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Book Review: Trends in Second Language Acquisition (Hamed Bargested et al., Society Publishing, Canada, 2022, pp. 276, ISBN 978-1-77469-090-1 (Hardback): $155)



Author(s)

Yuhan Kong, Wei Xu

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DOI:10.17265/2161-6248/2023.05.006

City University of Macau, Macau, China

This comprehensive monograph provides an in-depth survey of the theoretical foundations and major empirical developments that have shaped the field of second language acquisition (SLA) over the last few decades. It examines, in eight chapters, the philosophical underpinnings, prominent theoretical orientations, influential hypotheses, and models that characterize contemporary research in SLA. Following an overview of the historical and methodological context, this article examines nine major theoretical perspectives in detail after presenting an overview of the history and methodological context. In subsequent chapters, taxonomic models are critically analyzed and comparative perspectives on the development of first and second languages are explored. A glossary of key terms also contributes to the learning process. Although it presents diverse viewpoints impartially, it also gives postgraduate students a solid grounding in the complex issues surrounding SLA. The meticulously consolidated theoretical and research advances contained in this one-volume work make it an authoritative source for the field. Some critics have noted that the book may have limitations as far as social perspectives and assumptions are concerned, although its importance as a seminal pedagogical text remains undeniable.

second language acquisition, approaches and theories, hypotheses and models, postgraduate education, EFL/ESL

Yuhan Kong, Wei Xu. (2023). Book Review: Trends in Second Language Acquisition (Hamed Bargested et al., Society Publishing, Canada, 2022, pp. 276, ISBN 978-1-77469-090-1 (Hardback): $155). US-China Education Review B, Sep.-Oct. 2023, Vol. 13, No. 5, 305-308.