While We're On the Topic - 2nd Edition by Bill VanPatten (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

While We're On the Topic: BVP on Language, Acquisition, and Classroom Practice is from one of the leading figures in the field of second language acquisition and second language teaching, While We're on the Topic... offers an up-to-date overview of six principles underlying contemporary communicative language teaching. In this BRAND NEW EDITION, Bill VanPatten addresses principles related to the nature of communication, the nature of language, how language is acquired, the roles of input and interaction, tasks and activities, and focus on form (""grammar""). The new edition features a completely new principle that was not included in the first ed. Each principle is informed by decades of research yet all are presented in a manner accessible to veteran and novice educators alike. This book is a must read for all interested in 21st century language teaching. With special features such as Foundational Readings, Discussion Questions and Food for Thought, ""I..."" statements for self-assessment, and While We're on the Topic reflection boxes that invite the reader to ponder related topics, this book can easily be used as the foundation for any course on contemporary language teaching.

About the Author

Bill VanPatten had a long and distinguished university career before he left academic life for fiction writing (although as you can tell, he still keeps a foot in the door of second language research). He is internationally known for his work in both second language acquisition and second language teaching, having published several top-selling Spanish and French textbooks, close to 200 journal articles and book chapters, a dozen edited volumes, and almost a dozen books. Bill was the host of the highly successful radio show/podcast Tea with BVP and subsequently Talking L2 with BVP.