A philosophy of second language acquisition /

Johnson (Arizona State Univ.) presents a "new model of second language acquisition," a socioculturally oriented theory based on the ideas of psychologist Lev Vygotsky and philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. The first of the book's two major sections offers a detailed critique of what the author considers to be the current major second language acquisition (SLA) models, such as the cognitive; the second introduces Vygotsky's and Bakhtin's philosophies. Johnson's model is not as new as she thinks it is, and her characterization of linguistic competence varies from that of most linguists. She emphasizes the need to view second-language learners, teachers, and researchers as equal and active partners, and to realize that second-language learning takes place through life interactions, not through acquisition of abstract and fixed "linguistic competence." Though the writing is competent, Johnson's style is dense and jargon heavy, with few examples except in the last few chapters. The book's polemic tone means that it should be used with caution; some of Johnson's criticisms of existing theories are arguable and should be presented in a context where evaluative guidance is available to naive readers. The book will serve those interested in a broad range of viewpoints concerning the philosophy of language learning. ^BSumming Up: Optional. Advanced graduate students and researchers L. Bebout University of Windsor