The Gifted Language Learner
A Case of Nature or Nurture?
Published on 9. June 2021
978-1-108-60147-4 (ISBN)
Description
Language learners beyond early childhood are scarcely expected to reach native-like abilities in their new language, yet some do. Are these individuals uniquely gifted? If so, are such gifts innate, or the result of intense drive, optimal experience, opportunity, or something else altogether? Bringing together theory and empirical work from across disciplines, this ground-breaking book aims to better understand the perennial mystery of giftedness in language learning (GLL). Incorporating quantitative, qualitative, and case study data, this analysis demonstrates the need to reach across cognitive, neural, emotional, psychological, and social lines to understand native-likeness in a second language. All such 'outliers' face limits, potentials, and choices. What they do in the face of these is key. With this complexity in mind, specific recommendations are provided to re-orient the research toward an appreciation of the individual's role, and a clearer understanding of the inherent balance of nature and nurture in GLL.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
3 Tables, black and white
File size
2,26 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-108-60147-4 (9781108601474)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
06/2021
Cambridge University Press
€48.60
Shipment within 15-20 days
Book
06/2021
Cambridge University Press
€97.60
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Content
Introduction; 1. Giftedness, then and now; 2. The gifted language learner, 3. Personality dimensions in GLL; 4. Neurological and cognitive foundations of GLL; 5. Emotion, cognition and engagement in GLL; 6. Paths forward in theory and research.
