics such as child language acquisition, interlanguage data and processes, SLA and linguistics, universal grammar, input, interaction and output, instructed L2 learning and nonlanguage influences (Critical Period Hypothesis, aptitude, anxiety, motivation, personality factors).

"SLA: An Introductory Course" is a necessity for all serious SLA/TESOL graduate students. As I am reading the full versions of many of the articles summarized in the book (over 500 pages of unabridged research), I frequently consult Dr. Gass' guide for overviews, charts, and discussions that pertain to the original articles while making the results salient and easier to put in perspective. To give the prospective buyer an idea of the inclusiveness of the book, there are over 35 pages of references (including landmark studies from the 1950s to the present), a handy ten-page glossary, and an author index and subject index for easy retrieval.

To the reviewer who stated : "[the book] is only for college folks (probably graduate students and up), and there is little if any value for the utiltarian teacher. My warning goes out to anyone who thinks the book might help them as teachers or as students of a foreign language. You are not the intended audience," I disagree. As a future ESL/EFL teacher and a language learner (I am trilingual and can understand basic Japanese), I believe that understanding the complicated mechanisms and processes that govern second language acquisition and keeping on top of current research in the field is just as important as being fluent in the language that you are teaching.

I highly recommend "SLA: An Introductory Course" to those who are interested in linguistics and second language acquisition. It is truly an indispensable overview to the myriad of research conducted in second language acquisition. The book is filled with numerous charts, statistics and examples taken directly from the original studies, all of which are seamlessly interwoven into intuitively organized, easy-to-digest chapters.