In Other Words: The Science and Psychology of Second-Language Acquisition

In Other Words: The Science and Psychology of Second Language Acquisition was written by Ellen Bialystok and Kenji Hakuta and published by Basic Books in 1994. The book provides a complete theoretical review on the development of second language learning and teaching. The authors discuss why it is easier for some and more difficult for others to learn another language. They organize the book based on five factors that they... Read Full Review

Just two criticisms: 1. The authors are not always objective. They belittle writings which other people might find valuable. A student of the Japanese language might profit from Ueda's list of 16 ways to avoid saying no. In 1954, McCarthy arrived at statistics regarding how many words are known by the average child at each age. A student learning a foreign vocabulary might be motivated by reading these statistics and... Read Full Review

"In Other Words" Stanford language researchers Bialystok and Hakuta provide a detailed overview of current research in primary and second language learning. Chapters focusing on the relevance of brain, mind, self, and culture in language learning and the implications of each for acquiring a second language are supported by critical evaluations of research and theory. This is a smorgassbord of tasty ideas for anyone interested... Read Full Review