The Cambridge Guide to Pedagogy and Practice in Second Language Teaching Anne Burns & Jack C. Richards (Eds.)
Cambridge University Press, 2012
Reviewed by Arizio Sweeting
As an educator and researcher, I am always on the lookout for useful titles which draw not only on current theory and research, but also on practical approaches for the classroom. In The Cambridge Guide to Pedagogy and Practice in Second Language Teaching, I have found a useful and comprehensive account of emerging issues and approaches in second language teaching. Beginning with an informative and easy-to-read introduction by the editors, the book contains 30 chapters divided into five sections about pedagogy and practice. Logistically, one feature of this book I particularly like is the fact that each section starts with a brief introductory summary which makes it easy for the reader to select chapters relevant to their own interest. In Section 1, ‘Rethinking our understanding of teaching’, the reader will find five papers on contemporary concepts, philosophies and approaches in English language teaching, which range from topics such as English as an international language to competence and performance in language teaching. Section 2 is dedicated to learner diversity and classroom learning and is especially relevant for people interested in the literature and advice on how to deal with issues of classroom management, learner strategies, motivation, teaching mixed-level and/or large classes, as well as young learners, teenagers and adults. Section 3, in its turn, covers pedagogical approaches and practices, such as task-based, text-based, content-based, outcomes-based, and literacy-based teaching and learning, as well as English for Academic Purposes and English for Specific Purposes. Section 4,‘Components of the curriculum’, focuses on recent research, theory and practice in the areas of language skills and language systems, including listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar instruction. The fifth and final section of the book, entitled ‘Media and materials’,
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is a rather short section and looks closely at materials development and the use of technology and online and blended learning in the classroom. Given the scope and depth of this book, there’s really something to suit every teacher’s academic and professional interests. Personally, I found two chapters particularly motivating to read, ‘Class-centred teaching: A framework for classroom decision-making’, by Rose M. Senior, and ‘Pronunciation instruction’, by Donna M. Brinton. A strong advocate for sound group dynamics in the language classroom, Senior’s paper provides a fresh perspective on ways of interpreting classroom behaviour and teaching, while Brinton’s paper offers a useful but brief description of the history of pronunciation instruction and raises some important considerations for effective pronunciation teaching. For me, the highlight of Senior’s chapter was her group dynamics principles for class-centred teaching, and the highlight of Briton’s was her overview of traditional and current pronunciation teaching techniques, such as the use of phonemic symbols, saggital diagrams, drills, games, information-gap activities, roleplays and so on. In summary, although The Cambridge Guide to Pedagogy and Practice in Second Language Teaching might seem at a glance to be a collection of articles of a purely academic nature, it is in fact a well-balanced resource in terms of theory and practice. One small criticism I would make, perhaps, relates to the shortness of Section 5, ‘Media and materials’. In times of much emphasis on the use of technology in language education, it is surprising that such a resource has been so economical on the issue. Nevertheless, Chapter 29, by Mike Levy on ‘Technology in the Classroom’, is a comprehensive and enjoyable reading experience on the topic. In his article, Levy discusses key issues related to the teaching of skills and language using Computer-Assisted Language Learning and acknowledges, for instance, the relevancy of technologies such as voice chats, audio blogs and other audio-video applications in the development of speaking skills. All in all, The Cambridge Guide to Pedagogy and Practice in Second Language Teaching is a book full of useful articles and reference lists which caters for anyone with a particular interest in second language education and methodology.
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Arizio Sweeting works for the Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education at the University of Queensland. He is the author of Language Through Film (Phoenix Education Pty) and a guest blogger for the OUP ELT Global Blog. His blog, Pronunciation Central (http://proncentral.wordpress.com), is a resource for teachers interested in pronunciation methodology.
[email protected] Twitter: @ariziosweeting
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