This edited volume contains the proceedings of a conference on the role of individual differences in instructed SLA held at Aoyama Gakuin University in 1999. It includes 11 studies as well as an introductory chapter written by the editors. The first two papers, by Yamashiro and McLaughlin and by Hiser, Croker, Kenudson, and Stribling, present multivariate statistical analyses to examine the interrelationship between motivation, second language (L2) proficiency, and other learner characteristics in Japanese student samples. Although both studies offer unique insights into the characteristics of their target population, the authors also call for methodological improvements that would go beyond the use of self-report questionnaires. Sharing a similar interest in improving motivation research methodology, another study by Hsiao explicitly sets out to test the construct validity of the most well known motivation test—Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery—in Taiwan, which is a very different learning environment from Canada, where the test was originally developed. Özek and Williams's paper is also of interest in this respect because in their study a questionnaire survey conducted in Turkey was complemented with qualitative interviews, thereby resulting in a particularly rich database.

This book, as part of a series published by Erlbaum entitled Second language acquisition research: Theoretical and methodological issues, addresses the question as to how the acquisition of a nonnative language progresses through interaction in language classrooms. As the author admits (p. xiii), this is hardly a new topic in studies of SLA. The book, however, sheds some new light by introducing novel theoretical and methodological perspectives in dealing with this old topic. The author finds in Vygotskyan ideas a theoretical stance to frame her views of language, the language learner, and the language learning process. Furthermore, it focuses on the second language (L2) acquisition of Japanese by English-speaking learners, which has only recently begun attracting the attention of SLA researchers.

There are still people, including some who should know better, who believe that American Sign Language is in some sense not a “real” language. Such a position, though perhaps at least debatable 40 years ago, is simply no longer credible. There has been a vast amount of very sophisticated and competent linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic research conducted on American Sign Language since the publication of William Stokoe's landmark book, Sign language structure (1960/1992). Although there are many areas of debate about specific features of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and so on of American Sign Language, as indeed is the case with every language, its fundamental status as a fully developed human language is now well beyond reasonable doubt. Since its first edition appeared in 1992, Valli and Lucas's Linguistics of American Sign Language: An introduction has been the premier work for students of the structure of American Sign Language. Written for students of linguistics who already have at least some knowledge of American Sign Language, this third edition includes sections introducing students to basic linguistic concepts, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics as well as issues related to language change, language variation, bilingualism, discourse, language contact, and “language as art.” Each section is designed to provide students with a general introduction to the linguistic concepts and then to the specific case of American Sign Language, including exercises focusing on American Sign Language. Finally, more than half of the volume is devoted to both classic and recent seminal articles about different aspects of the linguistics of American Sign Language. As has been true of both of the earlier editions, this third edition is accompanied by a well-made videotape providing additional support for the written text.

Research in the acquisition of perfective and imperfective morphology has been expanding in SLA from morpheme studies to semantic, syntactic, and textual research. This volume contributes to the growing literature on the acquisition of aspect by investigating the acquisition of telicity (i.e., predicates with and without endpoints, such as Claire ate an apple vs. Clare ate apples) from a UG perspective. The hypotheses that are examined are: (a) to what extent learners transfer L1 values onto their L2, (b) whether L2 learners are capable of resetting parameters, (c) whether the acquisition of telicity co-occurs or is subsequent to the acquisition of other constructions (e.g., particles, resultatives, and double objects), and (d) whether the acquisition of these related constructions clusters with the acquisition of telicity.

Preservice kindergarten through university teachers will benefit from these books' overview of the field and their carefully weighed claims about what counts as literacy practices in language arts and English classrooms. Though geared more toward a general audience of literacy teachers, the books do have sections and chapters that would appeal to preservice second language teachers. The straightforward writing in both books will be easily accessible to students for whom this may be the first encounter with literacy and classroom research. Taking different tacks on literacy research, the books complement each other well: Where Kucer's survey stops, the Comber and Simpson collection picks up.

This volume's study of academic literacy practices in higher education is about the writing games we play in the academy. This is not a cynical exploration of such games that assumes the giving up of one's voice to join a discourse community; Casanave's metaphor suggests negotiation in writing games that shapes us, for better or for worse. From Casanave's opening chapter discussing the book's framework to her conclusion, the book is rich in insights about the nature of literacy practices among undergraduate students, Master's students, doctoral students, and faculty.

