This book brings together a collection of most recent theoretical and empirical studies on fossilization. It covers a wide range of perspectives and issues. The analyses discussed herein address key concerns of many second language researchers and teachers with regard to just how far anyone can go in learning a new language.

ZhaoHong Han is Professor of Language and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, where she researches in second language acquisition, second language teaching, and their interface. She is the author/editor/co-editor of a number of volumes, including Fossilization in Adult Second Language Acquisition (2004) and Linguistic Relativity in SLA: Thinking for Speaking (co-edited with Teresa Cadierno, 2010).

Terence Odlin is Associate Professor Emeritus of English, Ohio State University, USA and his research interests focus on language contact and language transfer. He is the author of Language Transfer (Cambridge University Press) and editor or co-editor of four other volumes. He has also published articles and chapters in several journals and edited volumes.