THE ACQUISITION OF SECOND-LANGUAGE SYNTAX. SusanBraidi. London: Arnold, 1999. Pp. x + 221. $70.00 cloth, $19.95 paper.

Abstract

Braidi's new textbook is intended to provide an overview of multiple perspectives on the acquisition of second language syntax to “applied linguistics students” and “prospective L2 teachers” (preface, p. vii). After an introduction that lays a good deal of historical and conceptual groundwork, we find a chapter on “first-language and second-language interrelations” and then the core of the volume comprising a chapter each on Universal Grammar (UG) perspectives, perspectives based in typological universals, processing approaches, and functional approaches. She ends with a conclusion that summarizes major findings and discusses implications for her readership. The text includes fairly extensive references as well as name, language, and subject indexes.