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 state-of-the-art volume is the first to capture a hybrid discipline that studies the role and linguistic implications of the human mind in language learning and teaching. This Handbook considers individual as well as collective factors in language learners and teachers from an array of new empirical constructs and theoretical perspectives, including implications for practice and "myths, debates, and disagreements" in the field, and points to future directions for research. This collection of stellar contributions is an essential resource for researchers, advanced students, and teachers working in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, psychology, and education.

This book provides a detailed comparison of nonhuman primates and human infants with regard to key abilities that provide the foundation for language. It makes the case for phylogenetic continuity across species and ontogenetic continuity from infancy to childhood. Examined here are behaviors fundamental to language acquisition, such as vocalizations, mapping of meaning onto sound, use of gestures to communicate and to symbolize, tool use, object concept, and memory. The author provides evidence linking these abilities with language acquisition. Similarities and differences across species in these precursors are analyzed and how these may have influenced the evolution of language. Hypotheses about the origins of language are described.

Takes an evidence-based approach to motivate intervention research to understand how what we know about crosslinguistic influence can be used to improve L2 learning. A unique resource for students and scholars of L2 learning, bi- and multilingualism, and language teaching. Comprehensively reviews empirical studies and cognitive theories of learning to understand the critical role of crosslinguistic influence in L2 development. No existing book does this.

This book explores the construct of language in use, specifically as operationalised through different item types in the Austrian Matura (school-leaving exam). Empirical research on some of these item types is scarce. The author reports on a mixed-methods study. The theoretical frameworks employed are Purpura's (2004) model of language ability and Weir's (2005) socio-cognitive framework. The findings suggest that the tasks under investigation assess grammatical form and meaning at the sub-sentential and sentential level. Different item types were also found to target different elements of lexicogrammatical competence. The study contributes to understanding the nature of language in use and sheds light on the application of the socio-cognitive framework to the validation of language in use tasks.

Plurilingual Classroom Practices and Participation contributes to a better understanding of plurilingual education in Catalonia by providing a description of the interactional resources mobilised by learners as social actors. This volume is a collection of studies that show interactions containing plurilingual and multimodal sequences that illustrate moments of potential acquisition of aspects of language use. Analysing data collected through ethnographic fieldwork, the studies explore interactions in primary, secondary, and tertiary milieus as well as non-formal settings and examine how participants organise their interaction, their ways of participating, and the resources they mobilise for them. The linguistic policies of the educational settings studied establish the use of a given language but contain samples of plurilingual practices in which languages like Arabic, Catalan, English, French, Greek, Mandarin, Punjabi, Riffian Berber, Spanish and Urdu come into play. The chapters explore the links between these practices and the construction of participation in the ongoing interaction. Although focused on language education in Catalonia, results can be transferred to classrooms worldwide which host plurilingual learners. Thus, the volume is an excellent resource for teachers and researchers interested in plurilingual education and can be used as a reference book in doctoral studies and teacher training programmes in this research field. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Takes an evidence-based approach to motivate intervention research to understand how what we know about crosslinguistic influence can be used to improve L2 learning. A unique resource for students and scholars of L2 learning, bi- and multilingualism, and language teaching. Comprehensively reviews empirical studies and cognitive theories of learning to understand the critical role of crosslinguistic influence in L2 development. No existing book does this.

* Explores the factors that determine the antonymic strength of the pair of opposites; * Questions whether there is a clear distinction between 'good' and 'bad' opposites, and examines whether the internal structure of the category of antonymy should instead be described in terms of prototype theory; * Interprets the relation between antonymy and cognitive concepts, as well as the words which encode these concepts. Taking a multi-method and cross-linguistic approach, this research is ideal for students and researchers of lexical and cognitive semantics and those with an interest in theoretical linguistics.

This volume presents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of second language prosody and computer modeling. It addresses the importance of prosody's role in communication, bridging the gap between applied linguistics and computer science. The book illustrates the growing importance of the relationship between automated speech recognition systems and language learning assessment in light of new technologies and showcases how the study of prosody in this context in particular can offer innovative insights into the computerized process of natural discourse. The book offers detailed accounts of different methods of analysis and computer models used and demonstrates how these models can be applied to L2 discourse analysis toward predicting real-world language use. Kang, Johnson, and Kermad also use these frameworks as a jumping-off point from which to propose new models of second language prosody and future directions for prosodic computer modeling more generally. Making the case for the use of naturalistic data for real-world applications in empirical research, this volume will foster interdisciplinary dialogues across students and researchers in applied linguistics, speech communication, speech science, and computer engineering.

Over the past four decades, learning Chinese as a second language has transformed from individual small-scale endeavors to organized mass studies worldwide. In a fast-changing world, the field of L2 Chinese language education is confronted by unprecedented challenges and opportunities. This book presents recent pedagogical practices, innovations and research in L2 Chinese language education across five continents. Bringing together a diverse range of leading researchers and educators, it showcases the latest knowledge, teaching-led research, innovative curriculum design and pedagogical practice in a variety of instructional contexts. Through a mix of overview chapters, empirical studies and critical discussions, the book addresses four key themes - formal instruction; language education technology; curriculum development; and critical overviews- and reflects the latest challenges and coping strategies for teaching and learning Chinese in an increasingly digital world. It will be essential reading for researchers, teachers and students of Chinese as a second language, as well as curriculum developers and textbook writers.

