Handbook of Foreign Language Communication and Learning

Karlfried Knapp, University of Erfurt, Germany; Barbara Seidlhofer and
Henry Widdowson, University of Vienna, Austria.

This volume focuses on how far the policies, principles and practices of foreign language teaching and learning are, or can be, informed by theoretical considerations and empirical findings from the linguistic disciplines. Part I deals with the nature of foreign language learning in general, while Part II explores issues arising from linguistic, socio-political, cultural and cognitive perspectives. Part III and IV then consider the different factors that have to be taken into account in designing the foreign language subject and the various approaches to pedagogy that have been proposed. Part V finally addresses questions concerning assessment of learner proficiency and the evaluation of courses designed to promote it.

Key features:

• provides a state-of-the-art description of different areas in the context of foreign language communication and learning
• presents a critical appraisal of the relevance of the field
• offers solutions to everyday language-related problems
• with contributions from renowned experts

The Handbooks of Applied Linguistics provide a state-of-the-art description of established and emerging areas of Applied Linguistics. Each volume gives an overview of the field, explains the most important traditions and their findings, identifies the gaps in current research, and gives perspectives for future directions.

Contents

The nature of foreign languages
The nature of foreign language learning
General perspectives on foreign language teaching
The design of foreign language teaching
Approaches to foreign language teaching
Evaluation
Foreign language teacher education