First and Second Language Acquisition: Parallels and Differences

Jürgen M. Meisel

ISBN 10: 052155764X / ISBN 13: 9780521557641

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2011

About this Item

2011. Paperback. This is the first textbook to systematically compare first and second language acquisition drawing on data from several languages. Series: Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics. Num Pages: 318 pages, 3 b/w illus. 9 tables. BIC Classification: CFDC. Category: (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 176 x 247 x 14. Weight in Grams: 568. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780521557641

Bibliographic Details

• Title: First and Second Language Acquisition: Parallels and Differences
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 052155764X
• ISBN 13: 9780521557641
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Infants and very young children develop almost miraculously the ability of speech, without apparent effort, without even being taught – as opposed to the teenager or the adult struggling without, it seems, ever being able to reach the same level of proficiency as five-year olds in their first language. This useful textbook serves as a guide to different types of language acquisition: monolingual and bilingual first language development and child and adult second language acquisition. Unlike other books, it systematically compares first and second language acquisition, drawing on data from several languages. Research questions and findings from various subfields are helpfully summarized to show students how they are related and how they often complement each other. The essential guide to studying first and second language acquisition, it will be used on courses in linguistics, modern languages and developmental psychology.

About the Author

Jürgen M. Meisel is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics in the Department of Romance Languages and a member and former Chair (1999–2006) of the Research Center on Bilingualism at the University of Hamburg. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Distinguished Fellow in the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Calgary. He is one of the founding editors and current co-editor of the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, published by Cambridge University Press.