This volume brings together original research in the four areas of L2 collocation learner corpora, L2 collocation lexicographic and classroom materials, L2 collocation knowledge assessment, and L2 collocation learner processes. Each area is covered by three research chapters and a dedicated commentary chapter by experts in the field.

Researching Collocations in Another Language helps us understand more deeply why collocation knowledge and performance are one of the most fascinating (and at times frustrating) challenges that second language users face. This volume brings together 12 studies from Asia, Europe and North America, divided into four sets: (i) using learner corpora to identify patterns of L2 collocation use, (ii) developing appropriate L2 collocation dictionary and classroom materials, (iii) investigating how learners' L2 collocation knowledge can be assessed, and (iv) exploring how learners develop their L2 collocation knowledge and use. Each set of studies includes three research chapters and a critical commentary written by experts in the respective field. The book also features an introduction to second language collocation research, and a thought-provoking conclusion chapter on wider issues and challenges. The volume thus offers teachers, researchers, and graduate students a highly valuable and critical focus on second language collocation knowledge and performance.

Collocations and Action Research is a thorough investigation of both the theory and practice behind improving second language learners' vocabulary and fluency through the teaching of multi-word units of language. Taking these collocations as its focus, this book provides a clear and in-depth description of the cognitive processing language learners go through when producing speech in relation to them. Using the findings of a two-year action research study into improving learners' spoken fluency, Joshua Brook Antle also explores the practical sides of collocations, explaining how the research study was constructed and conducted. Orientating the findings within the larger field of second language acquisition, especially within the L2 classroom, the practical applications of the findings are then presented through a series of pedagogical tasks all focusing on collocations and productive fluency. Providing a template for how to conduct an action research study using both qualitative and quantitative research techniques, Collocations and Action Research will appeal to researchers interested in vocabulary and spoken fluency, as well as language instructors wanting to better understand the nature of vocabulary and spoken discourse.

The book concerns the ways in which the new media shape communication along with educational expectations and practices in foreign language classrooms. Although foreign language learners have cheap and easy access to information and ways of communication, they also wrestle with problems that have always accompanied language learning. The focus of the book is two-fold. On the one hand, the authors demonstrate how using social networks, videoconferencing, mobile phones, wikis, and computer-mediated interaction contributes to the development of language skills, negotiated interaction, autonomy, and intercultural competence. On the other, they discuss “old” issues pertaining to the role of vocabulary, corrective feedback, textbooks and inner speech in the process of language learning and use. Every chapter reports original empirical research on issues related to the new media and old problems in foreign language teaching contexts in various countries, and with respect to various age groups.

Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition “With its cornucopia of information, both thorough and practical, this book is a must for our methodology shelves. Its study questions and project suggestions will be a boon for many research methods courses.” Robert M. DeKeysevr, University of Maryland “This guide to collecting, coding and analyzing second language acquisition data will be an essential reference for novice and experienced researchers alike.” Peter Robinson, Aoyama Gakuin University “Comprehensive and technically up-to-date, yet accessible and cogent! This remarkable textbook is sure to become a premier choice for the research training of many future SLA generations.” Lourdes Ortega, University of Hawaii “Alison Mackey and Susan Gass’ valuable new book offers hands-on methodological guidance from established experts on all kinds of second language research.” Michael H. Long, University of Maryland Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide is an informative guide to research design and methodology in this growing and vibrant field. Utilizing research methods and tools from varied fields of study including education, linguistics, psychology, and sociology, this collection offers complete coverage of the techniques of second language acquisition research. This guide covers a variety of topics, such as second language writing and reading, meta-analyses, research replication, qualitative data collection and analysis, and more. Each chapter of this volume offers background, step-by-step guidance, and relevant studies to create comprehensive coverage of each method. This carefully selected and edited volume will be a useful text for graduate students and scholars looking to keep pace with the latest research projects and methodologies in second language acquisition.

