The Study of Second Language Acquisition

by Rod Ellis

Book Overview

The first section of this book outlines a general framework for the study of second language acquisition. Subsequent sections provide a description of learner language, account for the role of the linguistic environment, examine the learner's internal mechanisms, explore individual differences in language learning, and review the expanding research on classroom second language acquisition. First Prize English Speaking Union's Duke of Edinburgh Book...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0194371891
• ISBN13: 9780194371896
• Release Date: May 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 832 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An essential reference

I would recommend this book as a reference for anyone studying or researching SLA. It has an incredibly comprehensive list of references and despite its magnitude is surprisingly easy to read. Professor Rod Ellis is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on the subject and with nearly four pages of the (110-page!) bibliography filled with his own publications alone it is easy to see why. The book is logically organised and easy to navigate. It is not the type of book most people would read for fun, but as a reference for anyone planning a literature review, I couldn't rate it highly enough; truly an indispensable resource!

great

it only took 1 week to receive the book, instead of expected one month. So quick and in good quality. I will buy more book from this store. ^^ thank you~

Still the SLA book to have

Although this book is getting a little older now, it's still the most complete reference on SLA out there that I know of. Ellis has established himself simply by his ability to handle and synthesize so much material on the field. Ellis' treatment is usually pretty unbiased, although he creates his own frameworks throughout the book to understand the material. I like his writing style. Supplement this with the Long and Doughty Handbook of Second Language Acquisition.

An Excellent Resource

Rod Ellis has provided an excellent reference for linguists and language teachers in this book. Basically, it covers the history of Second Language Acquisition from the beginning of modern linguistics up to the publication date. If you are studying to become a foreign language teacher or a teacher of English to speakers of other languages, this will prove to be an invaluable resource. You can find a wide range of studies covered in this book. If you find something that you're interested in, you can use this to find other studies that may be useful. If you're studying the teaching of languages, you should pick this up.

An excellent account of second language acquisition

This is irrefutably the most comprehensive book on the subject matter. It is meticulously researched, well written and most importantly well structured. Never have I seen such an accomplishment in study of S.L.A. Ellis brilliantly dissects the dominating studies in the field. Moreover, he also presents their weaknesses and strengths. Interesting questions like the effect of formal instruction on language acquisition, the existence of a "critical period" in S.L.A are thoroughly discussed and commented on. In fact, everything you need to know about S.L.A can be found in this book. In my opinion, Rod Ellis is one of the leading researchers in the field of S.L.A. If you are interested in S.L.A. then this book is a must for you. Strongly recommended.