This book connects SLA theory and practice in ways that are relevant and accessible to students, researchers and practitioners.

Many SLA professionals remain unaware of what CL and Applied Cognitive Linguistics are and of the tremendous potential these approaches offer for our understanding of L2 learning and pedagogy. The volume addresses this gap by presenting theoretically-grounded, empirically-based studies which illustrate the application of key concepts of CL and demonstrate the efficacy of using the concepts in the classroom or in basic L2 research.

We all view the ubiquitous term ‘sustainability’ as a worthwhile goal. But how can we apply the principles of sustainability in the real world, at the sharp end of communities in developing nations where income insecurity is the troubled norm? This volume provides some practical answers, explaining the precepts of the ‘sustainable livelihood approach’ (SLA) through the case study of a microfinance scheme in Africa. The case study, centered around the work of the Catholic Church’s Diocesan Development Services organization, involved an SLA implemented over two years designed in part to help enhance its existing microfinance operation through closer links between local communities and international donors. The book’s central conclusion is that we must move beyond the concept of sustainable livelihood itself, with its in-built polarities between developed and developing nations, and embrace a more global notion of ‘sustainable lifestyle’; a more nuanced and inclusive approach that encompasses not just how we make a sustainable living, but how we can live sustainable lives.

An exciting new collection by world-leading researchers in L2 learning addressing: Why do conceptions of 'learning' vary so much in L2 learning research? Is there a conceptualisation of 'learning' to which members of different schools of SLA can subscribe?

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.

This book also focuses on analyzing each trait from the point of view of its higher and lower order structure, as well as from the affective, cognitive, behavioral, social and academic perspectives, apart from outlining the field of personality psychology. Personality traits are important in daily interaction, and are a significant factor in achieving educational goals also for second and foreign language (L2) learners. Consequently, studying the role of personality in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) appears to be of primary importance, especially because there has been little research on this subject. Moreover, general results pertaining to the role of personality in L2 are inconclusive. This book’s primary objective is to present a concise and updated picture of personality on the basis of the Big Five model, which is accessible for non-psychologists. The middle part of the book focuses on discussing potential merits and drawbacks of each trait for the purpose of the process of SLA, both from the formal and informal, theoretical and empirical points of view. The next part includes a description of an empirical study, whose main aim is to sensitize the reader to direct and indirect influences that personality may exert on L2 learning. The book closes with a concluding chapter aiming at clarifying directions for further empirical study of personality as well as issues in research methodology.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of how human beings prosper and thrive. This is the first book in SLA dedicated to theories in positive psychology and their implications for language teaching, learning and communication. Chapters examine the characteristics of individuals, contexts and relationships that facilitate learning: positive emotional states such as love, enjoyment and flow, and character traits such as empathy, hardiness and perseverance. The contributors present several innovative teaching ideas to bring out these characteristics among learners. The collection thus blends new teaching techniques with cutting-edge theory and empirical research undertaken using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. It will be of interest to SLA researchers, graduate students, trainee and experienced teachers who wish to learn more about language learning psychology, individual differences, learner characteristics and new classroom practices.

This book is unique in bringing together studies on instructed second language acquisition that focus on a common question: "What renders this research particularly relevant to classroom applications, and what are the advantages, challenges, and potential pitfalls of the methodology adopted?" The empirical studies feature experimental, quasi-experimental and observational research in settings ranging from the classroom to the laboratory and CALL contexts. All contributors were asked to discuss issues of cost, ethics, participant availability, experimental control, teacher collaboration, and student motivation, as well as the generalizability of findings to different kinds of educational contexts, languages, and structures. This volume should be of interest to graduate students in second language research, practicing teachers who want some guidance to navigate the sometimes overwhelming array of publications, and to researchers who are planning studies on instructed second language learning or teaching and are looking to make principled decisions on which of the existing methodologies to adopt.