In recent years, great strides have been made in our understanding of what makes foreign language teaching most effective. Language Teaching Research and Language Pedagogy provides a critical overview of the most up-to-date research centered on the second language classroom, and examines the implications of this research for both the teaching and learning of foreign languages. The book offers illuminating insights into the important relationship between research and teaching, and the inherent complexities of the teaching and learning of foreign languages in classroom settings. It traces the development of language teaching research and examines current methodology used to investigate the L2 classroom, considering comparative method studies and various aspects of L2 classroom interaction, with a focus on contributions from both teachers and learners. Additional topics covered include current research on tasks, the relationship between interaction and L2 learning, form-focused instruction, and the mediating role played by individual learner factors such as language aptitude and motivation. A concluding chapter considers myriad ways that classroom research can inform language pedagogy.

Rod Ellis is currently Professor in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland, where he teaches postgraduate courses on second language acquisition, individual differences in language learning and task-based teaching. His books include Understanding Second Language Acquisition (winner of the BAAL Prize, 1986), The Study of Second Language Acquisition (winner of the Duke of Edinburgh prize, 1995), Task-Based Learning and Teaching (2003), and Analyzing Learner Language (with Gary Barkhuizen, 2005).

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