Peter Skehan

Professor Peter Skehan (PhD, Birkbeck College, University of London) is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London, and has taught at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, London, Auckland University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, King's College London, and Thames Valley University. Professor Skehan is a recipient of the International Association of Task-Based Language Teaching Distinguished Achievement award.

Research Interests

     Professor Skehan’s research interests and extensive publications are in major areas of applied linguistics, such as L2 task-based language teaching & planning research, as well as individual differences in SLA (especially foreign language aptitude).

List of Publications in Recent 5 Years

1. 2015a: Limited Attentional Capacity and Cognition: Two hypotheses regarding second language performance on tasks. In M.Bygate (Ed.). Domains and directions in the development of TBLT: A decade of plenaries from the international conference. (pp. 123-155). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

2. 2015b: Working memory and second language speech performance. In Wen Z., Mota M. & McNeill A. (Eds.). Working Memory in Second Language Acquisition and Processing: Theory, Research and Commentary.(pp. 189-201).  Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.

3. 2015c: Foreign language aptitude and its relationship with grammar: a critical overview.  Applied Linguistics, 36(3): 367-384.

4. 2016a: Foreign language aptitude, acquisitional sequences, and psycholinguistic processes. In Granena, G., Jackson, D.O. & Yilmaz, Y. (Eds.). Cognitive individual differences in L2 processing and acquisition. (pp. 17-40). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

5. 2016b: Tasks vs. Conditions: Two perspectives on task research and its implications for pedagogy. In Mackey, A. (Ed.). Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 24, 34-49.

6. 2016c: (With P. Foster & S.Shum). Ladders and snakes in second language fluency. International Review of Applied Linguistics,54, 2, 97-112.

7. 2017a: Sidesteps towards Applied Linguistics. In R.Ellis (Ed.). Professional Autobiographies of Eminent Applied Linguistics. (pp. 89-118). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

8. 2017b. (With Z. Wen & A. Biedron). Foreign Language Aptitude Theory and Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Language Teaching,1, 1-31.

9. 2017c: (With Sabrina Shum) What influences performance? Personal style or the task being done? In Wong, L.L.C. & Hyland, K., (Eds.). Faces of English Education: Students, Teachers, and Pedagogy. London: Routledge. pp. 28-43.

10. 2018a. Second Language Task-based Performance: Theory, Research, and Assessment. New York: Routledge.

11. 2018b: (with Gavin Bui & Zhan Wang). Task Condition Effects on Advanced Level Foreign Language Performance. In P. Malvorh & A. Benati (Eds.) Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition. (pp. 219-237). New York: Wiley.

12. 2018c: Bui, G., & Skehan, P. (2018). Complexity, fluency and accuracy. In J. Liontas (Ed.), TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

13. 2019a: Foreign language aptitude implicates language AND cognitive skills. In Wen, Z., Skehan, P., Biedron, A., Li, S., & Sparks, R. (Eds.). Language Aptitude: Advancing Theory, Testing, Research and Practice. New York: Routledge.

14. 2019b: Wen, Z., Skehan, P., Biedron, A., Li, S., and Sparks, R. (Eds.).  Language Aptitude: Advancing Theory, Testing, Research and Practice. New York: Routledge.

15. 2020: Ellis, R., Skehan, P., Li, S., Shintani, N., & Lambert, C. Task-bases Language Teaching: Theory and practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.