Description:
Winner of the 2011 Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize
Exploring fluency from multiple vantage points that together constitute a cognitive science perspective, this book examines research in second language acquisition and bilingualism that points to promising avenues for understanding and promoting second language fluency. Cognitive Bases of Second Language Fluency covers essential topics such as units of analysis for measuring fluency, the relation of second language fluency to general cognitive fluidity, social and motivational contributors to fluency, and neural correlates of fluency. The author provides clear and accessible summaries of foundational empirical work on speech production, automaticity, lexical access, and other issues of relevance to second language acquisition theory. Cognitive Bases of Second Language Fluency is a valuable reference for scholars in SLA, cognitive psychology, and language teaching, and it can also serve as an ideal textbook for advanced courses in these fields.
Review Quotes:
'This indispensable book's major contribution lies in its use of a multidisciplinary approach to establish and systemize the field of second language fluency... This book is a 'must have' for anyone working in the field. Recently there has been a move to measuring second language performance in terms of fluency, accuracy, and complexity. Cognitive Bases makes a major contribution to this literature, clarifying many aspects and simultaneously clearly identifying areas in which more research is needed. It effectively combats any tendancy to be inward-looking in applied linguistics and clearly show that progress will have to incorporate features from neighbouring areas.' - The Canadian Modern Lanaguage Review
'... the book is a skilfully crafted synthesis of different aspects of fluency research in dofferent scientific and scholarly fields, which makes it an indispensable reference for those interested in L2 speech fluency.' - Language Testing