This volume joins a number of recent influential introductory books on SLA and aims to familiarize novice readers or researchers with basic terms and ideas in the field. In addition to a short introduction, the book is arranged into three parts. The authors first give a general review of the inception and development of SLA and provide readers with a clear timeline concerning important landmarks in second language research (SLR). The introduction ends with a succinct summary of the relationship between SLR and second language learning.

Part 1, “Key Issues,” outlines major issues in SLR through examining nine central questions. In exploring the answers to these questions, which encompass many important issues in SLR (linguistic perspectives of SLA, interlanguage development, instructional effects, constraints on language acquisition, etc.), readers gain an understanding of the scope and current research focus of SLA. In Part 2, “Key Terms,” the authors present major SLA terminology in alphabetical order. Although not as exhaustive as possible, the terms selected were based on the judgments of the authors regarding their importance—such that novice readers may obtain a general picture of the field. Useful features of this part include situating many terms chronologically and the mention of notable researchers related to the terms, thus making the search for further reading easier. References are included in Part 3, “Key Readings.” This section also includes additional readings not mentioned elsewhere in the book.

Although some important terms are missing from the authors’ list (e.g., dynamic systems theory and language as a complex adaptive system), this book can serve as an excellent reference for interested readers, especially graduate students. The language is very accessible, and it enables novice readers or researchers to attain a general grasp of SLA in a relatively short time.