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Speaking in a Second Language
Edited by Rosa Alonso Alonso
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 17] 2018
► pp. 105–125

Chapter 5
The acquisition of L2 speaking

A dynamic perspective

| University of Groningen

The complex dynamic systems theory approach to second language development has great explanatory power in accounting for the development of speaking as an emergent process. CDST approaches focus on the process of development, rather than on the products of learning, and often include the learner’s variability over time as an important source of information. In this chapter a CDST perspective is given of speaking in a second language. The individually owned and variable process of speaking development is illustrated with longitudinal speaking data of identical twins as they learn English as a second language in Taiwan. Our observations emphasize the individual nature of the development of speaking in a second language, which has important implications for effective language teaching for L2 speaking.

Article outline
  • Introduction
  • A complex dynamic systems theory account of L2 speaking
  • Complex dynamic subsystems
  • Variability
  • A twin study in speaking development
    • Participants
  • Materials
  • Measures
  • Data analysis
  • Results
    • MLT/spoken
    • VocD/spoken
  • Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 12 April 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.17.05low
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