DOCSLIB.ORG

Effects of Metalinguistic Knowledge and Language Aptitude on Second Language Learning

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Effects of Metalinguistic Knowledge and Language Aptitude on Second Language Learning EFFECTS OF METALINGUISTIC KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE APTITUDE ON SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Brian Wistner January, 2014 Examining Committee Members Jim Sick, Advisory Chair, International Christian University David Beglar, CITE/TESOL Steven Ross, External Member, University of Maryland Edward Schaefer, External Member, Ochanomizu University Marshall Childs, CITE/TESOL © Copyright 2014 by Brian Wistner iii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude on second language (L2) procedural knowledge. Three lines of inquiry were undertaken: (a) confirming the factorial structure of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude; (b) testing the relative effects of metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude on L2 procedural knowledge; and (c) assessing the relative contributions of receptive and productive metalinguistic knowledge and components of language learning aptitude to L2 procedural knowledge. Two-hundred-forty-nine Japanese university students participated. One receptive and two productive tests of metalinguistic knowledge related to metalinguistic terminology and English grammatical rules were administered. Learners’ language learning aptitude was measured using the Lunic Language Marathon, which consisted of four scales: number learning, sound-symbol association, vocabulary learning, and language analytical ability. Participants’ L2 procedural knowledge was assessed through performance on a timed writing task. The writing samples were scored for overall quality, L2 complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The scores from each test were subjected to Rasch analyses to investigate the construct validity and unidimensionality of the instruments. The results of the Rasch analyses indicated that the test items fit the Rasch model, supporting the construct validity of the instruments. The unidimensionality of each instrument was established iv through Rasch principal component analyses. Interval-level Rasch measures were used for the subsequent analyses. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that metalinguistic knowledge and language learning aptitude were distinct constructs. A two-factor model showed good model fit and explained the relationship between the two constructs. Structural equation modeling revealed that metalinguistic knowledge significantly predicted L2 procedural knowledge, complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Language learning aptitude, however, was not a statistically significant predictor of the L2 procedural knowledge variables. The results of a path model analysis indicated that productive metalinguistic knowledge was the strongest predictor of L2 procedural knowledge, language analytical ability predicted receptive metalinguistic knowledge, and number learning was negatively associated with L2 procedural knowledge. The findings point to the facilitative role of metalinguistic knowledge in L2 learning and the viability of L2 declarative knowledge becoming proceduralized through practice. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to acknowledge the helpful advice I received from my dissertation defense committee. Drs. Jim Sick, David Beglar, Steven Ross, Edward Schaefer, and Marshall Childs provided valuable feedback and insightful comments that helped to improve many aspects of this dissertation. I would like to thank Hideki Sakai for his contribution to this research. In addition to providing advice throughout the research process, Hideki played a pivotal role in the design of the Japanese testing instruments. He generously provided feedback on previous versions of the tests, offering essential advice on the content and phrasing of the items. I would also like to express my gratitude to the students who participated in this research and to my colleagues who cooperated with data collection and test scoring. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my family for their support and patience throughout my doctoral studies. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 The Background of the Issue ...................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................5 Purposes of the Study...............................................................................................7 The Audience for the Study .....................................................................................9 Delimitations ..........................................................................................................10 Key Terminology ...................................................................................................11 The Organization of the Study ...............................................................................13 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...............................................................................15 Declarative and Procedural Knowledge .................................................................15 Characteristics of L2 Implicit and Explicit Knowledge ............................19 Measuring Procedural and Declarative Knowledge ..................................22 Previous Studies of L2 Implicit and Explicit Knowledge .........................26 Language Learning Aptitude .................................................................................39 Conceptualizations of Foreign Language Aptitude .....................................40 vii Operationalizations of Language Aptitude ..................................................46 Modern Language Aptitude Test ...................................................46 Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery .............................................47 Language Aptitude Battery for the Japanese .................................48 Lunic Language Marathon .............................................................50 Cognitive Ability for Novelty in Acquisition of Language as Applied to Foreign Language Test ............................................50 Effects of Language Aptitude on L2 Learning ..........................................52 Studies of Metalinguistic Knowledge, Proficiency, and Aptitude .............61 Knowledge and Theory-Based Gaps .....................................................................70 Analytical Gaps ......................................................................................................71 Purposes of the Study.............................................................................................72 Research Questions ................................................................................................76 3. METHODS ....................................................................................................................82 