Introduction

This book is the result of collaboration between a linguist with research interests in second language acquisition (Myles) and an educationist with research interests in second language teaching and learning in the classroom (Mitchell). Our general aim is to provide an up-to-date, introductory overview of the current state of second language learning (SLL) studies. Our intended audience is wide: undergraduates following first degrees in language or linguistics; graduate students embarking on courses in foreign language education/EFL/applied linguistics; and a broader audience of teachers and other professionals concerned with second-language education and development. SLL is a field of research with potential to make its own distinctive contribution to fundamental understandings, for example of the workings of the human mind or the nature of language. It also has the potential to inform the improvement of social practice in many fields, most obviously in language education. We are interested in SLL from both perspectives, and are concerned to make it intelligible to the widest possible audience.