How Languages are Learned by Patsy M. Lightbrown and Nina Spada

Very accessible theory

How Languages are Learned seems very much to be aimed at teachers just starting out on their careers but also has much that an experienced professional may appreciate. At around 225 pages it is a relatively slim volume but packs in a lot of information. Beginning with a discussion on popular ideas about language learning, the book then moves through first language acquisition, second language acquisition and how this is approached in classroom settings, until finally coming back full circle, to re-examine ideas about teaching in light of current theory.

The best thing about this book is its accessibility. It is an odd fact that many academics in this field seem to revel in the impenetrability of their language. Lightbrown and Spada are refreshing in the clarity they bear to the subject. The book doesn’t so much shy away from jargon as use it judiciously, always taking pains to explain new or difficult terms. One obvious way that it does this is to use capital letters to highlight words; these are then easily found upon returning to the text. The book also contains an excellent and clear glossary.

How Languages are Learned is the distillation of much research and material (including the authors’ own). A good historical overview of SLA and language teaching theory is provided which really does help one to understand where currently accepted ideas have arisen. While it appears popular in this discipline to try to discredit past approaches to teaching, (such as the grammar translation or audio lingual methods) Lightbrown and Spada don’t fall into this category. They don’t hesitate to point out the limitations of previous approaches, but do also show how in some ways, those approaches did get it right. The reader is encouraged to think critically about many methods and to use what is effective in his or her own language teaching.

This would be an excellent book to read before embarking on more difficult material such as English Language Teaching in its Social Context as it provides a good introduction to ideas and theory without overburdening the reader. I also found it to be a useful recap on other books I have read, while also being thought-provoking. The end of each chapter also provides a lot of ideas for further reading which look very interesting.

Although accessible, sometimes the book did feel a little brief; Chapter 5 “Observing learning and teaching in the second language classroom” certainly felt this way. Overall however, this is a great book and one that should be good preparation for any reader embarking on further, more in-depth reading.