Theories in Second Language Acquisition: An Introduction

by Bill VanPatten (Editor), Gregory D. Keating (Editor), Stefanie Wulff (Editor)

Overview

This fourth edition of the best-selling Theories in Second Language Acquisition surveys the major theories and frameworks currently used in second language acquisition (SLA) research, serving as an ideal introductory text for graduate students in SLA and language teaching.

Designed to provide a consistent and coherent presentation for those seeking a basic understanding of the theories and frameworks that underlie contemporary SLA research, each chapter focuses on a single theory. Chapters are written by leading scholars in the field and incorporate a basic foundational description of the theory, relevant data or research models used with this theory, common misunderstandings, and a sample study from the field to show the theory in practice. New to this fully revised edition is the incorporation of a new theoretical framework to replace several lesser-used theories.

A key work in the study of second language acquisition, this volume will be useful to students of linguistics, language, and language teaching, and to researchers as a guide to theoretical work outside their respective domains.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032792347
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/03/2025
Series:	Second Language Acquisition Research Series
Edition description:	4th ed.
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bill VanPatten was a professor of Spanish at Michigan State University, where he was also an affiliate faculty in the Program for Cognitive Science. He is currently an independent scholar.

Gregory D. Keating is a professor of Linguistics at San Diego State University. He is a former associate editor of Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

Stefanie Wulff is an associate professor in the Linguistics Department at the University of Florida. She is co-editor-in-chief of Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory.

Table of Contents

Contributors

Preface

Acknowledgments

 

1 Introduction: The Nature of Theories

Bill VanPatten, Jessica Williams, Gregory D. Keating, and Stefanie Wulff

2 Linguistic Theory, Universal Grammar, and Second Language Acquisition

Lydia White

3 Usage-Based Approaches to L2 Acquisition

Nick C. Ellis and Stefanie Wulff

4 Input Processing in Adult L2 Acquisition

Bill VanPatten

5 Processability Theory

Manfred Pienemann and Anke Lenzing

6 The Declarative/Procedural Model: A Neurobiologically Motivated Theory of First and Second Language

Michael T. Ullman

7 Skill Acquisition Theory

Robert DeKeyser and Yuichi Suzuki

8 Input, Interaction, and Output in L2 Acquisition

Susan M. Gass, Alison Mackey, and Meg Montee

9 Complex Dynamic Systems Theory

Diane Larsen-Freeman and Phil Hiver

10 The Modular Cognition Framework

Michael Sharwood Smith and John Truscott

11 Theories, Frameworks, and Models: Implications for Language Teaching?

Bill VanPatten

 

Glossary

Index

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the previous edition:

"VanPatten and Williams have created a thoroughly accessible, informative and authoritative introduction to mainstream theories of contemporary SLA. Written by the most distinguished scholars in the field who work on the theories surveyed, this impressive collection is a definite 'must read' for any beginning student of SLA."

Silvina Montrul, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.

"VanPatten and Williams are to be commended yet again for compiling a volume whose pages are filled with the latest research and depth of accurate coverage of the major theories of SLA. Each chapter endeavors to address key SLA questions from the lens of a specific paradigm, while presenting in an accessible fashion the fundamentals of the given approach. Not only is each chapter updated, but many are also significantly improved in engaging the leitmotif questions provided in the foregrounding chapters, threading the book together in a logical and fruitful way. "

Jason Rothman, University of Reading, UK & University of Tromsø, Norway.

"This volume is required reading for every graduate student in the field of SLA. For current and future second language teachers, it provides a comprehensive and highly accessible view of past and present attempts at explaining the processes involved in how second languages are learned. VanPatten and Williams have chosen key theories and the big names that stand behind them, and the result is an absolutely outstanding volume that covers SLA with remarkable breadth and depth."

Cristina Sanz, Georgetown University, USA.

Praise for the previous edition:

"VanPatten and Williams have created a thoroughly accessible, informative and authoritative introduction to mainstream theories of contemporary SLA. Written by the most distinguished scholars in the field who work on the theories surveyed, this impressive collection is a definite 'must read' for any beginning student of SLA."

Silvina Montrul, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.

"VanPatten and Williams are to be commended yet again for compiling a volume whose pages are filled with the latest research and depth of accurate coverage of the major theories of SLA. Each chapter endeavors to address key SLA questions from the lens of a specific paradigm, while presenting in an accessible fashion the fundamentals of the given approach. Not only is each chapter updated, but many are also significantly improved in engaging the leitmotif questions provided in the foregrounding chapters, threading the book together in a logical and fruitful way. "

Jason Rothman, University of Reading, UK & University of Tromsø, Norway.

"This volume is required reading for every graduate student in the field of SLA. For current and future second language teachers, it provides a comprehensive and highly accessible view of past and present attempts at explaining the processes involved in how second languages are learned. VanPatten and Williams have chosen key theories and the big names that stand behind them, and the result is an absolutely outstanding volume that covers SLA with remarkable breadth and depth."

Cristina Sanz, Georgetown University, USA.

From the Publisher