Second Language Teacher Prosody focuses on the prosodic characteristics of input in L2 Spanish classrooms. Readers are led through descriptions and interpretations of prosodic behaviors based upon teachers' training and experience, their native or near-native speaker status, and their own comments about their teaching. The analysis culminates with several key discoveries and methodological implications with regard to didactic prosody, research design and methodology, and data interpretation. The conclusion offers future lines of research on SDS prosody including reception studies exploring the relative salience and effectiveness of prosodic cues. Educators can intentionally utilize these tools to achieve pedagogical goals. This book will be of interest to scholars in Applied Linguistics and Instructed Second Language Acquisition.

The Routledge Handbook of Plurilingual Language Education is the first comprehensive publication on plurilingualism, offering a multidimensional reflection on the nature, scope, and potential of plurilingualism in language education and society. Authored by a range of internationally recognized experts, the Handbook provides an overview of key perspectives on plurilingualism in a complementary range of fields. After a comprehensive introduction to the concept itself, 24 chapters are organized in six parts, each examining plurilingualism through a different lens. The Handbook spans historical, philosophical, and sociological dimensions, examines cognitive and neuroscientific implications, and the limitations of boundaries before moving to a pragmatic perspective: How is plurilingual language education developing in different contexts around the world? How can it contribute to language revitalization? How can it be expected to develop in education, digital spaces, and society as a whole? Written for an international audience, this handbook is an indispensable reference tool for scholars in education and applied linguistics, educators, graduate and post-graduate students, and policy makers.

This book investigates the interplay of language, emotion and gender in a multilingual context and provides rich insights into the complexities of bilingualism and the field of emotion research, as well as the intersection of both. Combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of data, the book examines multilinguals' verbalisation and perception of emotions in their first language and English, their second language (L2). The research looks at crosslinguistic, intercultural and gender-based differences, thereby highlighting the challenges faced by multilinguals in this context and the potential risks of miscommunication and misinterpretation. Results support the call for a change of paradigm towards a holistic approach to multilingualism and emotion research and highlight the similarities and differences in L2 users of English when expressing their emotions in the different languages. The book will appeal to anyone interested in research on emotions in the context of bi-/multilingualism or second language acquisition, as well as those teaching or learning multiple languages.

This book investigates the interplay of language, emotion and gender in a multilingual context and provides rich insights into the complexities of bilingualism and the field of emotion research, as well as the intersection of both. Combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of data, the book examines multilinguals' verbalisation and perception of emotions in their first language and English, their second language (L2). The research looks at crosslinguistic, intercultural and gender-based differences, thereby highlighting the challenges faced by multilinguals in this context and the potential risks of miscommunication and misinterpretation. Results support the call for a change of paradigm towards a holistic approach to multilingualism and emotion research and highlight the similarities and differences in L2 users of English when expressing their emotions in the different languages. The book will appeal to anyone interested in research on emotions in the context of bi-/multilingualism or second language acquisition, as well as those teaching or learning multiple languages.

Task-based language teaching is now a well-established pedagogic approach but problematic issues remain, such as whether it is appropriate for all learners and in all instructional contexts. This book draws on the author's experience of working with teachers, together with his knowledge of relevant research and theory, to examine the key issues. It proposes flexible ways in which tasks can be designed and implemented in the language classroom to address the problems that teachers often face with task-based language teaching. It will appeal to researchers and teachers who are interested in task-based language teaching and the practical and theoretical issues involved. It will also be of interest to students and researchers working in the areas of applied linguistics, TESOL and second language acquisition.

Lexicographica. Series Maior features monographs and edited volumes on the topics of lexicography and meta-lexicography. Works from the broader domain of lexicology are also included, provided they strengthen the theoretical, methodological and empirical basis of lexicography and meta-lexicography. The almost 150 books published in the series since its founding in 1984 clearly reflect the main themes and developments of the field. The publications focus on aspects of lexicography such as micro- and macrostructure, typology, history of the discipline, and application-oriented lexicographical documentation.

This book deals with intercultural pragmatics and how both nonnative teachers (NNTs) and native teachers (NTs) may enhance their classroom instruction regarding target language (TL) pragmatics. It focuses primarily on the experiences of instructors as they teach their learners about the pragmatics of the TL, both in second and foreign language learning settings. It makes clear that there are aspects of teaching pragmatics where it may help to be an NT and other areas where it may help to be an NNT and proposes creative ideas that both sets of teachers may draw on to compensate for gaps in their knowledge. Further themes in the book include ideas for motivating students who want to learn about pragmatics, the role of technology in teaching and learning pragmatics, the role of learning strategies, the assessment of pragmatics and ways to research pragmatics. The book will be of interest to teachers, teacher educators and students interested in researching and improving the teaching of pragmatics.

