ELT Book Reviews

How to Teach Speaking

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:01:31 +0000

The "assumed" skill: Speaking!
We can all "speak" -- right? It is, after all, assumed that a normally-healthy human being develops speaking skills, although some learn to do it better than others. It is speaking that sets us apart from other animal, so they say. For the most part, we aren't taught speaking as a distinct skill as we develop our first language skills, unlike reading, writing, and (perhaps) listening.

Scott Thornbury's approach in How to teach speaking will surprise you.

Probably even the least trained teachers recognize that speaking is more than simply producing orally the planned language we produce in writing. But other than subskills like pronunciation and perhaps the distinct grammar of casual speech, is it really worth this much attention? Well...

Surprise, Surprise
Sometimes experienced teachers developed established routines or expectations that can lead to rude awakenings in the classroom with a new class of students. So too, we can be surprised when a book tackles a subject in ways other than expected. That can be good, after the initial discomfort.

Scott Thornbury's approach in How to teach speaking will surprise you. Ultimately, in a good way. Take the time to warm up to a new way of doing!

Recognizing what we are talking about
When we think about it, a "speaking" class and a "conversation" class aren't really the same thing, although we often casually interchange these terms. I was somewhat uncomfortable through much of my initial spin through How to teach speaking because I was expecting a "how to teach conversation" book. And because Thornbury's presentation is rather different than we have experienced in Jeremy Harmer's series opener How to teach English and other major series in basic teacher training, like David Nunan's Practical English language teaching and Kathy Bailey's Practical English language teaching: Speaking. Such surprises can be irritating, at least at first. But remember, it is the irritation in the oyster that generates the pearl.

Attacking the issues in a different way
The opening chapters deal with speaking generalities, using the first language context, in the same way that Second Language Acquisition is often taught by first examining what happens in the L1. The problem here is that the short introduction to the book doesn't really make clear that we are attacking the problem in this way. A more expansive introductory chapter, or some indication on the back cover, describing this framework, would clarify matters tremendously.

Also different, but in a good way, is how Thornbury tackles terminology. Assuming that teachers and teachers-to-be are intelligent human beings who enjoy intellectual stimulation, new terminology is presented in context, with supportive descriptions but without the simplistic or over-technical definitions that burden so many other books. While a glossary is often helpful, the index for this book will guide most readers to the pertinent description should they lose track later on in their readings. Thornbury provides more technical vocabulary than many other texts, which will serve a teacher well as they enter discussions on this topic with peers or continue their readings elsewhere. Avoiding such language is a short-cut to future embarrassment.

The practical focus of the book is most clearly evidenced by the fact that the text is not burdened with references to obscure scholarly works. A concise set of further readings are organized by chapter at the back of the book. Those who want to explore more will go there.

Once we have worked our way into Chapter three, where L1 and L2 speaking is distinguished, we have grown accustomed to Thornbury's design, and it all begins to make a lot of sense.

Awareness-raising, Appropriation, and Autonomy
Chapters four through six are the type of things most of us were expecting from such a book. Activities. The strength of this book is that they aren't a mere hodge-podge of ideas, but are founded on the theory presented earlier. Here the first "practical classroom application" appears, with it's clever little margin icon -- a chalkboard! Really nice stuff here. It's not just photocopiable exercises, which you can find elsewhere. This is structure that allows teachers to understand the “why” and develop their own. It draws upon the strengths of the CELTA design of instructing novice teachers: demonstrating practical classroom devices with imagery and example.

Planning and Assessing
The final unit could be the first in many contexts. Do we need to teach speaking in our educational context? If we teach it, then, how do we assess? Here assessment refers to both the learner, which of course does make sense at the end of the book, but also, assessing institutional and learner needs. Do we need to teach speaking???

There is an interesting little mention of genre-based teaching as an alternative to task-based teaching, and here, as throughout, Thornbury's concern for the grammar and vocabulary aspects of speaking are visible. Clearly this is not your prototypical turn-of-the-century "task is all" approach to teaching speaking.

Self-Study Tasks
The Task Files at the back of the book provide useful post-reading exercises, with references to the pages where the discussion of the underlying knowledge is presented. Better still, there is a KEY! (So often missing in other books where activities are presented.) Placing this at the end of the book rather than after each chapter is but one more of this book’s alternative approaches.

And so...
There is always more than one way to tell a story. Sometimes it takes a different presentation before people really get it. Scott Thornbury's How to teach speaking is an important contribution to the teachers' library because it offers a different path. And as Robert Frost reminds us, "that has made all the difference."

References
Bailey, K. (2005). Practical English language teaching: Speaking. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Harlow, Essex: Longman. Reviewed (1st ed.) http://www.eltnews.com/features/elt_book_reviews/2006/03/how_to_teach_english.html
Nunan, D. (ed.). (2003). Practical English language teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary. Reviewed http://www.eltnews.com/features/elt_book_reviews/2008/08/practical_english_language_tea.html

Exploring Second Language Classroom Research

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 13:25:50 +0000

Addressing a need
Teacher as researcher is a growing area of interest as schools demand "publications" from expatriate faculty as a prerequisite for more desirable “department” jobs. For those who took traditional courses in “Research Methods” as part of a master’s degree program, some options are clear. But for the rest of us, resources such as Nunan & Bailey’s Exploring Second Language Classroom Research fill in a critical need.

It’s not enough to simply explain things. Or to explain things simply.

We don’t need a research manual, nor an “Idiots” guide, but something that shows us the What, How, and Why. Even better when it outlines the Whiches.

Exploring different ideas in classroom research
As we approach the second decade of the 21st century (OK, I’m rushing things just a bit) we might start to question some of the “new rules” that were espoused as ELT approached the new millennium. While teacher research wasn’t a new concept even in 1993, when the inaugural Teachers Develop, Teachers Research (Edge & Richards) book came out, a quick skim of the ELT literature shows that quite number of classroom research guides came out 1997-1999. Burns, Freeman, McDonough & McDonough, and Wallace all had important messages for that era of the new teacher-researcher. Each book did some things well. Time has passed since then.

It’s not enough to simply explain things. Or to explain things simply. Particularly with examples that don’t quite fit the Northeast Asian classrooms setting. One attempt to address the lack of Asian examples, the PAC Journal, died after only one issue, perhaps in part because not enough teachers understood, and were directly involved in, the kind of “Action Research” that was being called for (see http://www.pac-teach.org/jrnl-v1/ for that publication).

Comprehensive but not overpowering
Many popular “teacher research” books come in around 250 pages. Even with tiny type and boring gray pages, these are forced to focus on only one or two aspects of the problem. Exploring, however, comes in at nearly twice that length, and this brings many advantages. To say that it builds on the strengths of Burns’ cases and Wallace’s detailed research methodologies doesn’t do justice to this newer work. Nunan and Bailey have filled in the gaps missing in each of these works, and brought it to life with the introspections Freeman’s book did so well. The objectives of the book, as expressed by the authors, are realized: to provide an overview/introduction of language classroom research; and to help readers develop practical skills for carrying out original empirical investigations.

