Fostering language teaching efficiency through cognitive linguistics

More about the book

In instructed second language acquisition, there is a demand for teaching methods that maximize the efficiency of time and effort invested by both learners and teachers. Recent research suggests that insights from Cognitive Linguistics (CL), when adapted for educational purposes, can significantly enhance language teaching efficiency. This collective volume evaluates and expands upon those CL proposals. The first section positions CL-inspired pedagogy within contemporary applied linguistics trends, showcasing case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of language-focused instruction as a vital complement to learner-autonomous, incidental acquisition. The second section highlights how CL research aids educators in identifying overlooked language elements that should be explicitly targeted in instruction. The final part presents contributions that test the pedagogical efficiency of various CL-inspired interventions through classroom experiments. The book proposes new teaching methods, examining a range of target language items from single words to multiword units and grammar patterns. Overall, it illustrates the significant maturation of pedagogy-oriented Cognitive Linguistics in recent years.