Foreign Language Input

Reviews / Votes

Rast's clearly written exploration of input variables illuminates the nature of word and sentence repetition and word- and sentence-translation tasks for learners given minimal L2 exposure. This work will undoubtedly inspire further studies of first exposure. -- Susanne Carroll, University of Calgary The core matter of this book is central to all theories of acquisition: it explores the relationship between input, intake, and L2 acquisition at the initial state of learning. It will be of top interest to all concerned with the nature of early L2 acquisition. -- Marianne Gullberg, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen Rast's highly original study charts the first few hours of L2 acquisition in both comprehension and production, providing a richer and more complex view of the earliest stages of acquisition than anything hitherto available. Essential reading for acquisitionists! -- Clive Perdue, Structures formelles du langage, CNRS & Universite Paris 8 Rast's book answers the call for research on the initial stages of SLA while distinguishing itself from previous studies in which artificial languages were used. This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the initial stages of SLA. On a theoretical level, this work is relevant and timely given the detailed discussions of intake, saliency and frequency. -- Eve Zyzik University of California, Santa Cruz * Studies in Second Language Acquisition 5th August 2008 *