Language Acquisition And Language Socialization

Advances in Applied Linguistics

by Claire Kramsch

Language Acquisition and Language Socialization brings together well-known scholars in two relatively distinct fields - language acquisition and language socialization - and from a variety of orientations within applied linguistics (psycholinguistics, socioloinguistics, anthropological linguistics, educational linguistics) to describe language development from a relational perspective. The notion of ecology offer a convenient metaphor for the complex variational processes that take place within individuals, and between individuals and their social and cultural environment, as they attempt to learn the language of the Other.The chapters are a response to the three main questions discussed inthe What conceptual models best capture the ecological nature of language learning? What research approaches are most likely to illuminate the relationship between language and social structure? How is educational success defined for language acquisition and language socialization?For researchers, the main strength of the book will be its empirical and phenomenological base, and the variety of methods used. The theme of ecology affords a fresh look in to phenomena not encompassed by the language acquisition or languge socialization research alone. It puts in to question traditional ways of looking at time, space, subjectivity and identity in the acquisition of another langauge and its use in a variety of social contexts.For language teachers and educators, this book avoids the traditional dichotomies such as language acquisition vs. language use, and captures the complex and holistic nature of language learning and teaching.Claire Kramsch is Professorof German and Foreign Language Acquisition, University of California, Berkeley.

Genres: Linguistics

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Claire J. Kramsch has been Professor of German and Foreign Language Acquisition at the University of Berkeley since 1989. She is also director of the Berkeley Language Centre and teaches in the School of Education. Her fields of interest are second language acquisition, applied linguistics, discourse analysis and social and cultural theory.

Claire Kramsch is co-editor of Applied Linguistics, author of Language and Culture and the award-winning Context and Culture in Language Teaching published by Oxford University Press.

In 1998, the President of Germany awarded Claire Kramsch the coveted Goethe Medal of the Goethe Institute for her achievements in promoting intercultural understanding between Germany and the U.S.A.

Reviews

[Americaussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one of those books I'll return to over the years to inform my pedagogy.