Rethinking individual differences in second language acquisition and education: A Special Issue in honor of Richard Sparks

Abstract

Richard Sparks is currently Professor Emeritus of Special Education in Mount St. Joseph University's Department of Graduate Education in Cincinnati, USA. For over 40 years, Richard has had a celebratory career in teaching, researching, and servicing language education. His broad research interests and academic influence span various sub-domains of individual differences in L1 and L2 reading and writing, language learning difficulties, and language aptitude. Richard has published extensively in top journals of language and education, producing an impressive list of empirical studies and thought-provoking theoretical position papers related to key topics and issues in foreign language education, educational psychology, and learning disability. Scholars and practitioners in both language and psychology have read his works with interest and cited frequently many of his influential works on language, education, psychology, dyslexia, hyperlexia, and in particular language aptitude.