Now fully revised and expanded, this reader-friendly introduction to second language acquisition provides an overview of second language acquisition research and theories by identifying the main issues in this field and by highlighting the relevance of this research for classroom implications. The authors peel back the complexity of second language acquisition research and theory to provide a basic account of its main strands, emphasising the crucial interplay between how people learn languages and what is the most effective way to teach languages. Each topical chapter includes the following sections: key concepts in the chapter; key thinkers; key evidence; key terms section; key implications for SLA and teaching; key activities and readings.

Features of the second edition include:
- A new chapter exploring the nature and role of explicit and implicit knowledge in second language acquisition
- A new chapter on the role of the first language in second language acquisition
- Updated and expanded coverage of topics throughout, including theoretical and empirical perspectives and 'real world applications'
- Updated references and glossary
- New online resources offering additional support for teachers and students.

Readers are encouraged to critically reflect on the presented content through self-engaging thinking activities in the form of questions, matching activities, choices and conclusions about the implications of SLA theories to the real world applications.