Participants .............................................................................................................82 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................85 Receptive Metalinguistic Knowledge Test ..................................................85 Productive Metalinguistic Knowledge Test ................................................88 Language Learning Aptitude Test ...............................................................91 Procedural Knowledge Test ........................................................................94 Procedures ..............................................................................................................99 Analysis................................................................................................................100 Rasch Analysis .........................................................................................100 Structural Equation Modeling ..................................................................103 viii Analytical Procedures and Evaluative Criteria ........................................106 Modeling Procedures ...................................................................109 Issues of Model Complexity and Sample Size ............................110 4. PRELIMINARY ANALYSES ....................................................................................111 Analysis................................................................................................................111 Receptive Metalinguistic Knowledge Test ..........................................................112 Productive Metalinguistic Knowledge Test .........................................................119 Technical Terminology Scale ..................................................................120 Rule Explanation Scale ............................................................................125
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing
    CY147/Kroll-FM CY147/Kroll 0 521 82292 0 January 15, 2003 12:46 Char Count= 0 Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing Edited by Barbara Kroll California State University, Northridge v CY147/Kroll-FM CY147/Kroll 0 521 82292 0 January 15, 2003 12:46 Char Count= 0 published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon´ 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C Cambridge University Press 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2003 Printed in the United States of America Typefaces Sabon 10.5/12 pt. and Arial System LATEX2ε [TB] A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data Exploring the dynamics of second language writing / edited by Barbara Kroll. p. cm. – (The Cambridge applied linguistics series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-521-82292-0 (hardback) – ISBN 0-521-52983-2 (pbk.) 1. Language and languages – Study and teaching. 2. Composition (Language arts) 3. Rhetoric – Study and teaching. I. Kroll,
    [Show full text]
  • Spanglish” and Its Effects on L1 and L2
    “Spanglish” and Its Effects on L1 and L2 CAMILA PEREZ Produced in Katherine Curtis’ Spring 2012 ENC1102 The present study discusses and shows how “Spanglish,” the constant mixture of Spanish and English at the word, phrase and sentence level, affects bilinguals’ first and second languages. Researchers have demonstrated that code-switching can serve as a bridge between the two languages and that Spanish can facilitate English word learning, but they have not studied the effects of “Spanglish,” as a third language used by many Spanish bilinguals. From interviews, textual analysis, and interview observations of three Spanish bilinguals, it was demonstrated that “Spanglish” does affect L1 and L2. The results showed that “Spanglish” affects communication with Spanish and English monolinguals, leads to the creation of nonexistent words, and diminishes fluency in both Spanish and English. Introduction The fast growing Hispanic population in the United States has called for an increase in the number of researchers studying Spanish-speaking bilinguals. Given that 1 out of 12 kindergarten students come from homes where a language other than English is spoken and Spanish is the other language in almost 75% of these cases, bilingualism has become a very important subject in the education system (Carlson and Meltzoff 284). This ethnic and linguistic diversity among students in American schools has required educators to find new methods to help non-English speakers learn English. To be able to identify the most efficient methods that help students learn English and to create new ones that would make this process easier, researchers have studied numerous groups of bilinguals and have focused on investigating the advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism in English writing and learning processes.
    [Show full text]
  • Further Evidence for the Developmental Stages of Language Learning and Processability
    US-China Education Review A 9 (2012) 813-825 D Earlier title: US-China Education Review, ISSN 1548-6613 DAVID PUBLISHING Further Evidence for the Developmental Stages of Language Learning and Processability Evelyn Doman Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; University of Macau, Macau, China Few, if any, researchers would deny the existence of the developmental stages of language learning. However, there are questions about the applicability and the importance of the stages in pedagogy. Up to this point, these questions regarding the ESL (English as a second language) stages have never been addressed in a Japanese post-secondary educational context. This study is the only one of its kind to measure the developmental stages of a group of Japanese university students and to provide the learners with intensive instruction to see how much/if any changes are made to their interlanguage due to the instruction. As predicted by Pienemann’s Teachability Hypothesis (1992), only the learners who had met the prerequisites for instruction could acquire the grammatical points which were instructed. The results of this study point to the need among TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language) instructors to teach students only slightly above their current language levels. Keywords: developmental stages, Teachability Theory, grammar, SLA (second language acquisition) Introduction Developmental Stages of Second Language SLA (second language acquisition) research suggests overwhelmingly that language learning is a developmental process, which cannot be consciously controlled or predicted by teachers or learners (J. Willis & D. Willis, 2001, p. 179). There is a large amount of evidence supporting the notion that language learning for speakers of any language is systematic, irrespective of whether it is a first or second language (Pienemann, 1995, 1998; Heinsch, 1994; Doughty, 2003; Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991).
