Clare Wright - Böcker

Second language (L2) fluency is an exciting and fast-moving field of research, with clear practical applications in language teaching. This book provides a lively overview of the current advances in the field of L2 fluency, and connects the theory to practice, presenting a hands-on approach to using fluency research across a range of different language-related professions. The authors introduce an innovative multidisciplinary perspective, which brings together research into cognitive and social factors, to understand fluency as a dynamic variable in language performance, connecting learner-internal factors such as speech processing and automaticity, to external factors such as task demands, language testing, and pragmatic interactional demands in communication. Bringing a much-needed multidisciplinary and novel approach to understanding the complex nature of L2 speech fluency, this book provides researchers, students and language professionals with both the theoretical insights and practical tools required to understand and research how fluency in a second language develops.

Second language (L2) fluency is an exciting and fast-moving field of research, with clear practical applications in language teaching. This book provides a lively overview of the current advances in the field of L2 fluency, and connects the theory to practice, presenting a hands-on approach to using fluency research across a range of different language-related professions. The authors introduce an innovative multidisciplinary perspective, which brings together research into cognitive and social factors, to understand fluency as a dynamic variable in language performance, connecting learner-internal factors such as speech processing and automaticity, to external factors such as task demands, language testing, and pragmatic interactional demands in communication. Bringing a much-needed multidisciplinary and novel approach to understanding the complex nature of L2 speech fluency, this book provides researchers, students and language professionals with both the theoretical insights and practical tools required to understand and research how fluency in a second language develops.

This book examines key issues in theories of what language is and what happens in the mind during second language acquisition (SLA), inspiring readers to think in new and exciting ways about language learning and teaching. Chapters, written by both established and rising star scholars, provide cutting-edge insights and new empirical findings on major topics of formal and cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics and second language development, and offer a coherent, wide-ranging, reader-friendly examination of learner-internal factors in SLA. The first section of the book focuses on issues that are pertinent to our understanding of language acquisition, particularly in relation to syntax. The second section comprises empirical chapters on syntax, the lexicon, phonetics/phonology and language production in English and other languages. These chapters refer to theories and frameworks from within SLA to enable the reader to grasp the key questions and issues that are currently relevant. The final section focuses on research relating to how second language (L2) learners make transitions from one stage of development to the next; it covers state-of-the-art psycholinguistic research concerning how L2 acquisition occurs in real time, and includes discussion of models of L2 development both in and out of the classroom.

This book examines key issues in theories of what language is and what happens in the mind during second language acquisition (SLA), inspiring readers to think in new and exciting ways about language learning and teaching. Chapters, written by both established and rising star scholars, provide cutting-edge insights and new empirical findings on major topics of formal and cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics and second language development, and offer a coherent, wide-ranging, reader-friendly examination of learner-internal factors in SLA. The first section of the book focuses on issues that are pertinent to our understanding of language acquisition, particularly in relation to syntax. The second section comprises empirical chapters on syntax, the lexicon, phonetics/phonology and language production in English and other languages. These chapters refer to theories and frameworks from within SLA to enable the reader to grasp the key questions and issues that are currently relevant. The final section focuses on research relating to how second language (L2) learners make transitions from one stage of development to the next; it covers state-of-the-art psycholinguistic research concerning how L2 acquisition occurs in real time, and includes discussion of models of L2 development both in and out of the classroom.

Offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to and exploration of the role of context in the acquisition of a variety of L2 competencies.This book makes a seminal contribution to understanding the role of context in different kinds of acquisition, taking forward current debates on inter- and transdisciplinarity in second language acquisition (SLA). It aims to both highlight and foster connections between different aspects of SLA, arguing for a more inclusive approach to research by reaching beyond prestige norms based on L2 English, and making multilingualism and multicompetence a core principle of contemporary SLA research and practice.The accessible state-of-the art chapters highlight the crucial role played by context of acquisition and use in practice, as well as discussing the role of context in the acquisition of a wide range of second language competencies.The book brings together world-renowned experts and emerging scholars in the field who offer fresh transdisciplinary perspectives on second language acquisition, embedding research questions within real-world contexts to make the field more inclusive and practically relevant.

Offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to and exploration of the role of context in the acquisition of a variety of L2 competencies.This book makes a seminal contribution to understanding the role of context in different kinds of acquisition, taking forward current debates on inter- and transdisciplinarity in second language acquisition (SLA). It aims to both highlight and foster connections between different aspects of SLA, arguing for a more inclusive approach to research by reaching beyond prestige norms based on L2 English, and making multilingualism and multicompetence a core principle of contemporary SLA research and practice.The accessible state-of-the art chapters highlight the crucial role played by context of acquisition and use in practice, as well as discussing the role of context in the acquisition of a wide range of second language competencies.The book brings together world-renowned experts and emerging scholars in the field who offer fresh transdisciplinary perspectives on second language acquisition, embedding research questions within real-world contexts to make the field more inclusive and practically relevant.