Second Language Acquisition (Oxford Introduction to Language Study Series) [Paperback]

Rod Ellis (Author), H. G. Widdowson (Series Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 1997 | ISBN-10: 019437212X | ISBN-13: 978-0194372121

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... a powerful tool in opening the door, even to the novice, into this field. - Issues in Applied Linguistics

I am impressed with both the aims of this book and the way the design sets out to achieve them. iSecond Language Acquisition/i will be useful for anyone curious to learn about the issues of this rapidly expanding and complex area. - IATEFL Newsletter

About the Author

Professor Henry Widdowson is Emeritus Professor of Education, University of London, and has also been Professor of Applied Linguistics at Essex University and Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Vienna. Rod Ellis is Professor in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has worked in Zambia, the UK, Japan, and the US for extended periods. He has published a number of books on second language acquisition and teacher education. He has also published EFL/ESL textbooks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019437212X
• ISBN-13: 978-0194372121
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Little Intro, July 20, 2007

By 

Bu-Chan (Aotearoa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition (Oxford Introduction to Language Study Series) (Paperback)

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!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't what I expected, May 4, 2010

By 

Julietta (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition (Oxford Introduction to Language Study Series) (Paperback)

This book wasn't what I expected. It was described as a concise, easy to read intro. book, but was very technical in format. I felt like I was reading a doctoral thesis. I would reccommend it for someone who needed a quick review of SLA terms.

5.0 out of 5 stars Short, Sweet, and to the Point, September 6, 2010

By 

CM - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Second Language Acquisition (Oxford Introduction to Language Study Series) (Paperback)

Second Language Acquisition provides insight into top researchers of language acquisition. This is an easy to disect and understand quick reading text.