Our systems are now restored following recent technical disruption, and we’re working hard to catch up on publishing. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Find out more

Recommended product

Popular links

Popular links


Second Language Speech

Second Language Speech

Second Language Speech

Theory and Practice
Laura Colantoni, University of Toronto
Jeffrey Steele, University of Toronto
Paola Escudero, University of Western Sydney
September 2015
Hardback
9781107018341

Experience the eBook and the associated online resources on our new Higher Education website. Go to site For other formats please stay on this page.

    Second language acquisition has rapidly grown as a field over the past decade, as our knowledge of the ways in which children and adults learn and use a second language has become crucial for effective language teaching. In addition to this important 'applied' function, research into second language acquisition has also informed the fields of linguistics and psychology in general, as it has shed light on the differences between native and non-native models of human language and cognition. The focus of this accessible new book is second language speech - that is, how speakers perceive, process, understand and pronounce the sounds of a second language. Each chapter includes review questions, and most chapters include 'tutorial' and 'lab' sections with practical exercises based on the University of Toronto Romance Phonetics Database (available online for free). The book also has a companion website, containing illustrated answers to the exercises, scripts for running acoustic analyses and useful weblinks.

    • The first ever textbook to introduce the methods, techniques and background to research in second language speech
    • Compares second language speech across the three main second languages taught in North America and Europe (English, French and Spanish)
    • Each chapter includes review questions, and most chapters include 'tutorial' and 'lab' sections with practical exercises

    Reviews & endorsements

    'A comprehensive book on L2 speech is long overdue and these authors exceed all expectations in terms of quality. This volume will forge a new generation of knowledgeable, well-trained scholars.' Barbara E. Bullock, University of Texas, Austin

    'This book combines a well-organized and reader-friendly overview of research on non-native speech with skilfully designed guidance on how to conduct this research. I recommend it as a great resource for anyone, student or teacher, who wants to understand or conduct research on second language speech.' Ocke-Schwen Bohn, Aarhus University

    'Colantoni, Steele and Escudero are to be commended for demonstrating that the study of second language speech is not an esoteric academic niche but rather a rich, complex epistemological enterprise necessarily informed by linguistic theory and psycholinguistic method. In this valuable book, they have articulated how a wide swathe of our current knowledge in the field has been constructed, and how we (both current and future researchers) need to proceed to create new knowledge.' John Archibald, University of Victoria

    'With its wide coverage and accessible content, Second Language Speech will prove to be an accessible textbook, as well as a helpful and valuable manual or reference book in L2 speech research, for many years to come.' Chunsheng Yang, The Linguist List (www.linguistlist.org)

    See more reviews

    Product details

    September 2015
    Hardback
    9781107018341
    428 pages
    253 × 180 × 22 mm
    0.99kg
    43 b/w illus. 4 tables
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • Part I. Questions and Frameworks for the Study of Second Language Speech:
    • 1. An introduction to second language speech research
    • 2. Theoretical concepts and frameworks
    • Part II. Research Methodology:
    • 3. Research methodology
    • Part III. Case Studies and Analysis of L2 Speech Perception and Production:
    • 4. Vowels
    • 5. Obstruents
    • 6. Sonorants
    • 7. Sequences
    • 8. Prosody
    • 9. Conclusion.
      Authors
    • Laura Colantoni , University of Toronto

      Laura Colantoni is Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on sound change and categorization and the second language acquisition of variable phonetic parameters.

    • Jeffrey Steele , University of Toronto

      Jeffrey Steele is Associate Professor in the Department of French at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on second and third language acquisition as well as language assessment.

    • Paola Escudero , University of Western Sydney

      Paola Escudero is Associate Professor in the MARCS Institute at the University of Western Sydney. Her research focuses on speech and visual development in diverse populations, including human infants, children and adults, and zebra finches.