Acquisition of Spanish As a Second Language : Foundations and New Developments

This volume offers an introduction to the field of second language acquisition with a particular focus on second language Spanish. It connects key issues in the acquisition of Spanish as a second language to theoretical and empirical issues in the field of second language acquisition more generally by exemplifying central concepts in second language acquisition through the exploration of the most widely researched structures and most recent developments in the field of second language Spanish. It is written for a non-specialist audience, making it suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses and readers, while its treatment of recent empirical developments also makes it of interest to researchers in second language Spanish as well as allied fields.

Kimberly L. Geeslin is Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University, USA. Her research focuses on second language Spanish and the intersection of second language acquisition and sociolinguistics.

Avizia Y. Long is Assistant Professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at San José State University, USA. Her research interests include the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation by non-Western learners, study abroad and the acquisition of second language Spanish phonetics and phonology, and the role of the instructor in classroom-based learning.

Megan Solon is Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University, USA. Her research focuses on the acquisition of phonetics and phonology in second and heritage language Spanish and explores the acquisition of variable phonetic features as well as the role of learning context and instructional practices on phonetic development.