Lots of research ideas
It’s not just methods, and not a collection of research summaries (each of which can be useful, see Wallace and McDonough & McDonough, and Edge & Richards and Beaumont & O’Brien, respectively), Exploring builds on the basic tenets of empirical research, and demonstrates why alternate approaches to research are equally legitimate if certain basic rules are followed. What’s more, they explain the steps underlying such designs as action research, classroom observations, introspection, and elicitation. They don’t promote any one design over another.

A different way of doing things
While one could well imagine this becoming the coursebook in many graduate TESOL programs, it is amenable to self-study. On the other hand, it has some design features that are different, and may please some but irritate others. The thematic overviews for each section of 3-5 chapters are concise and useful, but placing the learning objectives for each chapter at the front of the section distances these from the individual readings. The “Reflection” and “Action” boxes build upon the strengths of individual learners, and chapters have lots of these. Placed mid-stream of reading, however, they can cause us to lose focus, as these are not 1 minute mini-daydreams but intellectually stimulating and cognitively demanding challenges to our assumptions of what teachers do, and what research is. The “Payoffs and Pitfalls” components are an interesting and helpful way of looking at each of the research paradigms they review.

The outstanding references, solid index, and end of unit Questions are all that we would expect of noted educators such as David Nunan and Kathi Bailey.

References
Beaumont, M., & O'Brien, T. (2000). Collaborative research in second language education. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books.
Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Edge, J. & Richards, K. (Eds.) (1993). Teachers develop teachers research: papers on classroom research and teacher development. Oxford: Heinemann.
Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
McDonough, J., & McDonough, S. (1997). Research methods for English language teachers. London: Arnold.
Wallace, M. (1998). Action research for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Succeeding with English Language Learners

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:02:31 +0000

Finding solutions beyond teacher training
There are lots of teacher training coursebooks (we’ve reviewed a few here), and still more collections of photocopiables and activity guides teachers can use to supplement a coursebook. And of course there are many publishing describing the theories of language, teaching, and linguistics. However, for the practicing teacher, it’s often a challenge negotiating the gap between all these.

The book will stick in your memory, like his example of a teacher building and eating a peanut butter sandwich in class…

Thomas S.C. Farrell, a long time teacher of English in Asia, presents a very useful guide for teachers new to the classroom in Succeeding with English Language Learners: a guide for beginning teachers.

Thinking through the process
Most trainers will elicit ideas from their trainees, and many books do similarly. Farrell’s SELL makes great use of the personalized approach to learning. The “Exploratory Breaks” are not mere diversions, but act as pre-reading exercises and a way to incorporate the reader’s own thoughts with the theory-driven suggestions that follow. These “breaks” often include worksheets and “think about” or “agree/disagree” opportunities based on literature from education’s leading thinkers.

Personalized Learning
There’s no one way to teach, and Farrell makes clear that he is not presenting “the” system. He states clearly that all newer teachers should have a mentor, and his writing style is very much what you would expect in a coffee-chat or series of email exchanges with a mentor teacher: parenthetical asides, comments about his own experiences (good and bad) and tactics in the classroom. Some may not favor this presentation, but it’s a welcomed break from the snobbery of some other texts. Similarly, while this book shows the author’s own responses to those Exploratory Breaks, one doesn’t come away feeling that any other ideas are necessarily “wrong.”

Working through the book
The organization of the book is not much different than one might expect, but the reader could safely shuffle the readings with no difficulty. The opening chapter, “Teaching in the first year,” is more than an introduction to the book. It is an indictment of the situation in which many novice teachers find themselves – expected to bear a full-load (or even more) without much in the way of transitional support from the training center to the front of the classroom.

Chapter Two’s guidance on lesson planning is the best presentation I’ve seen on the merits of and approaches to successful lessons. An important aspect is the recognition that the plan is just that, a plan, and that it may become irrelevant in the course of the actual lesson, but also that it serves both as a stepping-off point for evaluation of the lesson and development of subsequent lessons. Farrell offers a sample lesson plan (from a real class) that has some interesting features, and also makes useful suggestions for the lesson planning process. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

Chapters Three (Classroom Management) and Nine and Ten (Language Assessment, Professional Development) are solid sections as well. But for most teachers, Chapters Four through Eight are their initial interests: Grammar, Writing, Speaking, Reading, and Listening.

Practical Classroom Activities derived from Theory
The “Four Skills” plus grammar, these are the core concerns for many teachers, and the focus of most teacher training programs. Farrell presents these as stand-alone chapters following roughly similar patterns: discussion of the topic, then “A Strategic Approach” that provides reason for the specific activities that follow. The discussions are wide-ranging, incorporating thoughts from writers across the education literature (not just ELT), and picking up on questions and concerns voiced by teachers and trainees alike. The activities presented are easy to follow, and based on the author’s many years as a practicing language teachers.

Succeeding is memorable
The book will stick in your memory, like his example of a teacher building and eating a peanut butter sandwich in class as a way to teach grammar. Or his inclusion of Penny Ur’s recommendation to put harder materials before easier in a language lesson for an Exploratory Break (I know that I don’t agree with that one!). Although the opening chapter gets a bit bogged down in the politics of new teachers in state-schools settings, get through that and you’ll find this book a wonderful reminder of how we should be basing our classroom tactics on the theoretical principles we have endorsed. Even if your theoretical stance is different, even if you aren’t a beginning teacher, Farrell’s Succeeding with English Language Learners is a useful re-orientation to the roots of successful classroom teaching.

Teaching English Language Learners

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:02:04 +0000

(Re)Training a Different Type of Teacher
Most training texts for EFL teachers assume that the trainee has little or no teaching experience, and present general classroom skills and language-specific resources in equal measure. Teresa Walter’s Teaching English Language Learners, however, is different in this respect. While not limited to only one type of teacher, TELL speaks to the needs of the experienced classroom teacher with little exposure to ESL/EFL students.

Culture, literacy development, and academic/content area development, which are overlooked in many EFL teacher training texts, are major topics here.

Walter builds on teacher competencies without leaving the pure novice behind.

Tools we can use
It’s not enough to simply explain things. The book’s subtitle “The How-to Handbook” is quite on the mark. Like a good teacher, Walter addresses her various readers’ learning styles through richly-developed pages, not through more words. The worksheets are particularly clear and effective. Chapter preview and review sections incorporate lots of space for teachers to pencil out their thoughts, and the wide margin page format allows more personalized scribbles. Pages are filled with simple and clear graphics, tables that explain rather than obfuscate, and easy to find “tip” boxes and notes in those wonderful margins. Step-by-Step guides and examples of teacher and student work leave no room for doubt.