SLA Research and Materials Development for Language Learning is the only book available to focus on the interaction between second language acquisition theory and materials development for language learning. It consists of contributions written by experts in SLA, experts in materials development, researchers who have expertise in both fields, and introductions and conclusions by the editor. The book is organized into four major sections – position statements; materials driven by SLA theory; evaluations of materials in relation to SLA theory; and proposals for action – that offer a diverse range of perspectives while maintaining a cohesive and comprehensive overview on the subject. This book is ideal for post-graduate courses in applied linguistics and second language acquisition and for researchers interested in the relationship between SLA and materials development.

This book is intended for researchers and students in the field of second language (L2) acquisition. As its title suggests, the book discusses L2 vocabulary acquisition, knowledge and use, and examines them from the perspectives of assessment and corpus analysis. The chapters also address some additional central research issues: the role of word frequency in the input, the difference between single words and multiword units, and the distinction between vocabulary of oral and written language. The first three chapters of the book present critical reviews of different aspects of vocabulary acquisition. The other four chapters contain empirical studies that relate to the central themes of the book. The data in the studies draw on a variety of source and target languages: English, French, Italian, Swedish, Hebrew and Japanese. The book offers some new insights into the field of vocabulary and suggests avenues of research.

Although usage-based approaches have been successfully applied to the study of both first and second language acquisition, to monolingual and bilingual development, and to naturalistic and instructed settings, it is not common to consider these different kinds of acquisition in tandem. The present volume takes an integrative approach and shows that usage-based theories provide a much needed unified framework for the study of first, second and foreign language acquisition, in monolingual and bilingual contexts. The contributions target the acquisition of a wide range of linguistic phenomena and critically assess the applicability and explanatory power of the usage-based paradigm. The book also systematically examines a range of cognitive and linguistic factors involved in the process of language development and relates relevant findings to language teaching. Finally, this volume contributes to the assessment and refinement of empirical methods currently employed in usage-based acquisition research. This book is of interest to scholars of language acquisition, language pedagogy, developmental psychology, as well as Cognitive Linguistics and Construction Grammar.

This Handbook, with 45 chapters written by the world’s leading scholars in second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing, dives into the important interface between SLA and language testing: shared ground where researchers seek to measure second language performance to better understand how people learn their second languages. The Handbook also reviews how to best measure and evaluate the second language (L2) learners’ personal characteristics, backgrounds, and learning contexts to better understand their L2 learning trajectories. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to research, the book builds upon recent theorizing and measurement principles from the fields of applied linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, psychometrics, educational measurement, and social psychology. The Handbook is divided into six key sections: (1) Assessment concepts for SLA researchers, (2) Building instruments for SLA research, (3) Measuring individual differences, (4) Measuring language development, (5) Testing specific populations, and (6) Measurement principles for SLA researchers.

Corpus Applications in Language Teaching and Research: The Case of Data-Driven Learning of German provides a historical overview of corpus applications in language teaching with a focus on German. The book identifies challenges in using corpus applications and data-driven learning (DDL) research for Languages Other Than English (LOTEs) and addresses these challenges through various approaches. Overall, this book: surveys corpus applications for teaching and learning German, highlighting the growth of the L2 German DDL field and identifying trends in integrating DDL into pedagogical practice; presents empirical research on the effectiveness of DDL applications for teaching and learning German in comparison with research on English and other LOTEs, emphasizing the need for expanding the scope of DDL research to include more languages, skills, and study types; compares teaching interventions for L2 collocations in the fields of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) and DDL, highlighting methodological differences between the two paradigms and proposing a combined ISLA/DDL framework to bridge the disconnect; showcases a successful DDL intervention that resulted in significant learning gains in German collocation knowledge, filling a gap in DDL research; proposes an Open Educational Resource (OER) for teaching and learning German, incorporating open access corpora, learner-fit criteria, new tools and technology, and usage-based learning principles; examines the current difficulties encountered by the DDL field and highlights potential directions for future research and pedagogical approaches. This book offers insights and resources for researchers, language teaching practitioners, and students interested in corpus-based learning and teaching methods. While the focus is on teaching German to English-speaking students, the book's findings have broader applicability to language teaching and learning in different contexts.