While We're On the Topic: BVP on Language, Acquisition, and Classroom Practice

While We're On the Topic: BVP on Language, Acquisition, and Classroom Practice is from one of the leading figures in the field of second language acquisition and second language teaching, While We're on the Topic... offers an up-to-date overview of six principles underlying contemporary communicative language teaching. In a conversational style, Bill VanPatten addresses principles related to the nature of communication, the nature of language, how language is acquired, the roles of input and interaction, tasks and activities, and focus on form ("grammar"). Each principle is informed by decades of research yet all are presented in a manner accessible to veteran and novice educators alike.

This book is a must read for all interested in 21st century language teaching. With special features such as Foundational Readings, Discussion Questions and Food for Thought, "I..." statements for self-assessment, and While We're on the Topic reflection boxes that invite the reader to ponder related topics, this book can easily be used as the foundation for any course on contemporary language teaching.

Bill VanPatten, Ph.D. (University of Texas), has had a long, distinguished career in language acquisition and language teaching. He has held positions at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Texas Tech University, and most recently Michigan State University. He has published eight books, eight edited volumes, five college-level textbooks in Spanish and French (including movies and one telenovella for students), more than 130 articles and book chapters, and stories and fiction for students of Spanish. He is a frequently invited guest speaker and has lectured around the world. He was the host of Tea with BVP, a call-in talk show for language teachers, and now hosts its follow-up show, Talkin’ L2 with BVP. When not engaged in such endeavors, he writes fiction. His debut novel is Seidon’ s Tale.