Research Methods in Generative Second Language Acquisition

Finally! We have been needing a book like this for decades. And, Slabakova, Leal and Dominguez more than deliver! On balance, perhaps now is the perfect time for this book. In my view, this is so for overlapping reasons. Firstly, generative approaches to second language acquisition (GenSLA) has fine-tuned and expanded its empricial research methods over the past decade or so in particular, without this always being evident/ known/acknowlegded by colleagues in the field who study SLA for other traditions. Moreover, it seems to me that as the study of SLA has expanded over recent decades more generally, misunderstandings related to the goals, assumptions and factors considered in GenSLA have proliferated such that important areas of commonality and bona fide distinctions between GenSLA and other cognitive approaches are often inaccurately described or exaggerated, to the deteriment of SLA theory and practice in general. This book does a superb job in highlighting exactly how and why GenSLA adopts the methods it does, inclusive of the provenance of changes/additions from the 1980s to present day. It explains and contextualizes the place of GenSLA in the larger picture of SLA, inclusive of the reasoning from linguistic theory that underlies it. And while it is written at an accessible level for students of all levels, it is equally useful as a resource for junior and established researchers who are skeptics of, agnostic to or experts in GenSLA. Thus, it is a very welcome addition to books that can be adopted for teaching purposes and should be on the bookshelf of all researchers who work on SLA.

Jason Rothman, Lancaster University

Research Methods in Generative Second Language Acquisition provides a much needed and very complete tool for anyone interested in the growth of implicit second language knowledge within the language faculty of the mind/brain. The book carefully links a wide range of methods to central aspects of language architecture, language behavior, and learning hypotheses, providing great context and clarity across a wide range of topics. Anyone seeking to engage with this fast-developing field will find this to be a great tool.

Laurent Dekydtspotter, Indiana University Bloomington

Impressively comprehensive and up to date, this remarkably clear and informative volume will provide students and researchers with the ideal tools to understand and conduct research in second language acquisition from a generative linguistics perspective. For those interested in uncovering the implicit knowledge of second language learners of diverse linguistic backgrounds, this book is a must read.

Silvina Montrul, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign