Language fundamentally defines and distinguishes us as humans, as members of society, and as individuals. As we go through life, our relationship with language and with learning shifts and changes, but it remains significant. This book is an up-to-date resource for graduate students and researchers in second language (L2) acquisition who are interested in language learning across the lifespan. The main goal is to survey and evaluate what is known about the linguistic-cognition-affect associations that occur in L2 learning from birth through senescence (passing through the stages of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and third age), the extent to which L2 acquisition may be seen as contributing to healthy and active aging, the impact of the development of personalized, technology-enhanced communicative L2 environments, and how these phenomena are to be approached scientifically and methodologically. The effects of certain specific variables, such as gender, socio-economic background, and bilingualism are also analyzed, as we argue that chronological age does not determine the positioning of L2 learners across the lifespan: age is part of a complex web of social distinctions such as psychological and individual factors that intersect in the construction of a learner’s relative status and opportunities.

Whether we grow up with one, two, or several languages during our early years of life, many of us will learn a second, foreign, or heritage language in later years. The field of Second language acquisition (SLA, for short) investigates the human capacity to learn additional languages in late childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, after the first language --in the case of monolinguals-- or languages --in the case of bilinguals-- have already been acquired. Understanding Second Language Acquisition offers a wide-encompassing survey of this burgeoning field, its accumulated findings and proposed theories, its developed research paradigms, and its pending questions for the future. The book zooms in and out of universal, individual, and social forces, in each case evaluating the research findings that have been generated across diverse naturalistic and formal contexts for second language acquisition. It assumes no background in SLA and provides helpful chapter-by-chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading. Ideal as a textbook for students of applied linguistics, foreign language education, TESOL, and education, it is also recommended for students of linguistics, developmental psycholinguistics, psychology, and cognitive science. Supporting resources for tutors are available free at www.routledge.com/ortega.

From the author of the bestselling 'Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind', comes a breakthrough book on the future of learning. The new sciences of brain and mind are revealing that everyone has the capacity to become a powerful, lifelong learner. We can all learn how to learn; it has little to do with conventional intelligence or educational success. Guy Claxton teaches us how to raise children who are curious and confident explorers, and how we ourselves can learn to pair problem-solving with creativity. 'Wise-Up' is essential and compelling reading for parents, educators and managers alike. Guy Claxton is Visiting Professor in Psychology and Education, and Director of the Research Programme on Culture and Learning in Organisations (CLIO), at the University of Bristol. He is the author of thirteen published books.

This volume is a collection of nine original papers exploring dimensions of individual difference in language learning from narrative and biographical perspectives. This volume is a collection of nine original papers exploring dimensions of individual difference in language learning from narrative and biographical perspectives. Topics covered include motivation, emotion, age, learning strategies and beliefs, identity and the influence of classroom, distance and self-instructional settings. The authors use a variety of research methods to investigate learners' experiences of these aspects of the learning process. Among the countries represented in the research are Australia, Bahrain, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand, Peru, the United Kingdom and the United States. The studies will be of interest to teachers, teachers-in-preparation, teacher educators and researchers.

This book explores the motivations of adult second language (L2) learners to learn Italian in continuing education settings in Australia. It focuses on their motivational drives, learning trajectories and related dynamics of identity development triggered by the learning process. Central to the study are adult L2 learners, who are still a largely under-researched and growing group of learners, and readers will gain a better understanding of the learning process of this specific group of learners and ideas for sustaining L2 adult learning motivation in continuing education settings. Furthermore, the book discusses the role played by the Italian migrant community in Australia in making Italian a sought-after language to learn. It explores how a migrant community may influence motivation, and highlights and expands on the notion of L2 learning contexts, showing the existence of sociocultural environments where second language learning trajectories are affected by the presence of migrant groups.

Second language acquisition has an identity problem. It is a young field struggling to emerge from the parent fields of education and applied linguistics. In his new book, Problems in Second Language Acquisition, Mike Long proposes a way to help second language acquisition develop a systematic and coherent focus using the philosophy of science as the lens. The volume is neatly organized into three parts--theory, research, and practice. This structure allows a focus on areas of SLA of interest to many in the field. These include theory proliferation and comparative theory evaluation; the Critical Period Hypothesis and negative feedback; and the practice of “synthetic” language teaching. The controversial volume will be of interest to researchers, educators, and graduate students in second language acquisition, applied linguistics, TESOL, and linguistics programs. It may be recommended as additional reading for an introductory SLA course in order to stimulate class discussions.

Since the concept of lifelong learning came to prominence much excellent work has been undertaken but, as Professor Longworth's new book shows, major change in some areas is still needed if the concept of learning from cradle to grave is to become a true reality. Using his unique vantage point from consulting with schools, universities, local, governmental and global authorities, Professor Longworth brings the development of lifelong learning bang up-to-date with a complete survey of the principles of lifelong learning including examples from around the world and crucial information on the impact of lifelong learning on 21st century schools.