Alternative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition

Alternative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition: Second Edition is the eagerly awaited, expanded update of a landmark text. This volume explores alternative perspectives on second language acquisition, offering a critical challenge to the dominantly cognitivist, theory-testing framework on which SLA studies was originally based, and which continues to broadly influence the field.

Leading SLA scholars provide a comprehensive overview of nine alternative approaches: complex dynamic systems theory, sociocultural theory, identity studies, conversation analysis, language socialization, corpus analysis, decolonial theory, assemblage theory, and the sociocognitive approach. Each contribution reflects the cutting edge of current research, including unique insights into the vast complexities of learning second/additional languages. The consistent chapter structure enables readers to directly compare and navigate these diverse approaches. The editors’ introduction offers a powerful rationale for understanding the relevance of these alternative approaches in today’s rapidly evolving landscape of SLA research and pedagogy.

This volume is an essential resource for graduate students, researchers, and educators in Applied Linguistics, SLA studies, and language education. It serves as both a comprehensive introduction for newcomers and a fresh update for those familiar with the first edition.

Dwight Atkinson is a faculty member in the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Doctoral Program at the University of Arizona. His research interests include second language acquisition and teaching, multilingual writing, and qualitative research methods/approaches.

Elena Taylor is an associate professor of applied linguistics at Utah State University. Her research interests include second language writing, multimodal interaction, and interpersonal aspects of language learning and teaching.