SLA theory attempts to explain the phenomena involved when a person acquires a second language. We observe that people whose native language is X acquire a second language Y: How do they do it? The point of this over-simplified description is to emphasise that any theory is an attempt to explain phenomena, and to highlight three key terms: phenomena, language, and explanation.
The book is designed to be used in an introductory course for under-graduate or graduate students. The goal is to make the information contained herein available to students with a wide variety of background knowledge. The book can be used with those with a background in language and/or linguistics and those with little or no background in these areas. The book developed out of our belief that the complexities of the field can and should be brought to the attention of many students, both those who are intending to delve further into the field and those who are only curious about the pervasive phenomenon of learning a second language.
The purpose of this book is twofold: First, it is to introduce the reader to Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) and Mikhail Bakhtin’s literary theory. These theories constitute the foundation for an alternative framework for theory, research, teaching, and testing in second language acquisition (SLA). Second, it is to discuss the existing cognitive bias in SLA theory and research.
The planning of this volume started out in response to the question: What are the implications of second language acquisition research for language teaching? The aim of the book is therefore to give this question an in-depth consideration from various points of view. The discussion centres around issues such as whether and how teaching, teaching materials and testing can be planned and executed in ways that are more favourable for the individual learners, if known facts about second language acquisition are taken into account. As the title of the book suggests, it is divided into two parts. Part I deals with those factors which concern syllabus design, teaching materials, and teaching itself. Part II is concerned with assessment testing.