Organized to the “Nth” degree
Some books are designed (or not!) to be read through, virtually non-stop. It can be hard to find pause points for reflection, or to find your place if you lose your page mark. TELL is not like that. The table of contents lists chapter headings and eight or more subsections for each, with page numbers. Within the text, we find mini-sections used prominently, you can almost see the author’s outline through these headers. Chapters are cross-referenced in the margin notes, along with comment notes, as well as refferal to references and additional resource pages (at the back of the book).

Within each page, the design is easy on the eye. As I grow older, I appreciate the slightly larger text with wider spacing between lines, although I’m not sure I love the ink color (something like this, perhaps it’s a dark teal or slate?).

Building on Teacher Strengths
Of the more than 50,000 expatriate teachers in Northeast Asia, many of them are licensed teachers in their homeland, but may have little exposure to English Language Learners. Schools across Asia are eager to hire experienced teachers, only to discover that many are somewhat lost in terms of teaching English outside the native-speaker context. But they don’t need to be retrained in the basics of other essential aspects, such as lesson planning, classroom management, or the fundamentals of language arts. Culture, literacy development, and academic/content area development, which are overlooked in many EFL teacher training texts, are major topics here. As classrooms in Asia become less traditional, and North American materials become more accepted as the content of language learning classrooms, the CALLA and SDAIE designs Walter discusses will become increasingly important. The approach promoted here is strongly rooted in the teaching to standards movement that most North American teachers have become comfortable with.

Teaching English Language Learners does not ignore the theory that underpins the practical advice that is the mainstay of the book. The reference section is a good cross-section of contemporary ELT, albeit with a very strong North American orientation. Unfortunately, the lack of availability of most of these references diminishes the value of the book in terms of supporting further reading, at least in the Asian context. This is the sole weakness of Walter’s work.

Developing the Future
For schools that prefer to hire new teachers holding home-country teaching qualifications, this is an invaluable addition to the staff library. More experienced EFL teachers, too, will benefit from the accessible discussions of academic and content development, and the assessment chapter has some really practical (and easy-to-use) tools that are eye-openers. There are worksheets within for classroom use, and others could guide development of new syllabuses and individual lessons. Useful stuff! It doesn’t pretend to be the book for everyone. But everyone should give it a browse, and read carefully the sections that are of interest.

Language Activities for Teenagers

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Those Troublesome Teens!
Goodness Gracious, Teenagers! There are certainly lots of teachers who love working with adolescents, helping students discover their adult identities. We find that much of the program from Teaching Young Learners is no less appropriate at the college level -- keep them active, keep changing things, don't let them get bored. Depending on the structure of your coursebook (and the weather outside?), a good activities resource can be absolutely invaluable. Seth Lindstromberg has edited a book to fit the bill, with 99 activities addressed to teenaged language learners. And even though Lindstromberg identifies teens as 11-16 (??), the strict discipline exerted at Asian high schools means that even 20-year old college students fit the teenager profile.

Depending on the structure of your coursebook (and the weather outside?), a good activities resource can be absolutely invaluable.

Activity books, a primer
Every teacher will deviate from a textbook. For some it may be a very rare event, other teachers refuse to select a single published textbook or even work from a narrow set of "classroom texts," and surprise their students daily. Of course there is every possible variation between these two extremes. It is fair to say that nearly all teachers will borrow from other textbooks and consult a book of "classroom ideas" from time to time. The question then becomes, what are the aims, what's on offer, and how to apply this? Activity books vary from the "photocopiables" collections to mostly-narrative "idea starters," and some books include both. Language Activities for Teenagers is an attempt to cross the bridge between the extremes, fill in some gaps, and provide a level of theoretical support as well: in this way it fits well in the Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers series (Series Editor, Penny Ur). Lindstromberg has collected activities from more and less famous teachers/trainers, and incorporated them around a syllabus focusing not on activity types, but challenges in teaching.

Activities here may be compared with tasks (task-based learning) or project-work, both of which imply classroom events requiring a full class period or longer. Lindstromberg's activities, as one would predict based on the target population, are short-term, many running less than 20 minutes.

Activities, a means or an end?
If you've never considered a syllabus, have no plan beyond the next class hour, and consider the photocopier your best friend, Language Activities for Teenagers can still be helpful in getting through the day. What it does far better, however, is prepare you for a change in thinking. No, it won't convert you to becoming a coursebook fanatic (of course, when you have stuff available by folks like Marc Helgesen, it's easy to love coursebooks!), but what it can do is prepare you to think about the underlying advantages of particular activities, why you should choose one over another, and how to detach your hand from the photocopier while still doing activities.

Organization, not just A-Z
Some of the most popular activity books (none of which will be named) organize activities around basic grammar areas, basic vocabulary, or even common functions/notions. These can make substitution with a less desirable activity in a textbook simple. Even too simple, it allows teachers to fabricate a simplistic "syllabus" and teach according to some activities plan that leaves important aspects of language learning behind. Language Activities for Teenagers approaches things in a different way. This is not "a desperate teacher's best friend," but rather a tool for the developing teacher. The introduction is an absolutely invaluable read, it not only sets the premise for this book, but should be required reading in all teacher training programs regardless of learner age. There are a couple of interesting activities here, but the "ten features of interesting lessons" should be carved in stone and carried down from the mountain-top onto each teacher's desk.

Following the introduction, the chapter organization pretty well sets the tone for the book, with numerous activities under each: (1) Maintaining discipline in the classroom; (2) Short auxiliary activities (icebreakers, closer, etc); (3) Mainly speaking; (4) Mainly listening; (5) Mainly reading; (6) Mainly writing; (7) Learning and reviewing vocabulary; (8) Literature; and (9) Building the skills of discussion and debate. Under these chapters are included such sub-sections as peer mediation, authentic English, and learning a poem really well.

Applying the tools
There are a few photocopiable images within the book. There are also sections designed to be retyped and photocopied, or printed on the wall (or OHP?). There are activities in here I would never use, but they provide excellent starting points for personalized innovation. Half of what I learned in my own teacher training programs I would never use in my Asian classrooms, but they were no less valuable in that they inspire worthwhile variations. As teachers, we routinely do this with our materials anyways, why should an activities book be any different?

Final Comments
There's already plenty of "photocopiables" and "ideas" books available. I'd like to see this book become a launching pad for a whole new generation of teachers committed to creating well-founded activities for their classes and their peers. The limited references makes that more challenging. Without question, Language Activities for Teenagers goes further in the right direction than anything we've seen so far. In supporting the development of new and improved activities for their classrooms, schools could certainly do far worse than to purchase a copy of Seth Lindstromberg's resource for the teachers' workroom. When you are ready to move beyond blind photocopies, look to this book for guidance.

New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

How New is New?
While the teaching of grammar is acknowledged to be one of the older forms of language teaching, there is also much that is new. In the past 40 years we have seen a pendulum swing in grammar teaching, from the well-established Grammar-Translation Method and its many variants, to pure meaning-based language teaching during the 1980s; and the pendulum is now on its return swing. The 1990s brought in new approaches for grammar instruction, with competing themes, and this collection of chapters by well known scholars captures the essence of the contemporary discussions on teaching grammar.

