Introducing Second Language Acquisition iuists call Key ae around you, but more likely with the same conscious effort needed to acquire other domains of knowledge in th individual. This book is juages. In thi of the n “educated of adding | basic que jing much about it, and with very little |who speak Ent a second lan lif er greatly in theory an rch methods, The multidis approach to studying SLA phenomena which has developed within thy last halfcentuty has yielded important insights, but many tantalizin s remain. New find appearing every day, making this period to be studying the subject. The continuing search for answers is not omy shedding light on SLA in its own r Him nating related fields. Purtheru Joring answers to these question: of potentially great practical value to anyone who learns or teach: nda ns SLA has emerged asa field of study primarily thin lingu+ Linguists emphasize the characteristies ofthe differences and similatiti at are being learned, and the linguistic competence cchologists and psycholinguists emphasize the mental or cogniti xl extend the scope of study to communicative Applied linguists who speciatize in SLA may take any one or more o' nese perspectives, but they are also often concerned with the implica: ond languages. Each disci of theory and research far teachi pline uses different methods for gathering tical frameworks, g data in research on SLA, employs different t ind reaches its interpretation of research findings and conclusions in wn Asian fable of the three blind men describing an elephant: one, feeling the tail, says itis like a rope; another, feeling che side, says its flat and rubbery; the third, feeling the trunk, a being ti rubber hose. While each perception is co: vid lly, they fail to provide an accurate picture of the total animal because there is no holistic or integra pective. Ultimately, a satisfactor of SLA must integrate these multiple perspectives: this book is, ep in that direction, As in the fable of the elephant, three different per pectives are presented here: linguistic, psychological, 1. We ake no presumption that any one perspective among these is ° ~ privileged, but believe that all are needed to pr uller under standing of the complex phenomena of SLA What is a Second Language?