Meisel recognizes and points out in the preface of this volume that—as is the case for any work that deals with a broad field of research—not all topics could be discussed at great length. Couched within the Universal Grammar framework, this textbook presents research that deals mainly with the acquisition of syntax and morphology—that is, the development of grammatical competence.

Intended for a large audience of students in linguistics and related fields who have some basic knowledge of syntax, this “introduction to the study of the human Language Making Capacity” (p. xiii) contains seven chapters. The first chapter focuses on providing a definition of the language-acquisition device and seeks to establish the various questions examined by the fields of first language (L1) and second language (L2) acquisition. The second chapter introduces the necessary theoretical background and findings in L1 development, whereas the next chapter begins the comparison with L2 acquisition. In the following three chapters, Meisel discusses the question of the initial state and transfer of knowledge, that of parameter (re)setting and inductive learning, and that of maturation and age in language acquisition. Finally, Meisel uses the last chapter to propose a theory of language acquisition.

In addition to being provided with a solid introduction to major aspects of the development of grammatical competence in L1 and L2 acquisition, a beginning graduate student or scholar new to the field will also benefit from the many references to other books or articles that provide more information and in-depth discussion of topics that had to be dealt with briefly by Meisel in this textbook. The glossary of technical terms used in the volume will most certainly prove quite helpful as well. It is noteworthy to point out that each chapter (except for the last one) contains a list of topics for discussion, which could be used by a teacher as homework assignments or as in-class discussion activities to allow his or her students to deepen their knowledge of some of the concepts covered by the various chapters.

Throughout the book, Meisel chose to focus on “a limited number of grammatical phenomena” (p. xiv), the repetition of which novice readers will certainly appreciate; however, more advanced scholars may find themselves looking for a discussion of a wider variety of grammatical phenomena. Although this textbook definitely allows research on L1 and L2 acquisition to be presented together, the consideration of the various topics and the comparison of the findings nonetheless still remain separate, and the bulk of the volume seems oriented toward L2 acquisition. A major limitation of this volume, in my view, is that I would have expected a textbook to adopt a rather neutral perspective on the research conducted on the two types of acquisition. However, as is the case for any author who argues for a specific theory, some arguments seem a bit one sided at times, culminating with the proposed theory of language acquisition in the final chapter. This fact should not prevent teachers from adopting this volume but should nonetheless be remembered when discussing the topics covered in the book, as supplementary materials will need to be introduced for a well-balanced presentation and for meaningful discussion of alternative proposals or theoretical views. Similarly, presumably because of length constraints, the rather brief discussion of the acquisition of two L1s (i.e., sequential bilingualism) and of child L2 acquisition may leave some readers a bit unsatisfied.

In short, this textbook will certainly be of interest to researchers in the field, as it allows for an overview of the literature on both L1 and L2 acquisition in a single volume. Along with Meisel, it is my hope that this book is the precursor for more discussions between scholars who focus on these two types of language acquisition.