This collection of chapters by well known scholars captures the essence of the contemporary discussions on teaching grammar

Perspectives on Grammar Pedagogy
There are perhaps three major perspectives on the teaching of grammar in second/foreign language classrooms: Error Avoidance, Grammar Avoidance, and Contextualized Grammar. (I'm deliberately avoiding terms of art here, because few teachers really fit into those idealized theoretical frameworks.) Teachers who feel that the explicit teaching of grammar should be avoided, that grammar comes along through acquisition activities such as reading and listening, will probably be quite uncomfortable with this book. Others, who believe that grammar must be mastered early in order to avoid later problems, may find much to agree with in the discussions here, although the approach certainly doesn't fall in with the more traditional teaching methods. In fact, New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms has a rather clear mission, to encourage and support the teaching of contextualized grammar.

The editors are not arguing for "one true method." In fact, the discussions present a number of variations with quite different classroom techniques befitting different types of learners, teachers, and language-learning goals. Indeed, contributors disagree on the definition of grammar, with McCarthy and Carter setting out ten criteria for defining a spoken grammar. Instead, editors Hinkel and Fotos suggest that an eclectic approach might be most appropriate in teaching grammar. Contributors Marianne Celce-Murcia, Rod Ellis, Diane Larsen-Freeman, Peter Master, Mike McCarthy and Ronald Carter, Martha Pennington, Jack Richards, and Eli Hinkel and Sandra Fotos themselves each offer their own angles.

Setting the Stage
After the inevitable history of grammar teaching, the book sets out to discuss how grammar teaching fits within the syllabuses of books, teachers, and language courses (and how these often mismatch). Ellis' initial discussion sets the stage well: when should grammar be taught, considering the learner's growth phases and a given course itself? This chapter is critical to understand later contributions if one hasn't already thought through the issues of noticing, input, intake, consciousness-raising, explicit knowledge, implicit knowledge, learning, acquisition, output, and so forth. Richards follows this with a review of the common critiques of meaning-based learning, focussing particularly on task-based learning, and how fluency and accuracy can work together.

Developing a Pedagogy
The second part of the book attacks the issue of classroom approaches to the teaching of grammar. Larsen-Freeman's chapter here is much like her book Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring (reviewed previously on this site), but this chapter doesn't really provide much in the way of classroom help--I wonder why it's in this part of the book? The other chapters here wander between theory and more practical concepts, but there isn't much that a teacher could lift out and immediately apply in their own classroom. It's the type of material developing teachers should be looking for, to counter-balance and support the techniques they gather from peers and workshops.

Research Supports for the Approach?
The final section, research on Grammatical Structures, seems out of place. There are 60 pages split between these two chapters -- the longest two chapters, by far -- under the whimsical criterion "two examples of grammar teaching based on practical findings and recommendations of research." Yes, but wouldn't most every grammar textbook argue that it too is based on recommendations of research? And many nowadays are based on corpus research that also qualifies as practical findings. These are a tough read, and seem totally unnecessary.

Final Comments
While each chapter has excellent references, these contributions feel more like journal articles than teacher training materials: they reference more than they explain. There is no glossary or cumulative list of citations, and the subject index is weak (there is a separate author index). Clearly this is a book for second language grammar pedagogy courses; it could be a frustrating read for the independent learner and not much use as a reference to practicing teachers. Consider New Perspectives as a partner to conferences and monthly workshops, a chance for all those loose "good ideas" to be carefully considered and arranged in one's own mind. Each chapter can stand alone, can be read in any sequence, and each merits a good deal of reflection.

Fossilization in Adult Second Language Acquisition

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Critical Issue
Teachers and learners in language studies all become aware of the inevitable "plateaus" in learning, where development slows or even stops before the learning curve climbs once again. Fossilization in Adult Second Language Acquisition deals with the final plateau, that which all language teachers and learners fear most: the point where there is no further language growth. ZhaoHong Han has compiled a detailed survey of the 30+ year history of this topic and added findings of her own to present the most detailed and current discussion available.

Fossilization is a process, not a product: we are not talking about a fossilized learner, but fossilized learning

95% Failure in Language Learning?
If only 5% of adult language learners attain native-like fluency in a second language, clearly teachers and researchers should be concerned. This figure is in sharp contrast to the "95% success" rate in first language acquisition! Originally coined by Selinker (1972), the term "fossilization" has seen many interpretations and re-definitions. Most English language teachers themselves have their own rough definition Han spends a considerable amount of time reviewing the field and establishing exactly what it is we are talking about. Her definition is based on "cessation of learning in spite of continuous exposure to input, adequate motivation, and sufficient opportunity to practice" as "modulated" by individuals' internal and external factors. A taxonomy of "putative causal factors" outlines 50 problem areas. Additional issues include identifying when ultimate attainment (failure) occurs, and the perspective that this is a multivariate outcome: there can be varying levels of success in various aspects of language competence within any given language learner. Han observes that fossilization is a process, not a product: we are not talking about a fossilized learner, but fossilized learning.

A Systematic Framework
This book is not for the casual reader, but instead for those teachers (and scholars) interested in the underlying issues. The first three chapters are an enjoyable, yet intellectually stimulating, overview of the conceptual underpinnings for fossilization. Chapters four, five, and six are a challenging read, with detailed critique of microscopic and macroscopic studies of second language acquisition and fossilization. An important consideration for Han is the modular nature of second language acquisition, which appears not only as multiple critical periods (sensitive periods) for various language linguistic domains, but the differing influences of various L1s for L2 acquisition, so that success and failure co-exist in any given interlanguage. Particular linguistic features prone to fossilization are discussed in some detail. Much of this section reads like a thesis, so put your thinking caps on!

Issues for Second Language Instruction
Many teachers may skim through the middle chapters, or even duck them altogether, but chapter seven brings the issue to the classroom. Fossilization in Adult Second Language Acquisition challenges the common perception that classroom explicit language instruction, particularly grammar instruction, is the prescription. Michael Long's 'Focus on FormS' versus 'Focus on Form' is just one of the approaches that are questioned. Unfortunately, Han does not provide an answer, merely observes that such certainty is not supported by findings from the limited research conducted to date. Similarly, comprehensible input, such as advocated by Steven Krashen, and Swain's comprehensible output, are challenged. Looking at the order of acquisition of morphemes, for example, it is shown that explicit instruction may be most useful for the easier rules. Furthermore, if students do indeed process for meaning before processing for form, this calls into question the efficacy of content-based approaches for language learning. All in all, Han suggests that there are elements of explicit language instruction, including corrective feedback, that may actually promote fossilization!

