Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning

Author:   Håkan Ringbom
Publisher:   Channel View Publications Ltd
ISBN:  

9781853599354


Pages:   152
Publication Date:   18 December 2006
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Our Price $316.67 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning


Add your own review!

Overview

This book explores the importance of cross-linguistic similarity in foreign language learning. While linguists have primarily focussed upon differences between languages, learners strive to make use of any similarities to prior linguistic knowledge they can perceive. The role of positive transfer is emphasized as well as the essential differences between comprehension and production. In comprehension of related languages, cross-linguistic similarities are easily perceived while in comprehension of distant languages they are merely assumed. Production may be based on previous perception of similarities, but frequently similarities are here merely assumed. Initially, effective learning is based on quick establishment of cross-linguistic one-to-one relations between individual items. As learning progresses, the learner learns to modify such oversimplified relations. The book describes the ways in which transfer affects different areas of language, taking account of the differences between learning a language perceived to be similar and a language where few or no cross-linguistic similarities can be established.

Full Product Details

Author:   Håkan Ringbom
Publisher:   Channel View Publications Ltd
Imprint:   Multilingual Matters
Dimensions:   Width: 14.80cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 21.00cm
Weight:   0.310kg
ISBN:  

9781853599354


ISBN 10:   1853599352
Pages:   152
Publication Date:   18 December 2006
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Reviews

The volume evokes an array of interesting issues for future research to investigate, some new and some perennial. The volume makes an important addition to SLA literature. It deserves the attention of anyone striving for a sound understanding not only of crosslinguistic influence but also of the history of SLA.ZhaoHong Han, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, in SSLA Vol 30:3Ringbom's latest work provides a thorough summary of cross-linguistic research that is readily applicable to the language teacher as well as the researcher.This text will assuredly contribute to your knowledge of language acquisition and stimulate your classroom practice and research horizons for years to come.Robert Taferner, Tama University/Lancaster University, in The Language Teacher 31:9, September 2007This book is a very timely and important contribution to the field of applied linguistics. Hakan Ringbom addresses the fundamental but unfortunately largely neglected question of the impact of cross-language similarity in foreign language learning. The extensive bibliography shows that the author has as a thorough knowledge of the development of research on the topic. He has also skillfully exploited the Finnish context, which provides an ideal natural laboratory for research on the role of cross-language similarity. The studies he cites are likely to be largely unknown but they are undoubtedly highly relevant to the international research community. The author provides a balanced review of the findings and presents a comprehensive theoretical approach to the study of SLA. This will provide many stimuli for a more sophisticated research agenda. This book is a must for anyone interested in SLA. Sauli Takala, Vaasa University


"This book is a very timely and important contribution to the field of applied linguistics. Hakan Ringbom addresses the fundamental but unfortunately largely neglected question of the impact of cross-language similarity in foreign language learning. The extensive bibliography shows that the author has as a thorough knowledge of the development of research on the topic. He has also skillfully exploited the Finnish context, which provides an ideal ""natural laboratory"" for research on the role of cross-language similarity. The studies he cites are likely to be largely unknown but they are undoubtedly highly relevant to the international research community. The author provides a balanced review of the findings and presents a comprehensive theoretical approach to the study of SLA. This will provide many stimuli for a more sophisticated research agenda. This book is a must for anyone interested in SLA. -- Sauli Takala, Vaasa University The volume evokes an array of interesting issues for future research to investigate, some new and some perennial. The volume makes an important addition to SLA literature. It deserves the attention of anyone striving for a sound understanding not only of crosslinguistic influence but also of the history of SLA. -- ZhaoHong Han, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA SSLA Vol 30:3 Ringbom's latest work provides a thorough summary of cross-linguistic research that is readily applicable to the language teacher as well as the researcher.This text will assuredly contribute to your knowledge of language acquisition and stimulate your classroom practice and research horizons for years to come. -- Robert Taferner, Tama University/Lancaster University The Language Teacher 31:9, September 2007"


Author Information

Hakan Ringbom is Emeritus Professor of English at Abo Akademi University, Turku/Abo, Finland. His published monographs include a study of the narrative technique of Beowulf and Lawman's Brut, a stylistic study of George Orwell's essays and his 1987 study of the role of the first language in foreign language learning. He has also published some 50 articles in the fields of second language acquisition, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, contrastive analysis and stylistics.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

lgn

al

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List