EALL442/542
Second Language Acquisition – Chinese, Japanese, and Korean

This course will provide an in-depth analysis of how important theories and concepts in SLA (Second Language Acquisition) apply specifically to the learning of Chinese, Japanese and Korean. You will acquire a solid foundation in SLA combined with an understanding of areas of acquisition that apply specifically to these languages. The focus will be placed on areas of language structure that can be said to characterize Chinese, Japanese and Korean and also on cultural/social issues that influence the acquisition of these languages.

The course will be structured as follows. Each week, we will focus on one important theme in SLA. We will begin by looking at the related chapter/sections in our course book, Understanding Second Language Acquisition by Lourdes Ortega. We will then read a related journal article or book chapter reporting original research concerning learners of Chinese, Japanese and/or Korean that falls under the same topic.

The assessment for this course will include a paper based on project work. This will provide students with the opportunity to gain experience in collecting and analyzing second language data.

The goals of the class are as follows: (1) students will understand key theories and concepts in SLA, (2) students will understand how these theories/concepts relate to Chinese, Japanese and Korean, (3) students will be able to discuss important issues affecting the acquisition Chinese, Japanese and Korean (4) students will gain expertise in collecting and analyzing authentic data.