Recommendations
When you are ready to put some time aside to seriously consider why your adult students seem to have stopped learning, this is a book you will want to visit. Diane Larsen-Freeman is quoted on the back cover noting that this book "will be widely cited for some time to come," and no doubt that's true. This book reads like graduate school supplemental materials... references are extensive, but the index is quite modest, and it sorely lacks a glossary — myelination? It's filled with challenging word choices as well — exogenous conditions, coinceptive, profundity. Overcoming the challenge is a great reward, however, and I can honestly say that the book is well worth the intellectual investment.

Practical English Language Teaching

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A language teaching primer
In this, the 30th ELT books review, we revisit an issue first raised in review #1 and revisited in review #21: initial ELT training program books. In Practical English Language Teaching, David Nunan ably demonstrates why he is the dean of teacher education authors/editors through a highly readable and enjoyable tour of what makes for good language pedagogy.

Organized like an MATESOL curriculum, each chapter is written by names we know discussing a single topic area concisely yet clearly.

A methodology-based design
Different from most other ELT training manuals, this book starts right in with substance and proceeds directly: no "why become a teacher" or the glorification of "your new career." Organized like an MATESOL curriculum, each chapter is written by names we know discussing a single topic area concisely yet clearly. Topic areas are an introduction to the concept of methodology, the four skills (listening / speaking / reading / writing), four language systems (pronunciation / vocabulary / grammar / discourse), and learning supports (content-based instruction / coursebooks / computer-assisted language learning / learning styles and strategies / learner autonomy / classroom-based assessment).

The clear advantage of such an approach is that it well-prepares teachers for further readings/studies in any single area of interest. Nunan has ensured that there are helpful cross-references between chapters, so the divisions are less artificial than might be feared.

Practical English Language Teaching (PELT) is quite a contrast from Scrivener (1994) or Hubbard et al (1983), which are much more oriented towards "teaching techniques" or Snow's (1996) "classroom survival," all of which plod slowly and surely from an assumption that a novice can hardly find the chalkboard to a level where the trainee can handle the next week's lessons (perhaps). Nunan's book is not about classroom tips and tricks, but about understanding what we do as English language teachers.

The mechanics
Each chapter is broken down into consistent sections: one page of 3-6 discrete learning goals, a brief introduction to the chapter, background to the topic area (a summary of the scholarly literature), principles for the topic area (general teaching aims), techniques and tasks (a few sample lesson activities), the topic area "in the classroom" (how this design affects the classroom environments), conclusion, further readings, useful websites, and references. Frequently these sections are subdivided further, which is something that makes the book easier to handle around interruptions and helps in analyzing where you've been. I like this design – for those who have some familiarity with a concept, they can skim one section and delve deeply into another.

Newly selected as the coursebook for the TEFL International certificate program, this book, like many other contemporary TEFL texts, has only one shortcoming for the self-study reader. Unlike Scrivener's book there are very few reflective/observational checklists and forms/rubrics for trainees. As most all organized training programs incorporate teaching observations, one must presume they prepare such materials as supplements. In this regard Harmer's (1998) book stands rather midway between Scrivener's workbook-like resources and PELT's overview of methodology.

Especially helpful
Unusual for a book of articles written by many famous names, this book hangs together very well. Chapters follow a similar design, but more than that, they "feel joined" while still allowing each author's own voice to come through. We learn why each author likes or dislikes a particular approach while fitting within the general trainee framework. Such constancy makes the transition from chapter to chapter much easier, yet gives each a special flavor.

PELT gets reflections and actions (tasks) right. Nunan is to be congratulated for a good balance, nicely mixed through the readings, rather than all dumped at chapter beginning and end as so many other books do. The websites listed at the end of each chapter are a great launching pad for all kinds of teacher work, and the in-text boldface ties in to a good glossary.

Closing Comments
Chapter 11 (coursebooks) gets my personal "hooray" for standing up for the rights of coursebooks... I did my initial TEFL certificate program back in the time where teachers were expected to pick and choose lessons from a dozen different coursebooks on hand (classroom sets). I'm tired of hearing "only unskilled or lazy teachers teach through a coursebook." Discourse (chapter 9) is another area that seldom gets much notice in initial teacher training materials, it's nice to see it get full coverage in Practical English Language Teaching.

References
Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. NY: Longman ELT.
Hubbard, P., Jones, H., Thornton, B., & Wheeler, R. (1983) A training course for TEFL. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Scrivener, J. (1994). Learning Teaching. Oxford: Heinneman.
Snow, D. (1996). More than a native speaker: An introduction for volunteers teaching English abroad. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Inc.

How Languages are Learned

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A popular choice
There is a clear reason why How Languages are Learned has become one of the most cited references among conference proceedings and newsletters. In the original and now revised editions, Lightbown and Spada have provided the most comprehensive yet accessible introduction to language acquisition and learning. An ideal starter for more comprehensive studies, the authors provide rich detail through short case studies and extensive literature summations.

Lightbown and Spada have provided the most comprehensive yet accessible introduction to language acquisition and learning.

Setting the table
The book begins with how we learn our first language, and how this has been the traditional jumping-off point for second language (L2) learning research, and then transitions into a general survey of second language acquisition (SLA) theory. For those with no background in language learning theory, it's a gentle path. Perhaps that's why this is so popular with "Diploma" courses and Master's programs as initial reading. The numerous clear, concise, and helpful activities and examples make this a truly wonderful book.

A full course
It would be impossible to cover everything in language acquisition in less than 200 pages, but Lightbown & Spada include most all the main topic areas and don't fail to make each and every serving substantive enough yet manageable for novices. Rather than the over-used opening questions or learning point bullets, How Languages are Learned utilizes activities that pull the reader's own experiences and awareness into their study, and refer back to the reader's own answers to demonstrate how things can be best understood.

The extras
The index, glossary and bibliography are all nice, but the "Facts and Opinions" section at the end of the book is particularly useful in pulling it all together. Something along the lines of "frequently asked questions" or "common misconceptions," it provides a nice, if simplistic, review of the text. Note too that the bibliography does not replace chapter-specific references and suggested further readings, but simply a consolidation of these chapter-by-chapter reading citations. Why do so few books get this right, as Lightbown & Spada have done?

The main course
It might be difficult to identify one aspect of the book that is "the best" or "the main focus." In Asia, when asking "what's for dinner" the answer is likely "rice," which is a way of saying that staples really are the focus of life. This is the case with How Languages are Learned: it's not glamorous, just a good, solid meal that helps build strong intellectual bones. And like all good home-cooked meals, there is enjoyment in sitting around the kitchen as the meal is prepared... the book offers a delightful approach to the topic, without excessive jargon or stilted academese.

Going from here
As the interests and tastes of each person differs, there will never be a perfect presentation. As a 1999 revision of their classic text, the updating seemed minimal. Few references were included with dates past 1992. I didn't compare with the original, so I'm not judging, but surely more contemporary references could have been included, things easier to find in a local library. Nor did Lightbown and Spada provide specifics on language development, to help teachers learn how to recognize when learners are ready to acquire the next language feature. While there was some critique of textbook syllabuses, there were no guidelines to help teachers teach the learnable language forms at the proper times, in the proper order.

