This book provides a clear and accessible introduction to the main methods of analysing samples of learner language. It examines the theoretical and research bases for the different methods, and thereby serves as an introduction to the field of second language acquisition research. The book is intended for students on postgraduate courses in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, or for teachers wishing to do action research to find out more about how learners learn language.

This book explores the relationship between research, teaching, and tasks, and seeks to clarify the issues raised by recent work in this field. The book shows how research and task-based teaching can mutually inform each other and illuminate the areas of task-based course design, methodology, and assessment. The author brings an accessible style and broad scope to an area of contemporary importance to both SLA and language pedagogy.

This book presents SLA research as a source of specifications for teachers to explore in their own classrooms. The author sees the four main roles of SLA researchers as developing relevant theories, conducting their own classroom research, making research accessible to teachers, and facilitating action research. Each chapter addresses a major issue in the field of SLA and language teaching.

Rod Ellis provides readers with a comprehensive review of this important area of applied linguistics. He does not take up a particular stance, but examines different theories of second language acquisition and the critical reactions to them.