SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
TESOL 565


  
 

About the Course

Second Language Acquisition examines empirical and theoretical studies of second language acquisition and processing in order to respond to several questions:

How and why do people learn second languages?
What is the effect of the first language on second language acquisition?
How can we best describe and explain the characteristics of interlanguage?
What roles do motivation, personality, and environment play in second language acquisition?
How can classroom teachers facilitate second language acquisition?

These are only a few of the issues that will be addressed in the Second Language Acquisition course.


Textbook

Gass, Susan M. and Selinker, Larry (2001). Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. Second Edition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. ISBN 0-8058-3528-8


Course Requirements

Online Discussions (30% of grade)
AssignmentsÝ (8% each)
Midterm (14%)
Annotated Bibliography (10%)
Final ExamÝ (30%)
 


 

Schedule of Classes
(subject to change)

Class

Topic

Reading

1

Introduction: The Nature of Language
Acquiring a First Language

G&S Chaps. 1 & 4

2

Second Language Acquisition: Interlanguage

G&S Chap. 2

3

History of the Role of Native Language

G&S Chap. 3

4

Recent Perspectives on the Role of Native Language
Assignment #1

G&S Chap. 5
 

5

SLA, Linguistics, and Universal Grammar

G&S Chaps. 6 & 7

6

Interlanguage Processes

G&S Chap. 8

7

Interlanguage in Context
Midterm due 

G&S Chap. 9
 

8

The Second Language in Use

G&S Chap. 10

9

Second Language Instruction
 

G&S Chap. 11

10

Nonlanguage Influences
Assignment #2

G&S Chap. 12
 .

11

The Lexicon

G&S Chap. 13

12

An Integrated View of SLA

G&S Chap. 14

Final Exam


 

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