Despite this, How Languages are Learned is an absolute "must have" for every teacher's room, and I would go so far as to say, if a teacher reads only one ELT book in the next six months, this should be the one.

Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A bold aim
How do you review a book that calls for dramatic change in a traditional and key aspect of your profession? Only time will tell if Diane Larsen-Freeman's Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring stands among the "all-time must reads" in ELT or falls in amongst the dusty unread backroom archives. Whether you love grammar or hate it, as a language learner or as a teacher, you will no doubt come away surprised by the bold aim and multidisciplinary arguments put forth by one of ELT's better-known figures.

What is "grammaring?" If you used the present progressive voice to mean "a process of doing grammar," then you're on the right track to understanding the mission of this text.

More than Grammar
Grammar is, well, grammar, right? The rules of language use? OK, then try this. What is "grammaring?" If you used the present progressive voice to mean "a process of doing grammar" then you're on the right track to understanding the mission of this text. Larsen-Freeman claims grammaring is "the fifth skill" (alongside listening, speaking, reading, and writing), the ability to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. Grammar lessons are no longer about knowing language systems (declarative knowledge), but about knowing how to use language (procedural knowledge).

More than teaching
The subtitle From Grammar to Grammaring merely hints at the range of issues covered. Larsen-Freeman herself seems pulled in both directions, claiming that students want and need to learn the rules of grammar, but also that the rules are confusing and not complete in themselves. She further states that "In most cases students don't need to know about the language – they need to be able to use the language." There is a delicate yet unclear balancing: it is a "myth" that grammar need not be taught, yet there is "reason to question whether the interactional norms of English speakers should be adhered to at all." Larsen-Freeman admits to still seeking the answers herself, but one "teachers' voices" quote is perhaps telling:

I tell my students that they don't need to be accurate to communicate. They do need to be accurate to be respected.

There is discussion on the pros and cons of Audio-Lingualism and Communicative Language teaching in terms of grammar learning, and ultimately, we get mixed messages on what and how to teach. However, the thrust of the book is more about how we should analyze our students' problems and find ways to help them understand the issues they face, not how to teach grammar.

Underpinnings
Science, and not just psychology, provides much of the basis for the thoughts behind Grammaring. Nucleation. Chaos/Complexity Theory. Morphogenesis. Fractals. Abduction. (Don't worry, these are explained in the book.) The book is not really about grammar, though Larsen-Freeman is grammarian enough to satisfy the grammar buffs and leave non-grammarians such as myself shaking their heads in puzzlement – prenominal adverbs? (Don't worry, there are illustrative examples.) Unfortunately, no index or glossary.

Hearing yourself think
At various points through the book I could hear Larsen-Freeman "thinking out loud" as she re-analyzes her own beliefs. While frustrating for those looking for answers, it's a refreshing change for others who grow weary of hearing about the latest miracle method. She doesn't claim to have all the answers, yet there is method within: the Three Dimensions. In simple summary, it is argued that rather than simply looking at grammatical rules, broader perspective is needed for understanding. Perspective comes from two levels, language beyond the sentence level, and reasons behind the rules. Here the concept of fractals comes into play: at whichever scale examined, the same characteristics come into play, the same three dimensions, which she labels Form, Meaning/Semantics, and Use/Pragmatics. In the contrasting perspective the reasons behind the rules give meaning that explains the exceptions and support the pie-charted three dimensions.

These concepts are a mind-bender. I could hear myself think (and so could my neighbors!).

Conclusions
There is some new and scary stuff in here. Teachers who are known as grammarians might be very uncomfortable with the message – teaching rules is not enough. Those who claim that CLT obviates the need for (any or much) teaching of grammar too may find it uncomfortable. Ultimately, Larsen takes a rather intermediate position by stating that there needs to be both explicit and implicit instruction, and inductive, deductive, and abductive (after the fact inferencing of why something is true) learning as well. But in keeping with the communicative approach, not too much teaching of grammar! Instead, by helping students learn how to figure out their language choices in grammar (through the three dimensions), students will be empowered to better use language.

Though it's nice that Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring is written in a personal genre, it would be more enjoyable if there weren't the annoying use of a quite extended vocabulary. I'm not sure how "useful" the book is for classroom practice, but anything that helps you question your basic assumptions about teaching is well worth the purchase price.

Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

An Anthology of Current Practice
My dictionary says an anthology is "a collection of poems or writings, selected by an editor, around a common theme." Unlike many collections in the language teaching field, this one is not a "history of ELT." All the articles in "Methodology in Language Teaching" are from the past eleven years, most are less than five years old, and all but three were previously published elsewhere. And the focus is on how we teach now, not how we got here.

The principle purpose of this type of book is to illustrate the issues, not merely shortcut the library process.

The Stars come out
One would always hope the anthologist chooses the best examples for the anthology - Richards and Renandya have certainly culled from top scholars in this collection. H.D. Brown, Rod Ellis, William Grabe, Marilyn Lewis, Paul Nation, David Nunan, Rebecca Oxford, Jack C. Richards, Fredricka Stoller, and Penny Ur are but a few of the great names in this galaxy of stars collection. On the other hand, these articles hardly represent their most cited works: most of these were published in journals of less renown, or in books edited by others. The principle purpose of this type of book is to illustrate the issues, not merely shortcut the library process.

Looking at Issues
The strength of this book is in its coverage. 16 sections are comprised of 41 articles covering lots of areas, including Lesson Planning, Tasks and Project Work, Teaching Listening, Teaching Speaking, Teaching Reading, Teaching Writing, Teaching Pronunciation, Teaching Grammar, Teaching Vocabulary, Assessment, Professional Development, and Technologies. Most articles include both a short review of current approaches and specific recommendations and examples for classroom teachers.

Organizational matters
Like a good anthology of literature, much of the strength of the book is found beyond the individual articles. The 41 chapters (articles) are organized into the 16 sections, which is a first way to keep oneself focused on the main issue. Each section begins with a brief introduction, which includes numerous cites beyond the articles listed within. Thus the book can be a "starter" for those initiating a new area of reading. Fortunately these introductions do not detract from the main message, delivered through the articles themselves.

This is a rather hefty book. The 8-page subject index at the back makes the book far more reader friendly, as concepts often cross the various sections and may be somewhat hidden by the article titles themselves. There is also an author index, comprised of the various cites in BOTH the section introductions and the articles themselves, another potentially useful tool. Credits for each article are contained in a short listing near the back of the book. These are big pages with good margins for scribblings. All this makes it a book one can return to in the future.