    [Show full text]
  • Research Statementfinal
    Research Statement My research contributions lie in the areas of bilingualism and language contact, with a focus on (i) cross-linguistic influence and (ii) code-switching (CS) in Spanish. In both research areas I address aspects of the formal generative tradition while applying data-driven approaches to my analyses, specifically those used in the variationist literature. My particular contribution within this field is the comparison of linguistic situations that involve two different language pairings: Spanish-English bilingualism in the U.S. and Spanish-Catalan bilingualism in Minorca, Spain. Both are linguistic situations of prolonged, extended, and intense contact, while only in Minorca both languages enjoy official status. Crucially, Spanish and Catalan share more linguistic characteristics than English and Spanish, a contrast which allows me to discriminate between possible sources of differences between monolingual and bilingual Spanish. The contrast between Spanish in contact with English and in contact with Catalan has been particularly productive in my research on subject expression. Subjects can be lexical (Nimbus es inteligente ‘Nimbus is intelligent’), pronominal (Él es inteligente ‘He is intelligent’) or null (∅ Es inteligente ‘*∅ is intelligent’) in Spanish and Catalan and only overt in English. These differences make subject expression an ideal phenomenon to test hypotheses about the possible sources of cross-linguistic influence. For instance, some authors have proposed that in language contact situations differences between monolingual and bilingual speech can be traced back to the contact language (Cross- linguistic influence hypothesis). The Simplification hypothesis, on the other hand, states that bilingual speakers may optimize their resources by resorting to less cognitively costly forms, in this case overt subjects.
    [Show full text]
  • The Acquisition of Japanese As a Second Language and Processability Theory: a Longitudinal Study of a Naturalistic Child Learner
    Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2006 The Acquisition of Japanese as a Second Language and Processability Theory: A Longitudinal Study of a Naturalistic Child Learner Junko Iwasaki Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the First and Second Language Acquisition Commons Appendix C removed for copyright reasons. Pages 338-353. Recommended Citation Iwasaki, J. (2006). The Acquisition of Japanese as a Second Language and Processability Theory: A Longitudinal Study of a Naturalistic Child Learner. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/73 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/73 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
    [Show full text]
  • Code-Switching and Its Challenges: Perspectives on Translanguaging in the EFL/ESL Classroom
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies 12-2017 Code-Switching and Its Challenges: Perspectives on Translanguaging in the EFL/ESL Classroom Michael Spooner Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports Part of the First and Second Language Acquisition Commons Recommended Citation Spooner, Michael, "Code-Switching and Its Challenges: Perspectives on Translanguaging in the EFL/ESL Classroom" (2017). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 1126. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1126 This Creative Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i CODE-SWITCHING AND ITS CHALLENGES: PERSPECTIVES ON TRANSLANGUAGING IN THE EFL CLASSROOM by Michael Spooner A portfolio submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING Approved: Dr. Karin DeJonge-Kannan Dr. Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante Major Professor Committee Member Dr. Abdulkafi Albirini Dr. Sylvia Read Committee Member Committee Member Dr. Bradford J. Hall Department Head UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2017 Copyright 2017 © Michael Spooner All rights reserved DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the memory of Alberto, whose full name I do not know. Alberto was a Puerto Rican man who worked long ago with my father in a machine shop in Milwaukee. Alberto loved Spanish, his first language, and especially the way it was spoken in Puerto Rico.
