Second Language Learning Data Analysis

<p>The purpose of this workbook is to provide students with practice in analyzing second language data. For the student of second language learning hands-on experience with actual data is essential in understanding the processes involved in learning a second language. Working through exemplars of the kinds of interlanguages that learners do and do not create brings about a clearer understanding of the principles underlying these interlanguages as well as the universal principles of language learning (those that are independent of particular languages and interlanguages). <br><br> The goal in this workbook is to present data organized in such a way that by working through pedagogically presented data-sets students are led to a discovery and understanding of theoretical and/or methodological issues. In addition they acquire the ability to interpret data and to begin to draw conclusions from them. The authors intend that students should go from the data to a conclusion that includes a 3-part statement: <br> *what else you should want to know about these data; <br> *why this specifically and not something else; and <br> *how one can empirically research what you want to find out. <br> This sequence of questions forces students to constantly keep in mind the important question of falsification: What kind of data would it take to falsify the particular conclusions the students come to? <br><br> As with the earlier edition of this workbook (Sorace Gass & Selinker) two audiocassettes provide language samples for use in the exercises. These cassettes and the teacher's manual are offered free of charge on adoption of the workbook for classroom use; a three-part set (workbook/manual/tapes) is also available.</p>