Practice in Second Language Learning

Bringing together an international team of researchers, this volume explores practice in second language learning - activities which aim to develop skills in or knowledge of a second language. The book begins with two theoretical overviews of practice as applied to learning to speak in a second language and in cognitive accounts of second language acquisition. This theory underpins the volume, which is split into two main sections: receptive and productive practice. The studies look at practice in English, German and Spanish as a second language in various contexts including traditional classrooms, periods of study abroad and online language learning. The differing research designs used mean that the chapters contain clear implications for classroom pedagogy and further directions for research, teaching and learning in different contexts.

Foreword Robert DeKeyser; Introduction Christian Jones; Part I. Theoretical Perspectives: 1. Now you're talking! Practising conversation in second language learning Michael McCarthy and Jeanne McCarten; 2. The role of practice within second language acquisition Colin Thompson; Part II. Receptive Practice: 3. Practice with formulaic sequences: can it promote the incidental learning of grammar? Eve Zyzik and Laura Marqués-Pascual; 4. A text-based approach to grammar practice Ivor Timmis; 5. The teaching and learning of lexical chunks: a comparison of receptive and productive practice Patrycja Golebiewska and Christian Jones; Part III. Productive Practice: 6. Using computer-assisted language learning (CALL) tools to enhance output practice Nicola Halenko; 7. Practising online with your peers: the role of text-chat for second language development Marije Michel; 8. Language practice and study abroad Todd. A. Hernández; 9. How does collaborative practice facilitate learning? Processes involved in a Wiki-mediated collaborative writing task Richard Cullen and Carol Wild; 10. Conclusion: implications for pedagogy and research Christian Jones; Index.

Christian Jones is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Applied Linguistics at the University of Liverpool. He has been involved in English language teaching for over twenty years and has worked in China, Japan, Thailand and the UK, as a teacher, teacher-trainer and researcher. His main research interests are connected to spoken language and he has published in areas related to this, including work on spoken corpora, lexis, lexico-grammar and instructed second language acquisition.