1st Edition

Acquisition of Second Language Syntax

By Susan Braidi Copyright 1998

    The issue of syntactic development is one of the most central in both linguistics and applied linguistics. Assuming no detailed background knowledge of linguistics, this is an introduction to the acquisition of syntax in a second language. The text builds a coherent picture of second language grammatical development by showing the interactions between the syntactic, processing and functional/discourse approaches, and looks at how and why these different approaches give different results. Providing a synthesis of the latest work in this area, the text looks at the implications of second language syntax research for the classroom.

    L1 and L2 interrelations
    Universal grammar
    Typological universals
    Processing approaches
    Functional approaches
    Conclusions: An Integrative perspective of L2 acquisition of grammar.

    Biography

    Assistant Professor, West Virginia University, USA.

    A very competent overview of the literature which will give the reader a fair understanding of the approaches taken and a good knowledge of what sorts of research have and have not been done. Clearly structured, plainly written and includes just enough detail and theory not to misrepresent theories but still remain accessible to its intended readership.
    Studies in Languages