    [Show full text]
  • Thinking the Interface Hypothesis and Its Implications for Language Teaching
    Teixeira, J. (2016). (Re)thinking the Interface Hypothesis and its implications for language teaching. In T. Harrison, U. Lanvers & M. Edwardes (eds.), Breaking theory: New directions in Applied Linguistics. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (pp.93-109). London: Scitsiugnil Press. (Re)thinking the Interface Hypothesis and its Implications for Language Teaching Joana Teixeira CLUNL, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa [email protected] Introduction1 The interface between syntax and other domains has recently become a key area of interest in Generative Second Language Acquisition (GenSLA). Much of the research on linguistic interfaces has been influenced by the Interface Hypothesis (IH), which was proposed by Sorace & Filiaci (2006) in an attempt to explain the non-target-like behaviour found at very advanced stages of second language (L2) acquisition. Originally, the IH claimed that narrow syntactic properties are acquirable, whereas properties at the interface between syntax and other domains may not be fully acquirable (cf. Sorace & Filiaci, 2006). In its most recent version, the IH specifies that properties at grammar-external interfaces (i.e. interfaces which connect the grammar to external domains) are more likely to be a source of problems in end-state grammars than properties involving grammar-internal interfaces (i.e. interfaces which link different modules within the grammar) (cf. Sorace & Serratrice, 2009; Tsimpli & Sorace, 2006; Sorace, 2011). The IH is, therefore, an account of non-target patterns at the level of ultimate attainment. While some studies have supported the IH’s predictions (e.g. Belletti & Leonini, 2004; Belletti, Bennati & Sorace, 2007; Bohnacker & Rosén, 2007; Lozano, 2006; Madeira, Xavier & Crispim, 2009; Sorace & Filiaci, 2006; Wilson, 2009; among others), others have produced results which disconfirm them (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Second Language Writing Development from a Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective
    Second language writing development from a Dynamic Systems Theory perspective Attila M. Wind Lancaster University, UK Abstract This study investigated how the lexical and syntactic features of two Hungarian advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ writing evolved over a period of four months from a dynamic systems theory (DST) perspective. The participants provided data in the form of written essays which were analysed computationally by software packages (Coh- Metrix 2.0, Coh-Metrix 3.0 and Synlex L2 Complexity Analyzer). It was found that both lexical and syntactic indices showed interindividual and intraindividual variability. The log frequency for content words index showed a gradual decline which suggests that both participants started to use less frequent lexical items in their writing. When measure of textual lexical diversity (MTLD) was plotted against mean length of T- unit (MLTU) and MTLD against dependent clause per T-unit (DC/T), it was found that both participants concentrated on lexical complexity rather than on syntactic complexity which was also confirmed by the interview data. The largest rate change occurred for coordinate phrases per T-unit (CP/T) for both participants. Keywords: dynamic systems theory, second language writing writing development, syntactic and lexical complexity Papers from the Lancaster University Postgraduate Conference in Linguistics & Language Teaching 2013 1. Introduction Second language (L2) writing development has been investigated from various perspectives: dynamic systems theory (Verspoor & Smiskova, 2012), sociocultural theories of language learning (Wigglesworth & Storch, 2012), theories of multicompetence in language learning studies (Kobayashi & Rinnert, 2012), goal theories in education and psychology (Cumming, 2012), genre theories in second language writing research (Tardy, 2012), and systemic functional linguistics (Byrnes, 2012).
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect of Code-Switching on the Improving of Speaking Skill Of
    43557 Parvaneh Yarahmadi / Elixir Edu. Tech. 100 (2016) 43557-43567 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Educational Technology Elixir Edu. Tech. 100 (2016) 43557-43567 The Effect of Code-Switching on the Improving of Speaking Skill of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learner: State of Art Parvaneh Yarahmadi Islamic Azad University of Damavand. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: In recent years the structures of code-switching like its grammatical structure, have Received: 1 October 2016; became crucial on in bilingualism research. Researchers in this field discuss the types of Received in revised form: code-switching structures that are possible within a given data set. In the work, 4 November 2016; code-switching of different structures have been discussed. Accepted: 14 November 2016; © 2016 Elixir All rights reserved. Keywords Code-switching, Grammatical Structure. Introduction function as a trigger for the alternation from one language to Most researchers, who have paid attention to code- another. Such instances indicate the processes of mental switching, have however been concerned with the sociological representation of bilingualism on the one hand and bilingual interpretation and discourse functions, i.e. the socio-pragmatic language processing on the other. The speaker in socio- aspect, of code-switching. For this reason, linguists who do pragmatically conditioned code-switching does not alter the not specialize in bilingualism often automatically assume that language with a specific conversational aim. This means that research in code-switching means sociolinguistic research. It the code-switching has no function in the local conversational is certainly an interesting issue to investigate when and why a context, especially when the “global interactional behaviour” speaker chooses one linguistic variety rather than another: this (Franceschini 1998,p.61) is based on code-switching, i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Variation in Assessment
