This thorough introduction to second language research provides a comprehensive review of the research into learner language, internal and external factors in language acquisition, individual differences, and classroom second language learning.
Professor Rod Ellis is Professor in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has worked in Zambia, the UK, Japan, and the U.S.A for extended periods. He has published a number of books on second language acquisition and teacher education. He has also published EFL/ESL textbooks. His main interest lies in the application of second language theory and research to language teaching.
He is co-author of Analysing Learner Language, and author of Second Language Acquisition, SLA Research and Language Teaching, The Study of Language Acquisition, which won the English Speaking Union's Duke of Edinburgh Book Competition, Understanding Second Language Acquisition, which won the BAAL Book Prize, and Task-based Language Learning and Teaching, all published by Oxford University Press.
This book has a ton of great information but the writing style made it a bit of a struggle to get through. If a sentence is 90% author names and 10% research name x at least 8 times on a page... Well yeah, it makes it difficult for me to get through. If you are interested in this subject I would recommend this book, just be warned that if you really need a book to flow, this one has at least 10 rocks thrown in your river for every 3 meters. Not much flow, but a lot of great information.