Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA)

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an overview of the current state of the field of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) for undergraduate and nonthesis graduate students. It explores different types of instruction that have been theoretically and empirically supported. The book overviews a wide range of program types of content-based language teaching (CBLT) around the world. It addresses the different aspects of language that are the target of second-language (L2) instruction. The book acknowledges that ISLA is mediated by learning environments whereby target languages have different societal statuses and are learned differently due to different modes of communication. It also addresses some of the individual differences that have been found to mediate SLA processes and the effects of instruction. The book attempts to capture the wide and developing range of research methods that are used in ISLA research.