This course will offer students a survey of the primary concepts and phenomena that relate to the study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) where second has reference to languages acquired after the first, or native, language whether they be second, third, or fourth languages. This course will provide a cursory look at a number of linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic issues at the heart of second language learning, as well as an overview of the complex processes and mechanisms that drive that learning. Topics covered in the course include the relationship between first (L1) and second (L2) language acquisition, the influence of L1 on L2 development, the notion of interlanguage and its development and variation, the impact of individual differences such as motivation and aptitude, and the validity of cognitive/mentalistic and socio-cultural approaches to understanding SLA. Fundamentally, SLA is a theoretical and experimental field of study whose research agenda focuses on language learning rather than language teaching. While a certain degree of overlap exists, an understanding of second language learning is not necessarily synonymous with that of second language teaching. However, findings from SLA research may inform practices in second and foreign language education and, thus, will be included in class discussions when appropriate.
For more information, contact the instructor, Dr. Alan Brown at avbrown2@email.uky.edu . Click the following link to download the complete syllabus: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3027449/Alan_SLASyllabus.pdf
