Controversial challenge to the traditional divisions within the field of SLA and psycholinguistics

This book applies a psycholinguistic perspective to instructed second language acquisition, seeking to bridge the gap between second language acquisition research and language teaching practices. It challenges the traditional divide between conscious and unconscious processes, or explicit and implicit learning, and re-envisions this as a continuum of the varying levels of consciousness which can be applied by learners to different language behaviors in the second language classroom. It applies this model to learner development and the classroom context, discussing pedagogical applications for instructors at all levels. This book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in second language acquisition, psycholinguistics and language pedagogy. The accessible discussion of research findings, pedagogical approaches and classroom tasks and activities make this book particularly relevant for language teachers, providing the tools needed to apply second language acquisition research in their classroom.

"A richly comprehensive and at the same time very practical introduction to two research strands that often remain disconnected. Walter links psycholinguistic approaches with instructed second language acquisition while focusing on pedagogical implications and student needs. An ideal book for language educators and researchers who value synthesis of theory and practice." - Angelika Kraemer, Cornell University, USA

"Walter's book would be a great resource for a L2 pedagogy seminar. Major research insights, including from cognitive science, provide the foundation for accessible recommendations for curriculum and pedagogical planning. Best of all: the integration of K-12 perspectives and research showing the importance of multilingual cultures' insights into language learning." - Silja Weber, Tampere University, Finland

"Walter does a lovely job of weaving together the two central traditions of psycholinguistics and pedagogy for understanding instructed second language learning. Based on a detailed survey of the most important research findings, Walter then shows how these findings can profitably illuminate classroom practice and the construction of pedagogical materials and methods." - Brian MacWhinney, Carnegie Mellon University, USA