Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research

Offers the most up-to-date coverage of research methods and best practices in the study of second language acquisition, edited by two of the leading figures in the field

Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research provides an up-to-date overview of both traditional and cutting-edge techniques and methods in the field. Bringing together contributions from an international team of experts, this authoritative volume covers the qualitative, quantitative, survey-based, interdisciplinary, statistical analysis, and data replication methods that students and early-career researchers need to know when developing their projects and experiments in second language acquisition research. Each chapter includes best practices, case studies, and research questions, together with suggested readings which exemplify a wide range of contemporary methodologies.

Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research builds on the foundation of Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition, the first volume in the Wiley Blackwell Guides to Research Methods series to cover the field of SLA. Eleven new chapters and four revised chapters address classroom research methods, qualitative approaches to data, collecting introspective second language (L2) data, L2 data on brain and articulatory mechanisms, problematic terminology in the SLA community, and more.

• Covers theory-based methodologies, synthetic and meta-analytic work, mixed methods, coding, and statistical analysis
• Describes and evaluates recent methodological advances and experimental approaches in SLA research
• Includes study questions, links to additional resources, and example study boxes that summarize methodological principles and connect them to real-world research studies

Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research is an essential resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in SLA and applied linguistics programs, novice researchers studying SLA research methods, and more established scholars looking for a concise and up-to-date overview of SLA methodology.

Alison Mackey is Professor and Chair of the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University, USA, and a Professor in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, UK (Summers). She is Editor-in-Chief of Annual Review of Applied Linguistics and the co-editor of Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide and the co-author of Second Language Research: Methodology and Design.

Susan M. Gass is University Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, USA. She is the former editor of Studies in Second Language Acquisition, the co-editor of Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide, and the co-author of Second Language Research: Methodology and Design.