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Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers
Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom
A guide to current ideas about the theory and practice of English language teaching.
Tricia Hedge believes that although there are huge differences in the way that English is taught around the world, teachers typically find themselves having to face similar issues. What do I set up as aims for my next lesson with this class and what kind of activities will help to achieve those aims? How do I deal with this reading text in class? What amount of out-of-class work can I reasonably expect my learners to do? How do I make best use of a textbook I am not entirely happy with? These are just a few examples of the many questions typically asked by teachers which she addresses in this book.
Although insights from research can help, there are no 'right answers' provided. Instead, the aim is to give you a solid foundation of knowledge which you can use to evaluate and apply your own ideas about teaching and learning.
The book is organized into four parts.
- Part One ('A framework for teaching and learning') looks at insights from research into learners, learning, and language in use and discusses how these have influenced methodology and materials in ELT. Specific topics covered include: the use of communicative tasks in the classroom, the concept of learner strategies and how you can train your students to develop them, the growth of interactive methodology and its consequences in changing the roles of teacher and learner.
- Part Two ('Teaching the language system') focuses on vocabulary and grammar, and Part Three ('Developing the language skills') on the traditional four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. There is also discussion of how these different areas fit together.
- Part Four ('Planning and assessing learning') moves on to wider issues. Chapter 10 on course design refers back to topics covered earlier in the book. Chapter 11 deals with the relationship between teaching and different forms of assessment.
There is an Introductory task at the start of each chapter (with supporting guidance notes), as well as a Discussion topics and projects section - which can be used for group discussion - at the end.
The book also has a complete glossary, further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter, a bibliography, and a full index.
Tricia Hedge believes that although there are huge differences in the way that English is taught around the world, teachers typically find themselves having to face similar issues. What do I set up as aims for my next lesson with this class and what kind of activities will help to achieve those aims? How do I deal with this reading text in class? What amount of out-of-class work can I reasonably expect my learners to do? How do I make best use of a textbook I am not entirely happy with? These are just a few examples of the many questions typically asked by teachers which she addresses in this book.
Although insights from research can help, there are no 'right answers' provided. Instead, the aim is to give you a solid foundation of knowledge which you can use to evaluate and apply your own ideas about teaching and learning.
The book is organized into four parts.
- Part One ('A framework for teaching and learning') looks at insights from research into learners, learning, and language in use and discusses how these have influenced methodology and materials in ELT. Specific topics covered include: the use of communicative tasks in the classroom, the concept of learner strategies and how you can train your students to develop them, the growth of interactive methodology and its consequences in changing the roles of teacher and learner.
- Part Two ('Teaching the language system') focuses on vocabulary and grammar, and Part Three ('Developing the language skills') on the traditional four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. There is also discussion of how these different areas fit together.
- Part Four ('Planning and assessing learning') moves on to wider issues. Chapter 10 on course design refers back to topics covered earlier in the book. Chapter 11 deals with the relationship between teaching and different forms of assessment.
There is an Introductory task at the start of each chapter (with supporting guidance notes), as well as a Discussion topics and projects section - which can be used for group discussion - at the end.
The book also has a complete glossary, further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter, a bibliography, and a full index.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2000
53 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Tricia Hedge
210 books5 followersTricia Hedge is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Nottingham University. Since 1972 she has taught students and teachers in universities in Sweden, Japan and the UK on a wide variety of programmes: English for Academic Purposes, English for Professional Purposes, and both pre-service and in-service education.
Tricia is the author of Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom and Resource Books for Teachers: Writing, the first edition of which won the English Speaking Union's Duke of Edinburgh award. She is also co-editor of Power, Pedagogy and Practice and founder editor of the Oxford Bookworms Library series, published by Oxford University Press. She is a former editor of ELT Journal.
Tricia is the author of Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom and Resource Books for Teachers: Writing, the first edition of which won the English Speaking Union's Duke of Edinburgh award. She is also co-editor of Power, Pedagogy and Practice and founder editor of the Oxford Bookworms Library series, published by Oxford University Press. She is a former editor of ELT Journal.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 6, 2015
A great general read pre-Delta. Includes an overview of pertinent questions about teaching and learning, and a practical examination of how learners aquire second and other languages, and the implications for teaching across the main systems and the four skills areas.
I'm very glad I invested the time to read this before I started the course!
I'm very glad I invested the time to read this before I started the course!
October 14, 2013
If you are an experienced teacher already, you'll find your way through this book; If not, you'll face lots of ideas to grasp.
August 2, 2020
Really good book for those embarking on Delta. It will help with Module 1, especially Paper 2 tasks. And for Module 3, see Part 4 of the book on Course Design and Assessment.
It is a bit dated (2000). Most classroom practice techniques are done with PPP in mind. However, the Course Design unit mentions TBL and project-based learning. There are quite a few examples of published materials illustrating connections between skills and systems.
