Cours LIN3346 – Second Language Acquisition

The aim of this course is to introduce students – future ESL teachers – to the various factors which play a role in the processes of second language acquisition, particularly as it occurs in the classroom.

Topics covered in this course include: – language competence and proficiency; – natural vs classroom second language learning; – language related features of second language acquisition (nature and function of the input, developmental stages, characteristics of learner interlanguage, first language transfer, etc.); – individual characteristics of the learner; – acquisition viewed as a cognitive activity; – sociological, psychological and affective factors in second language acquisition; – current research in SLA and its application to teaching ESL.