Alison Mackey is Professor of Linguistics and Head of the Applied Linguistics Programs at Georgetown University. She has published ten books, including Conversational Interaction in Second Language Acquisition (2007), and more than 50 articles and book chapters on second language learning by children and adults. Susan M. Gass is University Distinguished Professor and Director of both the English Language Center and the Second Language Studies Ph.D. Program at Michigan State University. She has published widely in the field of second language acquisition, including Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course with Larry Selinker (2008), and has served as the president of AAAL and of AILA.
This book provides practical guidance for applied linguistic students doing SLA research. Each chapter, written by an expert in a subfield of second language acquisition (SLA), first presents a brief background review and theoretical frame-work of that area of research, then provides guide to the research methods and, finally, presents studies adopting the particular method to give readers a sense of practicality. (The Modern Language Journal, 21 November 2013) Each of the 15 chapters is comprehensive and accessible, and together they are bound to provide a thorough practical guide for students as they engage in various research projects. The volume will also prove to be a useful reference book for anyone teaching research methods in the context of SLA. (Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 20 May 2012) This volume ultimately deserves strong praise for its wide-ranging representation of current topics and procedures in SLA research. Although intended for students, it guides all scholars to a better understanding of how we study our field and is an important addition to the library of all SLA researchers, novice or seasoned. (LINGUIST, 19 May 2012)