Frontmatter -- Contents -- List of Boxes -- Introduction -- Topic 1: How Do Different Languages Connect in Our Minds? -- Topic 2: Is There a Best Age for Learning a Second Language? -- Topic 3: How Do People Acquire the Words of a Second Language? -- Topic 4: How Important is Grammar in Acquiring and Using a Second Language? -- Topic 5: How Do People Learn to Write in a Second Language? -- Topic 6: How Do Attitude and Motivation Help in Learning a Second Language? -- Topic 7: How Useful is Second Language Acquisition Research for Language Teaching? -- Topic 8: What are the Goals of Language Teaching? -- Epilogue -- Key Topics Glossary -- Index