This book offers sharp new insights into the acquisition and use of French as a foreign language. The authors are specialists in their particular theoretical paradigms and focus on morphology, morpho-syntax, syntax, discourse, as well as fluency in the French interlanguage from beginners to advanced learners with different first languages.

Jean-Marc Dewaele is Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck, University of London, UK. His research interests include individual differences in multilingualism and emotion and he is President of the International Association of Multilingualism.

Jean-Marc Dewaele is Reader in French and Applied Linguistics at Birkbeck College, University of London. His research focuses on individual differences in second language production, linking linguistic and temporal variables with psychological, situational and sociobiographical variables. He is a co-editor of Bilingualism: Beyond Basic Principles (2003, Multilingual Matters) and is currently Scientific Commissions Co-ordinator and member of the Executive Board of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA).

This well-written, detailed, and diverse collection of articles draws strength from the varied backgrounds and perspectives of its contributing authors. A definite must read!

Kenneth H. Rogers, University of Rhode Island:

Focus on French as a Foreign Language greatly contributes to our knowledge of student mastery of the various components of French at early and advanced stages of their learning. Both foreign language teachers and second language acquisition research can profit from the abundant data on the interlanguage (s) of students of French.

Amanda C. Edmonds, Indiana University:

Dewaele succeeds in creating a collection that unites approaches that are often divergent. Impressively, the volume remains cohesive, and this cohesiveness is largely due to another feature of the collection that highlights it multidisciplinary goal.

Betsy Kerr, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities:

One of the qualities of the volume, in addition to the extensive bibliographies that accompany each chapter, is the generally thorough and clear exposition of the research questions, theoretical framework, and previous work that relate to each topic. Thus, the volume should be of interest not only to SLA researchers but also to practitioners in French language education and to those who teach research methods.