Language Transfer in Language Learning

Language Acquisition and Language Disorders #5

by Susan M. Gass (Editor), Larry Selinker (Editor)

This work presents a view of the phenomenon of native language influence in second language acquisition. The study of language tranfer has undergone significant changes over the past few decades. This book traces the conceptual history of language transfer from its early role within a contrastive analysis framework to its current position within universal grammar. The introduction presents a continuum of thought starting from the late 70s, a time in which major rethinking in the field regarding the concept of language transfer was beginning to take place, and continuing through to the present day in which language transfer is integrated within current concepts and theoretical models. The afterword unites the issues discussed in the book and allows the reader to place these issues in the context of future research.

374 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Susan Gass is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages at Michigan State University. Her research is in Second Language Acquisition and includes the areas of Input and Interaction, Language Universals and Language Transfer.

More recently she has become interested in the area of attention and how it relates to acquisition. She has written/edited a number of books on second language acquisition and has taught and lectured in various parts of the world. She co-edits Second Language Acquisition Research with Alison Mackey - published by Routledge

Currently at MSU, she is the Director of the English Language Center, Co-Director of the Center for Language Education And Research, co-Director of the Center for Language Teaching Advancement and Director of the Second Language Studies Ph.D. Program. She recently served as President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (2002-2008) and is Associate Editor of Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

She has been invited to give lectures in Europe (most recently, Greece and Germany) and in Asia (most recently, Japan, S. Korea, China).