Presents an integrated discussion of key and sometimes controversial issues in second language acquisition (SLA) research. The chapters are written by 26 of the world's leading scholars and reflect the diversity and technicality that have come to characterize SLA research.

The scope of inquiry and goals of SLA /Catherine J. Doughty and Michael H. Long -- On the nature of interlanguage representation : universal grammar in the second language / Lydia White -- The radical middle : nativism without universal grammar / William O'Grady -- Constructions, chunking, and connectionism : the emergence of second language structure / Nick C. Ellis -- Cognitive processes in second language learners and bilinguals : the development of lexical and conceptual representations / Judith F. Kroll and Gretchen Sunderman -- Near-nativeness / Antonella Sorace -- Language socialization in SLA / Karen Ann Watson-Gegeo and Sarah Nielsen -- Social context / Jeff Siegel -- Input and interaction / Susan M. Gass -- Instructed SLA : constraints, compensation, and enhancement / Catherine J. Doughty -- Implicit and explicit learning / Robert DeKeyser -- Incidental and intentional learning / Jan H. Hulstijn -- Automaticity and second languages / Norman Segalowitz -- Variation / Suzanne Romaine -- Cross-linguistic influence / Terence Odlin -- Stabilization and fossilization in interlanguage development / Michael H. Long -- Maturational constraints in SLA / Kenneth Hyltenstam and Niclas Abrahamsson -- Individual differences in second language learning / Zoltán Dörnyei and Peter Skehan -- Attention and memory during SLA / Peter Robinson -- Language processing capacity / Manfred Pienemann -- Defining and measuring SLA / John Norris and Lourdes Ortega -- Data collection in SLA research / Craig Chaudron -- SLA theory : construction and assessment / Kevin R. Gregg -- SLA and cognitive science / Michael H. Long and Catherine J. Doughty.