02.600 Introduction to Second Language Acquisition

Introduction to Second Language Acquisition

Course Details
Min Credits 3
Max Credits 3
Course ID 37782
Status Active

This course is designed to facilitate students' understanding of how people learn, or acquire, a second (or third, fourth etc.) language. This understanding then facilitates and benefits language teaching and assessment. In this course, we will examine current second language acquisition (SLA) research; we will study some of the current language teaching approaches and techniques and discuss how to apply then in specific situations. Students will become familiar with SLA terminology, research and data and will be able to connect SLA research with teaching and assessment (i.e. connecting theory with prax), other crucial and relevant topics, such as universal features of SLA (age, critical periods, environmental triggers, cross-linguistic influences), individual factors (aptitude, motivation), social factors (class, gender, social, cultural contexts), etc. will be covered. As part of the learning process in the class, students will be asked to develop their own theory of SLA and SL teaching or to analyze in detail the theory (or theories) they most identify with. Discussions and active participation are crucial in the course.