To Advanced Proficiency and Beyond

Richly informed by the experiences of professionals who have devoted much of their careers to the topic, the contributions assembled in this volume offer to readers a varied palette of insights, practical know-how, and differential recommendations regarding the development of superior second-language abilities. -- Heidi Byrnes, editor-in-chief of The Modern Language Journal and George M. Roth Distinguished Professor of German, Georgetown University Even though national initiatives (like Flagship and CLS) have been successful at guiding students to reach high levels of linguistic and cultural proficiency for over ten years, unfortunately these successes have not been represented adequately in research-based studies. To Advanced Proficiency and Beyond: Theory and Methods for Developing Superior Second Language Ability offers a welcome contribution to the field by framing the issue of advanced-level language learning through multiple perspectives within the SLA, including the role of assessment, in-country immersion, and Language for Special Purposes. -- Madeline Spring, Director, University of Hawaii Chinese Flagship Program and professor of Chinese, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Addresses an important issue in Second Language Acquisition - how to help learners progress from Intermediate and Advanced proficiency to Superior and beyond. This volume includes research on working memory and cognition and empirical studies of effective teaching. It can serve as a practical handbook for seasoned and pre-professional instructors.To Advanced Proficiency and Beyond: Theory and Methods for Developing Superior Second Language Ability addresses an important issue in Second Language Acquisition - how to help learners progress from Intermediate and Advanced proficiency to Superior and beyond. Due to the pressures of globalization, American society encounters an ever-increasing demand for speakers with advanced language abilities. This volume makes available cutting edge research on working memory and cognition and empirical studies of effective teaching. In addition it can serve as a practical handbook for seasoned and pre-professional instructors alike. The bringing together of the latest in second language acquisition theory, decades of empirical research, and practical classroom application makes for an unprecedented volume examining the achievement of Superior-level foreign language proficiency.