I wish I had read this before starting.
It is a bit dated (2000). Most classroom practice techniques are done with PPP in mind. However, the Course Design unit mentions TBL and project-based learning. There are quite a few examples of published materials illustrating connections between skills and systems.
I wish I had read this before starting.
March 22, 2021
Required reading for graduate school. It is a dense book, but the information presented in it quite generalized and easy to grasp. Useful for teachers new to the field.
May 5, 2016
In this book by Tricia Hedge, we get an insight into various aspects of teaching, both theoretical and practical. The book is divided in four parts: A framework for teaching and learning, Teaching the language system, Developing the language skills, and Planning and assessing learning; which will serve as the structure for our review.
In the first part, we get an insight into the most theoretical aspects of teaching and learning from which we can highlight the following: the differences that affect the learning and teaching, the roles of teachers and learners, the different components of communicative language ability, and classroom management. We emphasize these aspects due to the fact that they have served as an inspirational reading for reflecting on our teaching process and for the development of our unit of work.
The second part is centred on the teaching of vocabulary and grammar. It provides multiple and varying resources for teaching these two aspects of the language as well as some studies for supporting the choices of materials. From this chapter, we do not highlight a concrete piece of knowledge, but the encouraging aspect and advices for designing our own materials.
The third chapter deals with the development of the four skills on our students. It provides an overview on how to build and improve our students’ writing, speaking, listening and reading skills step by step, which tools we may use to do this and how to motivate our students to develop them. It is a must-read chapter, as it helps us to identify which elements of each one of the skills can be integrated into our unit of work or our lesson planning for the academic year, and how to make the most of these activities or tasks. It also makes us reflect that the four skills have to be developed in the curriculum, as all of them are important in communication, which is our final goal: to develop our students’ ability to communicate in English.
Finally, the last chapter presents the design of a course and the assessment of the students as well as the teaching process. This final chapter has been the most interesting for the development of both our unit of work and our future job. The author provides plenty of examples of design of units and the advantages and disadvantages of using one type or another; all this supported by experts’ opinions and researches. This part could also be used as a theoretical framework or as inspiration for our unit. The part on assessment is also very valuable for our future job as teachers: it helps us to reflect on what a suitable evaluation is and how to evaluate which benefits and disadvantages it may have. It also helps us to consider which types of evaluation we would like to implement in our teaching process and in the students’ learning process.
Therefore, this book serves as a source for English teachers to improve and reflect on their teaching process.
In the first part, we get an insight into the most theoretical aspects of teaching and learning from which we can highlight the following: the differences that affect the learning and teaching, the roles of teachers and learners, the different components of communicative language ability, and classroom management. We emphasize these aspects due to the fact that they have served as an inspirational reading for reflecting on our teaching process and for the development of our unit of work.
The second part is centred on the teaching of vocabulary and grammar. It provides multiple and varying resources for teaching these two aspects of the language as well as some studies for supporting the choices of materials. From this chapter, we do not highlight a concrete piece of knowledge, but the encouraging aspect and advices for designing our own materials.
The third chapter deals with the development of the four skills on our students. It provides an overview on how to build and improve our students’ writing, speaking, listening and reading skills step by step, which tools we may use to do this and how to motivate our students to develop them. It is a must-read chapter, as it helps us to identify which elements of each one of the skills can be integrated into our unit of work or our lesson planning for the academic year, and how to make the most of these activities or tasks. It also makes us reflect that the four skills have to be developed in the curriculum, as all of them are important in communication, which is our final goal: to develop our students’ ability to communicate in English.
Finally, the last chapter presents the design of a course and the assessment of the students as well as the teaching process. This final chapter has been the most interesting for the development of both our unit of work and our future job. The author provides plenty of examples of design of units and the advantages and disadvantages of using one type or another; all this supported by experts’ opinions and researches. This part could also be used as a theoretical framework or as inspiration for our unit. The part on assessment is also very valuable for our future job as teachers: it helps us to reflect on what a suitable evaluation is and how to evaluate which benefits and disadvantages it may have. It also helps us to consider which types of evaluation we would like to implement in our teaching process and in the students’ learning process.
Therefore, this book serves as a source for English teachers to improve and reflect on their teaching process.
September 3, 2014
Little bit fluffy sometimes (a lack of solid reasons for asserting certain points annoys often). Besides this (one can find the reasons and the research in other books, journals, etc.), it is a helpful title to put in your library.
March 21, 2008
Methods
Read
March 6, 2013i couldn't read the book
Currently reading
October 5, 2013Maybe the book would be enlightening.
May 13, 2015
Some interesting ideas, but overall not great. I feel that the book poses many questions it never answers.
Want to read
January 18, 2017well done
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews