What is language, and how can we investigate its acquisition by children or adults? What perspectives exist from which to view acquisition? What internal constraints and external factors shape acquisition? What are the properties of interlanguage systems? This comprehensive 31-chapter handbook is an authoritative survey of second language acquisition (SLA). Its multi-perspective synopsis of recent developments in SLA research provides significant contributions by established experts and widely recognized younger talent. It covers cutting-edge and emerging areas of inquiry not treated elsewhere in a single handbook, including third language acquisition, electronic communication, incomplete first language acquisition, alphabetic literacy and SLA, affect and the brain, discourse and identity. Written to be accessible to newcomers as well as experienced scholars of SLA, the Handbook is organized into six thematic parts, each with an editor-written introduction. Julia Herschensohn is Professor and Chair in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Washington. Martha Young-Scholten is Professor in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University.

ContentsList of figures List of tables List of contributors Acknowledgements Introduction / Julia Herschensohn ; Martha Young-Scholten -- Part I ; Theory and practice. Theories of language from a critical perspective / Jan Koster -- History of the study of second language acquisition / Margaret Thomas -- Theoretical approaches / Florence Myles -- Scope and research methodologies / Melinda Whong ; Clare Wright -- Part II ; Internal ingredients. The role of the native language / Claire Foley ; Suzanne Flynn -- Learning mechanisms and automatization / Richard Towell -- Generative approaches and the poverty of the stimulus / Bonnie D. Schwartz ; Rex A. Sprouse -- Learner-internal psychological factors / Jean-Marc Dewaele -- Alphabetic literacy and adult SLA / Elaine Tarone ; Kit Hansen ; Martha Bigelow -- Part III ; External ingredients. Negotiated input and output/interaction / Maria del Pilar -- Second language identity construction / Elizabeth R. Miller ; Ryuko Kubota -- Socialization / Georges Daniel Veronique -- Variation / Vera Regan -- Electronic interaction and resources / Astrid Ensslin ; Cedric Krummes -- Part IV ; Biological factors. Age-related effects / Julia Herschensohn -- Childhood second language acquisition / Belma Haznedar ; Elena Gavruseva -- Incomplete L1 acquisition / Silvina Montrul -- Third language acquisition / Jason Rothman ; Jennifer Cabrelli Amaro ; Kees de Bot -- Language Processing / Alice Foucart ; Cheryl Frenck-Mestre -- Affect and the brain / Andrea W. Mates ; Anna Dina L. Joaquin -- Part V ; Properties of interlanguage systems. The lexicon / James Milton ; Giovanna Donzelli -- Semantics / Laurent Dekydtspotter -- Discourse and pragmatics / Roumyana Slabakova -- Morphosyntax / Tania Ionin -- Phonology and speech / Ellen Broselow ; Yoonjung Kang -- Part VI ; Models of development. Explaining change in transition grammars / Michael Sharwood Smith ; John Truscott ; Roger Hawkins -- Stagelike development and Organic Grammar / Anne Vainikka ; Martha Young-Scholten -- Emergentism, connectionism and complexity / Randal Holme -- Input, input processing and focus on form / Joe Barcroft ; Wynne Wong -- Sociocultural theory and the zone of proximal development / Amy Snyder Ohta -- Nativelike and non-nativelike attainment / Donna Lardiere -- Appendix -- Notes -- Glossary -- Selected references -- Index.