    Variation in Assessment A Coh-Metrix Analysis of Evaluation of Written English in the Swedish Upper Secondary School Hugo Simion Malmcrona Department of English Individual Research Project (EN04GY) English Linguistics Autumn 2019 Supervisor: Alan McMillion Variation in Assessment A Coh-Metrix Analysis of Evaluation of Written English in the Swedish Upper Secondary School Hugo Simion Malmcrona Abstract Reliable evaluation is an important part of language education. However, reliable evaluation of student writing is notoriously difficult to achieve nationally. To better understand what evaluators value in upper secondary English education in Sweden this study has examined correlations between grading and linguistic variables in student writing using Coh-Metrix, a natural language processor. Previous studies in Hong Kong and the U.S. have shown that linguistic and lexical sophistication have a high correlation with good grades, while explicit cohesive devices have a negative correlation with grades. Results have varied depending on level of proficiency and there are indications that evaluators have cultural differences. Seventy-nine essays from the national test for the course English 6, from two different schools and teachers were analysed in this study. The study asked: What language variables correlate with grades, and how do two teachers differ in their value of quality? In order to answer this, correlations between grades and all 106 Coh-Metrix indices were calculated and t-tested for significance. The ten most highly correlating variables were then compiled, with very similar indices excluded. Correlation scores of the same variables but for both teachers separately were then compiled for comparison. The ten highest correlations for both teachers separately were also compiled along with scores for the same indices for the other teacher.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 1 Second Language Acquisition Research
    CHAPTER 1 SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION RESEARCH: FROM THEORY FORMATION TO THEORY APPLICATION Fethi Mansouri This book1 deals with second language acquisition research as a field of inquiry concerned with the processes underlying the development of second languages among non-native learners. The book’s main focus is on the theoretical attempts at accounting for second language acquisition (SLA) where the focus is more on the mental, cognitive and psychological processes underpinning the learning process. Of course the linguistic structures being acquired will also constitute an integral part of any analyses of SLA as their structural and functional features tend to correlate with certain developmental outcomes. In fact, the key theoretical paradigm employed by most of the chapters in this book, namely Processability Theory (Pienemann, 1998) argues that the learners can produce only those target language linguistic forms, which their language processor (i.e. the learner language) can handle at a given point in time. In other words, the target language structures with their specific level of (grammatical) information marking and exchange are acquired – or in PT’s language developmentally emerge- in an order that reflects their processing complexity. Thus, we increasingly see the interconnectedness of linguistic features and processing capacity among learners. It is because this interconnectedness is so fundamental to explaining SLA that learning theories are more and more inclined to employ formal theories of grammar to describe the target language structures. This is the case with PT which uses Lexical Functional Grammar (LFG) as a linguistic analytical framework. Historical trends and developments in SLA research2 The scope and diversity of research into second language acquisition is so broad that it is well beyond the reach of this thematically defined volume.
    [Show full text]
  • The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition
    ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOKS The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition Edited by Susan M. Gass and Alison Mackey The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition ‘The editors, Susan M. Gass and Alison Mackey, have done a sterling job with this Handbook. The biggest names and rising stars in the fields of second language teaching and language learning have contributed to this “magnum opus”.’ Jean-Marc Dewaele, Birkbeck, University of London, UK The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition brings together fifty leading international figures in the field to produce a state-of-the-art overview of second language acquisition. The Handbook covers a wide range of topics related to Second Language Acquisition: language in context, linguistic, psycholinguistic, and neurolinguistic theories and perspectives, skill learning, individual differences, L2 learning settings, and language assessment. All chapters introduce the reader to the topic, outline the core issues, then explore the pedagogical application of research in the area and possible future development. The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition is an essential resource for all those studying and researching second language acquisition. Susan M. Gass is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Languages at Michigan State University. She is the author of many titles and co-author of Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course, Third Edition (Routledge, 2008), with Larry Selinker. She co-edits the series, Second Language Acquisition Research (with Alison Mackey, for Routledge). Alison Mackey is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University. She is the author of many titles, and co-author of Data Elicitation for Second and Foreign Language Research (Routledge 2007), with Susan M.
    [Show full text]