Vivian Cook is Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University, UK. He has been researching in the fields of second language acquisition and writing systems for over 45 years and was founding President of the European Second Language Association (EUROSLA).David Singleton is Professor, University of Pannonia, Hungary and Fellow Emeritus, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. He has published widely on second language acquisition, multilingualism and lexicology and is the series editor for the SLA series published by Multilingual Matters.

• Introduction1. How do Different Languages Connect in our Minds?2. Is there a Best Age for Learning a Second Language?3. How do People Acquire the Words of a Second Language?4. How Important is Grammar in Acquiring and Using a Second Language?5. How do People Learn to Write in a Second Language?6. How do Attitude and Motivation Help in Learning a Second Language?7. How Useful is Second Language Acquisition Research for Language Teaching?8. What are the Goals of Language Teaching?

This excellent volume offers a clear and engaging description of central topics in second language acquisition research, and highlights the connection between research findings, formal and informal learning contexts, and teaching practices. I have no doubt that this volume will soon become an invaluable resource for teachers and students alike.