Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Second Language Learning and Teaching

Reviews / Votes

'Jeannette Littlemore's new book is the first comprehensive monograph dealing with the application of Cognitive Linguistics (CL) to the area of second language learning/ teaching. Here the key lies in understanding how the target language cognitive system works, and how it differs from the learner's first language system. Throughout the chapters, the author brings to light a number of key concepts of CL such as construal, categorization, encyclopaedic knowledge, metaphor, metonymy, embodiment and especially linguistic motivation, and considers the pedagogical implications that all of this has for the foreign language classroom.

This fascinating account, written in a clear and concise style, will undoubtedly make the reader recognize that cognitively learning another language will often involve learning to see things in a different way, both physically and linguistically. Jeannette Littlemore must be congratulated on achieving this ambitious goal.' Martin Pütz, University of Koblenz, Germany

'Jeannette Littlemore has masterfully weaved together various threads of Cognitive Linguistics that are particularly relevant for language pedagogy. The result is a very coherent and accessible synopsis of over thirty years of work, covering areas ranging from vocabulary to grammar, from figuration to pragmatics, and from intonation to gestures. Equally impressive as the scope of the book is the way Littlemore points out numerous avenues for further research, in effect providing pedagogy-oriented cognitive linguists with a to-do list for the coming decades. All this makes Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Second Language Learning and Teaching a valuable source of information and inspiration for applied linguists as well as teachers and course developers.' - Frank Boers, Erasmus University, Rotterdam