Book Review_Introducing Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

[...]edition. [...]it outlines some of the variables which may impinge on the process of acquiring a second language. Chapter 4 'The psychology of Second Language Acquisition' addresses issues concerning language and the brain (e.g. How is language located and organised in the brains of monolinguals and multilinguals who have acquired second languages at different ages?), learning processes (e.g. Is there a specialised language faculty in the brain, or is language learning essentially the same as all other kinds of learning?) and learner differences (e.g. How do factors such as age, sex, aptitude, motivation, cognitive style, personality and learning styles contribute to differential achievement?) Chapter 5 'Social contexts of Second Language Acquisition' asks how learners achieve communicative competence, and considers them as members of groups and communities; the microsocial perspective focuses on their immediate surroundings, including opportunities for input and interaction, while the macrosocial relates SLA to cultural, political and educational conditions.