Third or Additional Language Acquisition

Despite its title, this volume should be of particular interest not only to those researching multilingualism, but also to all those working on second language acquisition and bilingualism, as De Angelis provides abundant evidence illustrating the existing differences between L2 and multilingual acquisition. Her re-examination of previous research studies provides a great deal of food for thought and also shows that much road has yet to be paved. Thus, not only researchers but also students will find the author’s statements challenging and capable of stimulating debate, which makes its reading a must for all those interested in language acquisition.

* David Lasagabaster, University of the Basque Country *

Third language acquisition is a field of study which has attracted wide attention during the last decade or so. Gessica de Angelis is one of the foreground figures in this area. This book provides a comprehensive overview of additional language acquisition and argues convincingly for making a clear distinction between SLA and Third or Additional Language Acquisition. What even educated people in the US and Britain often neglect is that globally speaking multilingualism is the general norm, not monolingualism. SLA researchers everywhere also need to be reminded that there are essential differences between learning a second and learning a third (or additional) language. In this stimulating and well-argued book in a highly topical area of research, De Angelis has provided an excellent analysis of these differences. The book should be of interest to all researchers in the areas of SLA and bilingualism/multilingualism, as well as to non-specialist readers who want to know more about additional language acquisition.

* Håkan Ringbom, Emeritus Professor of English, Åbo Akademi University, Finlan