Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th Edition)

Given the heavy-duty subject matter, Brown's "Principles of Language Learning and Teaching" is probably about as good as it gets. It's definitely not a book of general interest, but rather a compendium of the various theories that have influenced and shaped the teaching of second languages in the 20th century. It's slow going, but after a one semester course during which I plowed through and digested the material, I've gained a general understanding of the theory behind the practice. Babyboomers like me who had an unhappy second language experience in school will smile while reading Brown's explanations of the theories of the 50's, 60's and 70's, and why so many of us became discouraged. As a teacher of ESL now, I can only say things have improved a lot. In this new edition, Brown has included a section in the last chapter on current hot topics in the field. But again, this is for professionals or students, not general readers.

H Douglas Brown, no stranger to the TESOL community, offers scholarly information about issues in teaching English as Second Language. Scholarly language interspersed with plain English from a real person.

I bought this book to help me review theories of language acquisition. It is well-written and an easier read than the textbook I bought for my TESL methodology course. I recommend this book to anyone reviewing for a TESL comprehensive exam. It is not the book for you if you are looking for practical teaching tips.

this is the best, i search for learning languages and i get only three books. if learning languages is a difficult task then why am i wasting my time reading reviews. no duh, if i have to learning the basics but where's the magic that 'hoshi' can understand the structure of languages she's never heard of before. ensign hoshi from star trek: enterprise.
i guess she's a genius and learning multiple languages quickly is not for the ordinary person. no way i'm paying $56 bucks for something i already know.

This book makes me wonder what other books are written on this subject that my professor could have chosen. It is a dreary and obfuscating treatise on what should be an interesting subject.