Second language acquisition (SLA) researchers interested in study abroad or sociolinguistic variation will find this volume useful, given that it provides an in-depth analysis of the effect of learning context on the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation. Although the book focuses primarily on second-language (L2) French, its content is also relevant for researchers who work on other languages.

Chapters 1–3 review literature that pertains to the three main topics of interest of this book: SLA and linguistic variation, the linguistic outcomes of study abroad, and extralinguistic factors that affect L2 development. These chapters provide a solid foundation for understanding the studies undertaken in the book. In chapter 4, there is a discussion of the participants and research methodology. Researchers with a stronger background in SLA than sociolinguistic variation may find this particularly useful. In this chapter, the authors describe the content of the sociolinguistic interview as well as the way in which it was conducted. Additionally, the authors provide an explanation of the VARBRUL software program and its use in analyzing data on sociolinguistic variation.

Following the theoretical introduction and the description of the research methodology, Regan, Howard, and Lemée provide an in-depth analysis of the acquisition of four sociolinguistic variables in L2 French: ne “not” deletion, nous “we” versus on “one” variation, /l/ deletion, and future temporal reference variation, with separate chapters for each of the four variables. The choice of these four variables, which represent different types of sociolinguistic variations, is particularly noteworthy. Ne “not” deletion is a well-established, stable sociolinguistic variable. Nous “we” versus on “one” variation is a more recent development in first-language (L1) French. /l/ deletion represents phonological variation and is an established variable that is undergoing current changes. Future temporal reference has three different realizations and, like /l/ deletion, is currently undergoing change. The different nature of these variables causes them to pattern differently in native speech, and although this phenomenon is accepted in variationist research, it also has important implications for the acquisition of variation in the L2: Learners must learn not only the variables but also their patterns. The studies in this volume demonstrate that learners approximate native-speaker patterns for all of the variables based on linguistic conditioning, style, gender, and social class. However, learners’ use of variants that are incompatible with prescriptive grammar rules is much less than that of native speakers.

The major focus of this volume concerns the contribution of the study-abroad experience to the acquisition of variation. To examine the effect of context, the studies compare two groups of Irish learners of French: those who stayed home and those who went abroad. However, the arguments for the role of context and the efficacy of study abroad are strengthened by highlighting research on the acquisition of variation in other contexts, including naturalistic learning and Canadian immersion education programs. For each of the four variables discussed in detail in this volume, study abroad positively impacts acquisition.

However, the particular reasons for this progress during study abroad are not fully explored empirically in this volume. Regan, Howard, and Lemée note that although there is overall progress during the study-abroad experience, there is also considerable individual variation; this is likely due to extralinguistic factors such as contact with native speakers, motivation, and integration into the target community. Although the authors refer to literature that more closely examines the effect of these extralinguistic factors on language acquisition, including the acquisition of variation, these factors are not addressed in the studies presented in this volume; that is, other than gender, time abroad, and a pre-post comparison, factors specifically related to the study-abroad experience are not entered as factors into VARBRUL. Given that this information was collected from students via an ethnographic questionnaire and that the authors state that extralinguistic factors are important to the study-abroad experience, it is not clear why the studies presented do not deal with these factors in more detail.

Despite this omission, this volume presents a valuable synthesis of research on the effect of learning context on the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation. Researchers interested in pursuing similar research as well as those interested in learning more about the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence or the effects of context on language acquisition should be sure to read this volume.