Working through it
This book requires lots of time. The individual articles are well-written, yet each handles its issue in its own way. This is not a textbook, it's more like sitting in the library and reading through several "general coverage" ELT journals: you need lots of breaks to digest what you've read. The section introductions, usually less than two pages, offer a nice short encapsulation of what is to come, but then an editing peculiarity strikes, one I found irritating. The discussion questions come immediately after the introductions, but this includes both "before reading" and "after reading" questions. It was annoying to have to go back to the introduction section to find the questions, and I found my eyes wandering ahead to "after reading" questions before I'd gotten to the articles. The number of questions provided (8-9 in most cases) and the editors' comment that the book is intended to cover the range of issues normally covered in ELT methodology courses leads me to believe that the book is envisioned as a set of readings for such a course, perhaps as a counter-part to Richards & Rodgers' (1986/2001) "Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching."

Conclusion
This is probably not the book every teacher will jump out to buy. It may well become a preferred title for required or recommended readings in a number of MATESOL programs, and would no doubt be useful for a teacher's workroom library as less experienced teachers aim to become better acquainted with various concepts. Richards & Renandya's "Methodology in Language Teaching" would be a very nice book for a small group of teachers engaging in weekly dialog (perhaps via email?) to work through. And I'm sure I'll revisit this anthology from time to time as I revisit various issues in my own continuing professional development.

New Ways in Teaching English at the Secondary Level and Perspectives on Secondary School EFL Education

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Teaching Resources beyond "Photocopiables"
This twin-review aims to be a compass - or perhaps a continuum - of practical classroom-oriented teacher resources. "New Ways in Teaching English at the Secondary Level," a TESOL Inc publication, is a prototypical "teacher's recipe book" of lesson activities, but done far better than most. Expertly tied together by editor Deborah Short, these lessons share a common presentation structure which makes flipping through the book a breeze. "Perspectives on Secondary School EFL Education," on the other hand, combines a number of different writing genres and serves as a broader resource tool. Jim Kahny and Mark James have edited the LIOJ-produced book with more flexibility, allowing the writers' own voices to emerge.

These materials offer ideas and resources that can be used to balance or selectively replace textbook offerings.

Beyond Survival
Some teacher resource and photocopiable collections are clearly oriented to helping novice teachers survive the next lesson. While less-skilled teachers could certainly benefit from the content of Short's and Kahny & James' compilations, what we find here is more wood for the fire, not fire-starter. Those reading this column no doubt subscribe to the belief that all teachers can do better: these materials offer ideas and resources that can be used to balance or selectively replace textbook offerings. But just as no two teachers teach the same book the same way, most of the lessons will need revision.

Who's Who and What's What
While these two books share a common aim, most all else is different. John Fanselow, J.D. Brown, Alan Maley, David Nunan, and Barbara Hoskins offer their own pearls of wisdom for Asia-based readers of Perspectives, and their highly readable essays offer solid overviews of the topics under discussion. Pulling in these names is quite a coup for a locally produced text! Local experts in Asia add another dozen essays with particular attention to local issues and realities. There are also brief overviews of the EFL situation in a number of Asian countries offered by LIOJ participants, though unfortunately many of these have become out of date as the ELT environment is swiftly changing. Nevertheless, these reports document the common threads underpinning most Asian English learners: an important issue that organizations such as Asia TEFL and the Pan Asia Consortium (of national ELT organizations across Asia, including JALT, Korea TESOL, English Teachers Assn. of Taiwan, Thailand TESOL, and FEELTA-Russia) are attempting to address. On the other hand, there aren't many lesson plans, these seem to be almost an afterthought. Clearly the focus is on teaching styles and aims, not just the next lesson hour.

New Ways is filled with over 100 lesson outlines. It would be hard to find more quality lesson designs in any one book, but the fact is, roughly half of these are very "inner-circle" dependent - that is, it might be very difficult to implement them in Asian lands where there aren't speakers of English standing on every street corner. Inventive teachers could adapt many of these to local circumstances, perhaps. These are not theoretically-grounded templates, but hands-on "ready to go" lessons written not by scholars, but classroom teachers.

Conclusion
There are lots of "lessons in a can" products on the bookstore shelves, and each has its own merits and shortcomings. New Ways and Perspectives are those non-matching bookends that represent the ends of the classroom resources continuum on at least two levels: locally produced EFL vs. American ESL; and standardized lesson plans versus freestyle presentations of ideas, theory, and tricks. Each of these has much to offer the teachers' workroom bookshelf, as they address differing teaching and learning styles. Have both, and several others as well, within arm's reach!

Second Language Teaching & Learning

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A book for real teachers
Far too many "Teach English" books tell us about the ideal, what we should strive for, without the dust and dirt of a real EFL classroom. Sure, they may include glimpses of learners (most often in pristine US or UK ESL settings), but these are often prototypical facsimiles of students, producing predictable errors. David Nunan's "Second Language Teaching & Learning" takes us into the real world faced by real teachers of English in EFL settings. It is all the more valuable to us in Asia, because we too teach students who aren't surrounded by English, who don't need English to survive.

Books that balance and integrate theory with practice are, unfortunately, rather less common than we would wish. Here we see that the ideal does exist.

Not Shy
Many of us have heard Nunan speak at conferences. His approach rings throughout this book — he is not afraid to identify where he differs from others. The book often includes "first person I" statements, which can be a bit disconcerting at first. You know, "scholarship isn't written like this." This orientation is hinted at in the introduction, where Nunan advises that "this is a personal account... [it] reflects my own struggles... and illustrates the practical solutions I have sought to the challenges posed by my learners." But you'll come to appreciate the personal nature of this discussion when Nunan introduces his classes and students, with all their flaws and peculiarities. That includes student comments that could be construed as less positive.

Usefulness
There comes a time (especially during the summer) when I've read enough theory. There are, of course, plenty of "photocopiables" and "survival tips" books out there, we have even reviewed a few in this column, but they have limited scope beyond the specifics they offer. Books that balance and integrate theory with practice are, unfortunately, rather less common than we would wish. Here we see that the ideal does exist. Most readers would agree that Nunan has done an excellent job in weaving theory and classroom realities throughout the book, particularly in Chapter 5 (Focus on the learner).

Organization
Unlike many texts, Second Language Teaching & Learning offers both opening and closing outlines for each chapter. Of still greater interest, the closing outlines are "concept maps." These could be really useful for those with that type of learning style, though it isn't mine. More importantly, Nunan is integrating one of his "teaching points" into his product, an approach that is unfortunately rare. (Consider the classic saying "Do as I say, not as I do," and how it often applies to books on teaching!) There are also references at the end of each chapter (though there is not a compiled list at the end of the book), and the inevitable questions/tasks for readers. The index at the back of the book is useful, the glossary very much so. Interestingly, the index points to both the in-text introduction of a term, and the glossary listing—this is a very useful feature.