This volume, focusing on Japanese as a second language (JSL), is part of the Language acquisition and language disorders series by Benjamins. As the editor points out in the introductory chapter, there is a pressing need to investigate the acquisition of languages other than English and other European languages if SLA claims to be a discipline broad enough to encompass acquisition of any second language (L2). In particular, given the importance of Japanese as one of the most commonly studied languages in Asia and the fact that Japanese has many linguistic features not found in European languages, research on the acquisition of JSL should have important implications for both practical applications in language teaching and theoretical investigation of language universals, innate principles, and the like.

In this short volume, Benesch makes a timely and useful contribution to emerging debates about future directions for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and for ESL classes in university settings. The book is divided into two parts. The first, consisting of the opening four chapters, deals with historical, theoretical, and political issues; the second, entitled “Practice,” offers four case studies of Benesch's attempts to develop a critical EAP pedagogy in the New York area, followed by a closing “Implications” chapter.

This volume presents a series of empirical studies that reflect the editors' commitment to the exploration of pedagogic tasks from three interrelated perspectives—learning, teaching, and testing. The introductory chapter by the editors sets the tone of the volume by advocating this view of tasks and provides the basis for a definition that differs from previous, generic definitions in its emphasis on “the different purposes to which tasks are used” (p. 5). Therefore, according to the editors, tasks are inherently distinct and highly dependent on the situational context in which they develop. The departure from former task definitions aims: (a) to avoid continuous misinterpretations between the pedagogy and the research fields, (b) to create a space for understanding the purpose that tasks serve in different areas, and (c) to elude “inappropriate standards for task evaluation” (p. 12). The rest of the chapters are grouped into three sections according to area of emphasis (learning, teaching, or testing). Each section begins with a brief introduction to the chapters it includes.

This book presents a task-based instructional framework for communicative language teaching. The first seven chapters focus on task-based instruction, and the remaining two chapters deal with assessment. Each chapter begins with a brief review, goes on to the topic of discussion, and ends with a summary. Two sections follow each chapter. In “Gaining Greater Perspectives,” Lee recommends further readings for in-depth reflection of the topic of the chapter. The “Application Activities” section contains a number of exercises to put into practice the concepts discussed in the chapter.

This brief volume is a contribution to the Oxford introductions to language study series, a set of nontechnical guides to various aspects of the study of language, intended for the general reader with no formal background in linguistics. This book, like the others in the series, is not intended to be a systematic introduction to its subject but rather is designed to give readers a general sense of historical linguistics and to steer them in the direction of further readings. The book is divided into four parts. The first and largest part comprises eight brief essays that treat: (a) the fact that languages evolve over time and attitudes toward them change, (b) data and evidence for reconstructing linguistic history, (c) lexical change, (d) grammatical change, (e) phonological change, (f) language contact, (g) explanations for language change, and (h) recent developments in historical linguistics. The remaining parts of the book contain brief excerpts from readings, further readings, bibliographic references, and a glossary.

In some ways the preface to this volume, by Chris Candlin, preempts this review. He makes some insightful points that a dutiful reviewer would otherwise have made. This volume of original chapters reflects Breen's concern for the learner as a cognitive, human, and social being. As Candlin rightly points out, the volume provides a positive and creative accommodation of research paradigms that come from both cognitive and social traditions such that the volume constitutes a so-called sociocognitive position: “the interplay between communication as both a socially and a cognitively strategic act” (p. xix).

This discussion of second language (L2) phonological development is rooted in what the author refers to as the three features of interlanguage (IL): native language (L1) contribution (as positive or negative transfer to the L2), L2 input, and universal language principles not subsumed by either language.

This volume is a selection of 15 papers from approximately 125 papers presented at three consecutive meetings of the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics (San Diego in January 1996, Chicago in January 1997, and London in June 1997). The collection represents a good variety of contributions in terms of theoretical concerns and languages discussed. Two of the chapters present a survey of particular phenomena in a number of pidgins and creoles: stativity and time reference (Holm) and wh-words and question formation (Clements & Mahboob). Another chapter revisits the prototypical creole tense-mood-aspect system with an examination of a larger database of Sranan speech than has been previously seen in the literature (Winford). The remainder of the chapters address historical linguistic concerns, discussing issues of Indo-European development (Goyette) as well as creole genesis. The articles on genesis represent an integration of recent developments from outside the creolist world—for example, using insights from Chaos Theory (Lang) and Optimality Theory (Singler) and expanding on previous discussions of nativization (Roberts). Two chapters represent more quantitative approaches from sociolinguistics applied to creole settings (Naro & Scherre; Tagliamonte). There are four articles that address diachronic issues that would potentially address issues of SLA; however, they do not explicitly address their orientation as to how processes of creole genesis are separate from those of SLA.

