Age, Accent and Experience in Second Language Acquisition

Alene Moyer is Assistant Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Linguistics in the Germanic Studies department at the University of Maryland at College Park. Her research interests include theories of foreign and second language acquisition, critical period studies, and phonological acquisition, particularly from an interactionist perspective. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in these areas, she conducts seminars in sociolinguistics and minority language maintenance in Germany. Her current research focuses primarily on advanced learners of a foreign/second language, highlighting the socio-psychological issues involved in classroom versus uninstructed acquisition.

This book is a must for students and researchers of age effects, especially for those interested in phonology, but it will also be of interest to researchers working on SLA and individual differences such as motivation, attitudes and identity issues.

• Acknowledgments1 Contextualizing Critical Period Inquiry2 Accounting for Universal and Individual Factors in Ultimate Attainment: Focus on Phonology3 Verifying the Relative Strength of Maturation, L2 Experience and Psychological Orientation: The Quantitative Findings4 Understanding Identity, Intention, and Opportunities for L2 Contact: The Qualitative Findings5 Conclusions and Proposals for Future ResearchAppendix 1: Umfrage/SurveyAppendix 2: Linguistic Tasks Appendix 3: Rater Survey Appendix 4: Rating Feedback Sheet Appendix 5: Semi-Structured Participant InterviewReferences Index