CHAPTER 1
Second Language Acquisition
Provides an Understanding of
Teachers and Students
This book is about second language acquisition and its applications to English language teaching. Yet we rst need to establish what we mean by second language acquisition (SLA) in order to consider potential ways to apply it in teaching students of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL). This introductory chapter does this and provides an overview of English language teachers and their students as (second) language users.
What Is SLA?
roughout this book I want to engage you, my reader, directly in thinking about SLA and English language teaching (ELT). Please therefore stop and relect by answering the question below as we start. en write down your denition(s) of, or thoughts on, SLA.
REFLECTIVE QUESTION