Lessons from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency

Zoltán Dörnyei was a Professor of Psycholinguistics at the University of Nottingham, UK. He published extensively on second language acquisition and learner psychology, with a particular focus on language learner motivation.Katarina Mentzelopoulos is an ESRC-funded PhD student at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her research interests include language learning motivation, multilingualism and learner identity.

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction1. Theoretical Background2. Methodology: Identifying Participants and Documenting Their Stories3. Defining Nativelikeness4. A Favourable Set-Up5. A Unique Bond with the Chosen Language6. Cognition and Other Facilitative Learner Characteristics7. Attention to Pronunciation8. Intensive Effort and Strategic Learning9. Reinforcing Relationships and Social Expectations 10. Sources of Persistence11. Second Language Confidence, Comfort and Ownership12. The Question of L2 IdentitiesConclusionAppendixReferences

This book provides a fascinating analysis of how highly successful language learners achieve the ultimate gold standard of ‘passing for a native speaker’. It is a deeply engaging account that offers valuable lessons for us all (language learners, teachers, researchers), and offers a poignant memory of Zoltán Dörnyei’s passionate enthusiasm for his subject.