Overview

There is a growing interest in second language acquisition (SLA) research in interdisciplinary approaches as that are by theoretical as much as practical need of understanding language learning and performance. Intellectually, second language acquisition research is now a recognised independent field of academic inquiry concerned with cognitive, psychological, social and pragmatic aspects of the phenomenon of second language development. SLA research tends to be both highly theoretical and experimental and as such lends itself well to the rigour of scientific research. It is in this context that the use of well articulated theories and concepts is increasingly seen as an essential research and 'thinking' tool for understanding and conducting SLA research. Processability Theory (Pienemann 1998) is one of the more prominent theories that have been applied across a number of second languages. The logic underlying processability theory is that at any stage during the developmental process, the learner can produce and comprehend only those target language linguistic forms which the current state of the language processor (i.e. the learner lantguage) can handle. It is therefore crucial to understand the architecture of the language processor and the way in which it handles second language development. The chapters included in this book will report on the various technical and theoretical aspects of experimental SLA research across a number of typologically different languages. The book includes detailed chapters outlining the key theoretical claims and methodological requirements underpiniing this kind of SLA research. Many of the subsequent chapters report Procesability Theory-related studies to the wider field of SLA research. Though the emphasis is on cross-linguistic experimental research undertaken within the parameters of Processability Theory, the book nevertheless sheds the light on the nexus between bilingualism and theory-driven second language acquisition research.

Full Product Details

Author:   Fethi Mansouri
Publisher:   Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Imprint:   Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Edition:   Unabridged edition
Weight:   0.762kg
ISBN:  

9781847180513

ISBN 10:   1847180515
Pages:   267
Publication Date:   27 June 2007
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Reviews

[T]his edited volume has significantly broadened the theoretical bases and the application areas of Pienemann's Processability Theory (PT) within the SLA research arena. The book does not just further recapitulate the major tenets of PT [...] but also successfully extends the existing PT paradigm to include a conceptual framework that serves to account for intra-stage developmental sequences and also a more ambitious PDS model that integrates multiple parallel procedures in L2 interlanguage development. [...] [T]he book also adds further dynamics to the PT paradigm by reinforcing the computer-assisted data collection procedure of Rapid Profile (Chapter 6), which will have significant implications for L2 classroom research and practice. - Zhisheng (Edward) Wen, LINGUIST List 23.3660, (03.09.12).

[T]his edited volume has significantly broadened the theoretical bases and the application areas of Pienemann's Processability Theory (PT) within the SLA research arena. The book does not just further recapitulate the major tenets of PT [...] but also successfully extends the existing PT paradigm to include a conceptual framework that serves to account for intra-stage developmental sequences and also a more ambitious PDS model that integrates multiple parallel procedures in L2 interlanguage development. [...] [T]he book also adds further dynamics to the PT paradigm by reinforcing the computer-assisted data collection procedure of Rapid Profile (Chapter 6), which will have significant implications for L2 classroom research and practice. - Zhisheng (Edward) Wen, LINGUIST List 23.3660, (03.09.12).

Author Information

Fethi Mansouri is Associate Professor in Middle Eastern Studies at Deakin University's School of International and Political Studies. His research activities cut across applied linguistics and cultural studies. He has published extensively on various aspects of second language acquisition, Arabic linguistics and multicultural education. His recent publications include 'Grammatical Markedness and Information Processing in the Acquisition of Arabic as a Second Language'. (Munchen, Germany: LINCOM EUROPA Academic Publishers: 244pp); Lives in Limbo (with MP Leach; Sydney: UNSW Press 2004); and Australia and the Middle East: a Front-line Relationship (London/New York: Tauris Academic Studies, 2006).

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