Michael Long (academic)
Encyclopedia
Michael Long is Professor
of Second Language Acquisition
at the University of Maryland, College Park
. Long introduced the concept of focus on form
, which entails bringing linguistic elements (e.g., vocabulary, grammatical structures, collocation
s) to students’ attention within the larger context of a meaning-based lesson in order to anticipate or correct problems in comprehension or production of the target language
. Long contrasted this approach with the older method of focus on forms, which calls for exclusive focus on the linguistic forms when teaching a target language, often consisting of drill-type exercises such as conjugation
exercises. Long is also usually credited for introducing the Interaction Hypothesis
, a theory of second language acquisition which places importance on face-to-face interaction.
He received an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) degree from the University of Birmingham
and a Post Graduate Certificate from the Department of English as a Foreign Language in Education
from University College London
. He then received a M.A. in Applied Linguistics
from the University of Essex
and a Ph.D.
from the University of California, Los Angeles
, also in Applied Linguistics. His first academic position was at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained there for three years before leaving for the University of Hawaii at Manoa
, and he later accepted a position at the University of Maryland, College Park
in 2003, where he has remained since.
Long, M. H., Allen, W., Cyr, A., Lemelin, C., Ricard, E., Spada, N., & Vogel, P (1980). Reading English for Academic Study. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1980.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition Research. London: Longman. (Spanish translation, 1994; Japanese translation, 1996; Chinese edition, 2000).
Long, M. H., Problems in SLA. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007.
Seliger, H. W., & Long, M. H. (eds.), Classroom-oriented research on second language acquisition. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1983.
Bailey, K. M., Long, M. H., & Peck, S. (eds.), Second language acquisition studies. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1983.
Long, M. H., & Richards, J. C. (eds.) Methodology in TESOL
: A reader. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1987.
Doughty, C. J., & Long, M. H. (eds.). Handbook of second language acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. (paperback edition, 2005)
Long, M. H. (ed.), Second language needs analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Long, M. H. and Doughty, C. J. (eds.), Handbook of language teaching. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009.
Long, M. H. (1985). Bibliography of Research on Second Language Classroom Processes and Classroom Second Language Acquisition. Technical Report No. 2. Honolulu: Center for Second Language Classroom Research, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
Chaudron, C., Crookes, G., & Long, M. H. (1988). Reliability and validity in second language classroom research. Technical Report No. 8. Honolulu: Center for Second Language Classroom Research, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
’s International Research Prize for 1994.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Second Language Acquisition
Second language acquisition
Second-language acquisition or second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the name of the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process...
at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. Long introduced the concept of focus on form
Focus on form
Focus on form is a concept in second language acquisition and language education, proposed by Michael Long, in which, in the context of a communicative interaction, the attention of learners learning a second language is drawn to the form of specific language features...
, which entails bringing linguistic elements (e.g., vocabulary, grammatical structures, collocation
Collocation
In corpus linguistics, collocation defines a sequence of words or terms that co-occur more often than would be expected by chance. In phraseology, collocation is a sub-type of phraseme. An example of a phraseological collocation is the expression strong tea...
s) to students’ attention within the larger context of a meaning-based lesson in order to anticipate or correct problems in comprehension or production of the target language
Target language
Target language may refer to:*Target language, in applied linguistics and language education, the language which a person is learning, also called second language*Target language, in translation, the language to which a source text is translated...
. Long contrasted this approach with the older method of focus on forms, which calls for exclusive focus on the linguistic forms when teaching a target language, often consisting of drill-type exercises such as conjugation
Grammatical conjugation
In linguistics, conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb from its principal parts by inflection . Conjugation may be affected by person, number, gender, tense, aspect, mood, voice, or other grammatical categories...
exercises. Long is also usually credited for introducing the Interaction Hypothesis
Interaction Hypothesis
The Interaction Hypothesis is a theory of second language acquisition which states that the development of language proficiency is promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication. The idea existed in the 1980s, but is usually credited to Michael Long for his 1996 paper The role of the...
, a theory of second language acquisition which places importance on face-to-face interaction.
He received an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) degree from the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and a Post Graduate Certificate from the Department of English as a Foreign Language in Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
from University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He then received a M.A. in Applied Linguistics
Applied linguistics
Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems...
from the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, also in Applied Linguistics. His first academic position was at the University of Pennsylvania. He remained there for three years before leaving for the University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
, and he later accepted a position at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 2003, where he has remained since.
Books written
Long, M. H. (1977). Face to Face. London: Evans Bros.Long, M. H., Allen, W., Cyr, A., Lemelin, C., Ricard, E., Spada, N., & Vogel, P (1980). Reading English for Academic Study. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1980.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language acquisition Research. London: Longman. (Spanish translation, 1994; Japanese translation, 1996; Chinese edition, 2000).
Long, M. H., Problems in SLA. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007.
Books edited
Krashen, S. Scarcella, R. C., & Long, M. H. (eds.), Child-adult differences in second language acquisition. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1982.Seliger, H. W., & Long, M. H. (eds.), Classroom-oriented research on second language acquisition. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1983.
Bailey, K. M., Long, M. H., & Peck, S. (eds.), Second language acquisition studies. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1983.
Long, M. H., & Richards, J. C. (eds.) Methodology in TESOL
TESOL
TESOL may refer to:* The acronym "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages", used in English as a Foreign or Second Language * TESOL Inc., a professional organization based in the United States for people working in this field...
: A reader. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House, 1987.
Doughty, C. J., & Long, M. H. (eds.). Handbook of second language acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. (paperback edition, 2005)
Long, M. H. (ed.), Second language needs analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Long, M. H. and Doughty, C. J. (eds.), Handbook of language teaching. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009.
Technical reports
Long, M. H., Brock, C., Crookes, G., Deicke, C., Potter, L., & Zhang, S. (1984). The effect of teachers' questioning patterns and wait‑time on pupil participation in public high school classes in Hawaii for students of limited English proficiency. Technical Report No. 1. Honolulu: Center for Second Language Classroom Research, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 1984.Long, M. H. (1985). Bibliography of Research on Second Language Classroom Processes and Classroom Second Language Acquisition. Technical Report No. 2. Honolulu: Center for Second Language Classroom Research, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
Chaudron, C., Crookes, G., & Long, M. H. (1988). Reliability and validity in second language classroom research. Technical Report No. 8. Honolulu: Center for Second Language Classroom Research, Social Science Research Institute, University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
Other publications
He has also written over 40 book chapters and over 25 peer-reviewed articles. one of his articles, Yano, Y., Long, M. H., & Ross, S. (1994). "The effects of simplified and elaborated texts on foreign language reading comprehension." Language Learning 44, 2, 189-219, was awarded TESOLTESOL
TESOL may refer to:* The acronym "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages", used in English as a Foreign or Second Language * TESOL Inc., a professional organization based in the United States for people working in this field...
’s International Research Prize for 1994.