Applying Language Science to Language Pedagogy: Contributions of Linguistics and Psycholinguistics to Second Language Teaching

This book establishes a bridge between current research in Linguistics and Psycholinguistics and language pedagogy in the classroom. It reformulates the debates about teaching approaches by calling the readers' attention to some discoveries about the structure of grammar, universals of language, mind processes while comprehending, producing and storing language, and facts about learning. The popularization of L2 teaching brought with it a need to find efficient teaching methods. Debates have hinged mainly around the alleged advantages of communicative vs. traditional methods. However, most approaches have their roots in linguistic and psychological theories that have been questioned by language researchers. Many language teachers are unaware of some of these advances and continue to adhere to a teaching approach mainly based on intuitions. Furthermore, evaluating materials is usually performed in very uninformed circumstances. The book contains chapters on relevant issues by leading researchers, classified into three main areas. The editors contribute a chapter to each of those parts about the implications for second language teaching. This book facilitates an approximation between researchers in the theoretical and experimental fields of language and those responsible for innovation in language teaching. It is designed so that L2 teachers can adopt and adjust the knowledge drawn from the book to their particular environment and group of students.