This book offers a general introduction to reaction time research as relevant to Second Language Studies and explores a collection of tasks and paradigms that are often used in such research. It provides a lucid explanation of the technical aspects of collecting reaction time data and outlines crucial research principles and concepts that will ensure accurate data. In addition, Conducting Reaction Time Research in Second Language Studies provides step-by-step instructions for using DMDX, a software program widely used for conducting reaction time research. From general guidelines to techniques to working with data, this complete "why and how" guide for conducting reaction time research is ideal for both students/beginners and more seasoned researchers.

The body of research in this volume offers a detailed account of the success of young immersion learners of Irish in becoming competent speakers of the minority language. Taking account of in-class and out-of-class factors, it examines the variety of Irish spoken by the pupils, the extent to which the Irish spoken deviates from native-speaker norms, the degree to which pupils are aware of and attempt to acquire a native-like variety and the extent to which issues of identity and motivation are involved. The results highlight the limitations of an immersion system in generating active and accurate users of the language outside the immersion setting and will help immersion educators to gain a greater understanding of how young immersion learners learn and acquire the target language. The findings are placed in the context of other one-way immersion programmes internationally with a particular focus on minority language settings, and make an important contribution not only to our understanding of the Irish issues, but how the Irish situation can be placed in a broader scholarly and socio-political context.

Causative change-of-state verbs like 'to open', 'to fill', and 'to wake' are central to both recent theories of grammatical development and theories of lexical structure. This book focuses on how German-speaking children learn the meaning of change-of-state verbs. It offers a thorough characterization of the acquisition of German, embedded in a crosslinguistic perspective. The author provides a comprehensive review of the acquisition literature on that topic and introduces a new account as to how the meaning of these verbs can be learned. The empirical backbone of the investigation are a set of carefully designed experimental studies.

This book addresses fundamental questions regarding the relationships between successful language learning and strategy use and development, according to learner, situational or target variables. It considers strategy effectiveness from an individual point of view and discusses pedagogical issues, especially relating to teacher perceptions and training, classroom and learner factors, methodology and content. This new edition has been reworked and revised to include an extensive review, analysis and re-interpretation of the existing literature and an update on the theoretical debate surrounding language learning strategies. The research methodology section has been considerably extended and detailed explanations are now given for how to analyse data from research studies. Rather than focusing on strategies divorced from the 'real world' of the classroom, this book explores the issues from the teaching/learning point of view and will be of interest to students, teachers, trainee teachers, teacher educators and researchers alike.

This book addresses fundamental questions regarding the relationships between successful language learning and strategy use and development, according to learner, situational or target variables. It considers strategy effectiveness from an individual point of view and discusses pedagogical issues, especially relating to teacher perceptions and training, classroom and learner factors, methodology and content. This new edition has been reworked and revised to include an extensive review, analysis and re-interpretation of the existing literature and an update on the theoretical debate surrounding language learning strategies. The research methodology section has been considerably extended and detailed explanations are now given for how to analyse data from research studies. Rather than focusing on strategies divorced from the 'real world' of the classroom, this book explores the issues from the teaching/learning point of view and will be of interest to students, teachers, trainee teachers, teacher educators and researchers alike.

This book investigates how bilingualism affects children's language, cognitive and narrative abilities. The data sample derives from 209 8-12 years old bilingual children, in three different targeted languages (Greek-English, Greek-German, Greek-Albanian) along with 100 monolingual Greek children. The children completed baseline and experimental tasks measuring their vocabulary, grammar, cognitive skills, and narrative production abilities. The outcome of this work reveals that learning to read and write in two languages is beneficial for the development of language and cognitive skills. A strong case can be made to the growing bilingual communities in Germany and beyond to provide literacy training in both languages within mainstream schools, afternoon classes outside of the curriculum or in community schools.

If education is to prepare learners for lifelong learning, there needs to be a shift towards deeper learning: a focus on transferable knowledge and problem-solving skills alongside the development of a positive or growth mindset. In this book, a follow up to CLIL, the authors review new developments in the understanding of the interface between language and learning, and propose an original new 'pluriliteracies' approach which refines and develops current thinking in CLIL. It aims to facilitate deeper learning through an explicit focus on disciplinary literacies, guiding learners towards textual fluency, encouraging successful communication across cultures, and providing a key stepping-stone towards becoming responsible global citizens. It both provides strong theoretical grounding, and shows how to put that understanding into practise. Engaging and practical, this book will be invaluable to both academics and education practitioners, and will enable conventional classrooms to be transformed into deeper learning ecologies.

Combining the World Englishes framework with First Language Acquisition methodology, this book investigates children's acquisition of L1 English in the context of multilingual Singapore, one of the traditional Kachruvian Outer Circle or ESL countries. The book investigates language choice, use, and dominance in Singaporean families, identifies common linguistic characteristics of L1 Singapore English, as well as the acquisitional route that Singaporean children take. It discusses characteristics at the different levels of language organization, i.e., phonological, morphosyntactic, lexical, and pragmatic features, drawing on a variety of systematically elicited data and Praat-based acoustic analyses. Comparing the results to similar data obtained from children living in England (both mono- and bi-/multilingual), the book also sheds light on how the acquisitional steps taken by Singaporean children differ from or are similar to traditional native speakers of English and children from immigrant families in England.