Three major sections organize the presentation: the first three chapters are more theoretical, "setting the table" as it were. Part II ties learning theories to language learning realities. And chapters 7 - 10 are discuss the discrete skills in language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Application
There are lots of neat ideas we can apply in our classes scattered throughout the text. The book is filled with examples from classroom textbooks, and even if you find some of those student exercises to be uninteresting, they are, at least, concrete examples of the concept under discussion. I particularly like the learning styles worksheets for students in Chapters 5, 6, and the appendix, several of which I intend to use next semester. Teaching the four skills are dealt with in some detail, this is roughly 1/3 of the text. Teachers will finish each of the chapters in this book with new ideas to try: perhaps specific tasks for learners, but also general pedagogical concepts to reorient themselves as teachers.

Conclusion
I began the book with some trepidation: it is a required text in many graduate school programs. Chapters 1 and 2 cover ground that many books address, and can be a slow start for more well-read teachers. Things take off with Chapter 3, Nunan presents things interestingly and clearly throughout. If you are skimming or scanning the text in your bookstore, be sure to spend some time in the middle chapters. These will convince you that this is a book you'll want to read.

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Un-textbook
It's a paperback book that spent some time on the New York Times best-sellers list. Unrevised from the 1994 release, Steven Pinker's "The Language Instinct" is no less timely now than then, though some of the references might be updated. Why an un-textbook? Because this is required reading in a number of MATESOL/Applied Linguistics courses, as well as in numerous TESOL Diploma programs. Yet it reads like a popular non-fiction. Mostly.

Pinker did the best job I've yet seen on making Universal Grammar accessible to those of us with IQ scores under 180.

Enjoyable Reading
This guy can write! The book was a pleasure to savor, excellent wordsmithing throughout, clarity in discussion everywhere except for the chapters discussing Universal Grammar. But then, who can make Chomsky's Universal Grammar comprehensible? Even here, Pinker did the best job I've yet seen on making UG accessible to those of us with IQ scores under 180.

But never mind Chomsky. The book is filled with quips, anecdotes, and analogies for the common man - everything but Bart Simpson (and I got to expect that next!). Any book that has remarks from Noam Chomsky, Atlantic Montly, and William F. Buckley on the back cover merits caution, but in fact I found the book generally accessible and entertaining. Not at all what one would expect from a professor of cognitive science at MIT! It's not quite the thing while standing on the subway, but certainly fine for quiet evenings at home. Be prepared to engage your mind.

Fundamentals
We've all read those "profound" textbooks (in whichever subject area), written by those Lords of scholarship, that grace us with absolute truths. I suppose Pinker slips a few of those in here too, but most of it is much closer to us mere mortals. I rather like his approach, with statements such as "I think common sense wins this one" (p. 149).

On the other hand, this isn't really a book that will "teach" you anything. You'll learn a lot, because virtually every statement is substantiated with both research and really clear examples, but Pinker crosses so many lines that it's hard to come away with any particular single item in mind. The Language Instinct is less about mastering the details than a position paper: a barrage of information that would overwhelm those offering other perspectives on how language is acquired. Again and again the book refers to Darwinism and the physiology of humans, often with comparisons to other animals. For Pinker, clearly language is less about learning than tuning and training that which is within us, hence the name "Language Instinct."

Immoderate Positions
Pinker is not shy, and no doubt there are many who disagree with many of his positions. Earlier chapters were of great interest to me, where he takes on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and Krashen's input hypothesis. I'm not totally convinced, but it was nice to read clearly-thought opposing positions to these concepts which have become so much a staple of shilly-shally "weak-form communicative language teaching" workshops.

But...
I guess, as an expert on cognition, he thinks he has to take us down these paths of how the brain works - sort of like the computer expert that insists on teaching us what is going on in the background while we just want the wordprocessor to work. Even when he finally admits that various experts disagree, and the real answer is yet unknown. So why did you tell me all that?

Conclusion
Read the book. Skip or brush a couple of the denser chapters if you must, it really bogs down in a few places where grammar and sentence comprehension comes to the fore, but the rest is brilliant. You won't agree with all of it: frequently Pinker does a good job of portraying two sides of an argument, and you may find yourself agreeing rather more with the side he does not take, but you will increase your understanding of the issues.

Pragmatics

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The first primer
Probably all of us have one or more books at home we are "going to get around to." Often the subject difficulty, writing style, and length of the reading is what keeps it gathering dust. And some folks just avoid certain topic areas because they "sound hard." The field of pragmatics was one of those for me. Fortunately, the Oxford Introductions to Language Study series has a volume just for us! With a simple name: Pragmatics.

George Yule, one of the great names in Linguistics, has written a book that all of us can enjoy. It's short, but more than that, it's readable. On the other hand, as I've noted in an ELT News review of another volume in this series (Psycholinguistics), these are no "idiot's guides."

pragmatics are scholars' notes on language in use that have fallen into the linguistics wastebasket because they don't fit abstract, universal principles of language

What are pragmatics?
Prof Yule offers four simple characterizations of pragmatics on page three, in lieu of a formal definition, but I particularly like his later depiction that pragmatics are scholars' notes on language in use that have fallen into the linguistics wastebasket because they don't fit abstract, universal principles of language. How can we not appreciate any teacher who offers his subject in such lowly fashion?

Organization
Each title in this series has roughly the same design. I especially like the Survey (section 1) which in this case is an 87 page, nine chapter overview of the field. This is followed by a few "key texts" for each topic covered (chapter by chapter): these are basically 100-250 word clips from notable scholarly papers or books, with a few questions after each, very much in "textbook" fashion. Then comes recommended readings. What sets this series apart is the rating system in these annotated bibliographies. One, two, or three black boxes indicate the reading challenge, from introductory (one black box) to specialized and very demanding reading (three black boxes). The last book section is particularly welcomed, a comprehensive, short answer glossary with page reference. Why don't more books give us this type of glossary? It is the glossary that converts this from a one-use reader to a helpful quick reference.

Comprehensiveness
Obviously, this is not the book your MATESOL professor would select as a principle coursebook. For one thing, grad school texts aren't supposed to be this easy, or this fun! But really, when a book offers only 87 pages for a topic others expound upon for more than 387, something has to be missing. I don't know pragmatics past what this book teaches, so don't ask me what's missing! On the other hand, were I to teach a graduate school class to non-native English speaking teachers of English (and I do), I would strongly consider using this type of book as a counter-point to a more comprehensive text in the teachers' L1 so that they become more familiar with the terminology and argumentation of the field in English.

Interpretation
Since pragmatics as a field of study is interested in how we interpret or understand meanings in context, I thought I'd close this review with this topic. How do we make sense of each other? Darn if I know, and looking at the writings on pragmatics, seeing how the various experts argue with each other, I'm not convinced they know either. Perhaps those scholars' notes really do belong in the wastebasket. On the other hand, I welcome you to take the minimal investment in time (and money) to read through Yule's Pragmatics and come to your own conclusions.

Reference
ELT News review of Psycholinguistics, Scovel, T. (1998).