This book is a revised and updated version of the author's 1997 Cornell University dissertation, which investigated the acquisition of Spanish past-tense morphology by classroom learners whose L1 was English. Based on three main studies, the author argues against the Aspect Hypothesis (e.g., Bardovi-Harlig, 2000), the dominant view in SLA research, which predicts strong associations between lexical aspect and tense-aspect morphology at the early stages of acquisition.

Whether they are collecting data from spoken or written sources, learners or teachers, English corpora or academic essays, or talk about disease and illness, applied linguists are confronted with the pervasive use of metaphor. Metaphor, as a mode of talk and thought, is a way of making meaning that is particularly linked to the sociocultural context. What counts as a metaphor? How can we operationalize, analyze, and categorize it? What research methodology is best suited for the study of metaphor? Cameron and Low's timely collection of papers is a first attempt to put metaphor research on the map of applied linguistics.

Although the primary focus of this introduction is the Atlantic pidgins and creoles, it contains considerable information on many other pidgins and creoles as well. Chapter 1 includes the definitions of terms, which are clear and concise with the exception of the notions of semi-creole and creoloid, which are somewhat vague, and the notion of interlanguage, which is not necessarily characterizable as unstable, especially if it fossilizes. Chapter 2 largely mirrors its comprehensive counterpart, Holm (1988). New in this volume is the mention of the earliest known attestation of a creole language (Martinique creole in 1671), the shortening, partial rewriting, or both of the monogenesis sections, and the identification of other trends. Chapter 3 succinctly underscores the importance of social factors in the creation and characterization of pidgins and creoles, without which, according to Holm, they cannot be defined. It also includes sociohistorical synopses of seven languages (i.e., Angolar Creole Portuguese, Papiamentu Creole Spanish, Negerhollands Creole Dutch, Haitian Creole French, Jamaican Creole English, Tok Pisin, and Nubi Creole Arabic).

Virtually all American English teachers who have taught outside of the United States have been confronted by student questions about the differences between American and British English, often with the implication that British English is somehow superior. Despite such implications, the economic and political importance of the United States, as well as the attractiveness of American universities to international students, has created a strong demand for more knowledge about American varieties of English. An introduction to American English goes a long way toward meeting that demand.

David Singleton observes in the opening lines of Language and the lexicon that “almost everything in language is related in some way or other to words” (p. 1). There is little wonder, therefore, that the lexicon has been at the center of linguistic research and controversies for a long time. Organized into 10 chapters, this book offers a concise overview of major topics in contemporary research. The first chapter provides necessary background information and an overview of the volume. The remaining nine chapters cover a wide range of issues relevant to the lexicon, lexicology, and lexicography. Chapter 2 looks at the lexicon-syntax interface and introduces some contemporary approaches to linguistics and to the lexicon in particular. Chapter 3 presents basic aspects of morphology and word formation, whereas chapter 4 deals with “lexical partnerships,” especially collocations, and rudimentary information on language corpora. Chapter 5 turns to lexical semantics and problems involved in analyzing meaning, and chapter 6 briefly investigates the relations between words, sounds, signs, and writing systems. Chapters 7 and 8 focus on different dimensions of lexical change. Chapter 7 tackles the social, regional, and situational aspects of lexical variation, and chapter 8 describes lexical change, historical processes, language contact, and lexical engineering. Chapter 9 explores the mental lexicon and models of lexical processing. This chapter includes a disappointingly short section on the lexicon in SLA. Finally, the last chapter surveys key concepts and developments in lexicography.

Verdonk has written an engaging and highly accessible introduction to the field of stylistics. The book is organized along the lines of the Oxford introductions to language study series. Like the other volumes in the Oxford series, it contains four sections: a survey of the field, short readings extracted from the literature with study questions that address the issues presented in the survey section, a selection of annotated references, and a glossary of terms.