This comprehensive guide to research and debate centres around language learning in childhood, the age factor and the different contexts where language learning happens, including home and school contexts. The scope is wide, capturing examples of studies with different age groups, different methodological approaches and different languages.

list of Tables Series Editors' Preface Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: BACKGROUND TO CHILD SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND PEDAGOGY Theories of Child Development language learning Processes in Childhood: First and Second languages Contexts for language Acquisition in Childhood PART II: OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH STUDIES Child SlA and Pedagogy:A Broad Overview of Approaches to Research Case Studies: Interactions between Research and Practice PART III: ISSUES IN FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE Exploring Ethical and Methodological Issues in Research Involving Children Some Feasible Studies for Future Research PART IV: RESOURCES Resources in the Area of Child SlA and Pedagogy References Index

ANNAMARIA PINTER Associate Professor at the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, UK. She is responsible for the MA in Young Learners programme and teaches and supervises in child SLA and pedagogy, and language teacher education. She is the author of Teaching Young Language Learners (2006).