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Ask-A-Linguist - Message details
Subject: Learning linguistics.
Question:
Hello. Thank you for this site.

Now, I am an ESL teacher and I want to ask: what is the best way to learn linguistics - that is, the theories behind language acquisition. If I knew this, it would benefit me and my students.

Again, thanks.

Reply:
Hi,
To add to what my learned colleagues have said, Linguistics
and Second Language Acquisition are two distinct fields of
study. Although Pinker's book is fascinating, it does not really
deal with Second Language Acquisition per se. I strongly
recommend books such as Rod Ellis (1995) Understanding
Second Language Acquisition, Oxford University Press, or if you
REALLY want to delve deeply in the field, his 1994 The Study of
Second Language Acquisition, also by Oxford University Press.
With this book, you'll know pretty well everything you might want
to know about the field, albeit it's starting to age somewhat....If
you're particularly interested in finding out how SLA can be
applied to Second Language Teaching, H. Douglas Brown's
Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Prentice Hall
Regents is a good start. A very practical book on SLA and L2
teaching is Lightbown and Spada's How languages are learned,
Oxford University Press.
Hope this helps!

Reply From: Robert A Papen    click here to access email
Date: Oct-26-2009
Other Replies:
  1. Re: Learning linguistics. Joseph F Foster    (Oct-26-2009)
  2. Re: Learning linguistics. Susan Fischer    (Oct-26-2009)
  3. Re: Learning linguistics. Elizabeth J Pyatt    (Oct-26-2009)
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