What do you think?
Rate this book
Big Questions in ELT
This book addresses twenty-one themes related to the teaching of English as a second or foreign language, and is organized around a series of key questions. For example, ‘How many words do learners need to know?’, ‘Do rules help you learn a language?’ and ‘Where do errors come from?’ Based on a very popular blog, the author has re-crafted the original posts to take into account the discussion that each one provoked. So that the book can be used in a training context, he has also added eight discussion questions to each theme, as well as a full list of references, and links to the relevant posts on his blog. Each theme is attractively illustrated with original designs by Piet Lüthi.
- GenresLinguisticsEducation
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2013
15 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Scott Thornbury
57 books123 followersMy name is Scott Thornbury. I'm a teacher and teacher educator, with over 30 years' experience in English language teaching, and an MA from the University of Reading. I am currently Associate Professor of English Language Studies at the New School in New York, where I teach on an on-line MA TESOL program. My previous experience includes teaching and teacher training in Egypt, UK, Spain (where I live), and in my native New Zealand. My writing credits include several award-winning books for teachers on language and methodology. I am series editor for the Cambridge Handbooks for Teachers (CUP). I was also the co-founder of the dogme ELT group.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 26, 2014
Everything You Wanted to Know about ELT (But Were Afraid to Google)
ELT revolutionary Scott Thornbury, of “Beyond the Sentence”, “Uncovering Grammar” & pretty much every book you read for your DELTA fame, has been deeply missed these last few months while his influential “An A to Z of ELT” blog has been off the air, but the absence has been fruitful as he returns from digital exile with this back-engineered e-book courtesy of those tech-gurus at The Round.
Great Scott condenses two years of highly insightful blogging into a list of 21 key questions on everything from methodology to mother tongue and fluency to flow which he takes on in an entirely un-dogmatic way resulting in a few flesh wounds to, if not the actual sacrifice of, even some of his own sacred cows and of course far more questions than answers.
The big questions are for the most part well chosen, presumably having been the ones that drew the biggest response upon their original online appearance, and the authors easy going writing style draws the reader into to the sometimes quite complex subjects with entertaining references to his own and his colleagues real life teaching and learning experiences.
The questions are elaborated on with references to an extraordinary array of obscure publications demonstrating an apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of the literature which would have undoubtedly earned the author the sobriquet of the Chomsky of linguistics if it hadn’t been for the rather unfortunate fact that Chomsky himself had already somewhat colourlessly claimed that title.
Of course the true revolution here is the long conversation’s e-book, who’d had believed just a few years ago that we’d be able to take a small chunk of the interwebs, remove all those pesky hyperlinks and reorganise it sequentially in book form; one hopes that something new has been added but I really can’t be bothered to trawl back through and check, which maybe proves a point.
That the issues are framed as questions is partly due to the fact that there are still no answers... - Scott Thornbury
ELT revolutionary Scott Thornbury, of “Beyond the Sentence”, “Uncovering Grammar” & pretty much every book you read for your DELTA fame, has been deeply missed these last few months while his influential “An A to Z of ELT” blog has been off the air, but the absence has been fruitful as he returns from digital exile with this back-engineered e-book courtesy of those tech-gurus at The Round.
Great Scott condenses two years of highly insightful blogging into a list of 21 key questions on everything from methodology to mother tongue and fluency to flow which he takes on in an entirely un-dogmatic way resulting in a few flesh wounds to, if not the actual sacrifice of, even some of his own sacred cows and of course far more questions than answers.
The big questions are for the most part well chosen, presumably having been the ones that drew the biggest response upon their original online appearance, and the authors easy going writing style draws the reader into to the sometimes quite complex subjects with entertaining references to his own and his colleagues real life teaching and learning experiences.
The questions are elaborated on with references to an extraordinary array of obscure publications demonstrating an apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of the literature which would have undoubtedly earned the author the sobriquet of the Chomsky of linguistics if it hadn’t been for the rather unfortunate fact that Chomsky himself had already somewhat colourlessly claimed that title.
Of course the true revolution here is the long conversation’s e-book, who’d had believed just a few years ago that we’d be able to take a small chunk of the interwebs, remove all those pesky hyperlinks and reorganise it sequentially in book form; one hopes that something new has been added but I really can’t be bothered to trawl back through and check, which maybe proves a point.
That the issues are framed as questions is partly due to the fact that there are still no answers... - Scott Thornbury
March 9, 2018
Thornbury has written an accessible book for novice and experienced teachers. It's a great addition if you're aiming at brushing up your theoretical knowledge of classroom practice. As practitioners of language, teachers strive to keep in touch with the latest methods, techniques and findings of research to complement their classroom practice. However, the purpose of this short book, alongside revisiting second language acquisition-related topics, is not to give you a deep thought to ponder on in your own context.
For example, is role learning - such as memorizing a plethora of words - worthwhile for learners? Well, we know that the behaviorist approach advocated by Krashen, for example, tries to replace rote memorization with repetition of the target language in the form of drills. But Thronbury shows some research that suggests otherwise, when observing some highly proficiently Chinese users of English share their successful experience of learning English through memorizing chunks of words, colloquialism from movies. This perspective for us teachers deserves our attention, since most of our practice is underpinned by the communicative approach that relies on meaningful, purposeful interaction among learners in pairs or groups.
What was thought-provoking to me was the sociocultural theory where Thornbury shares the story of a Swedish learner. Teaching him online (probably in the early days of online teaching), Thornbury wanted him to notice the use gerund (e.g. like playING music). Instead of exposing him to the grammar explicitly, he asked him (What music do you like playing?) and the learner's attention, as well as natural use of the form was produced. This is called self-regulation in a sociocultural theory. It made me rethink the idea of controlled practice versus practiced control where you focus the learners' attention on the form implicitly. However, I'm concerned that it might not be effective in other cultures where passive learner usually takes precedence. In such context, teachers must be as explicit as possible.
Of course, Thornbury doesn't expect the teacher to address or apply - I think - those big questions he's posing. To think about them in our teaching as practitioners of English will surely raise our awareness and perhaps lead us to change and react to what stagnant practice in our teaching context.
Overall, this is a recommended book for both teachers and soon-to-be teachers, too.
For example, is role learning - such as memorizing a plethora of words - worthwhile for learners? Well, we know that the behaviorist approach advocated by Krashen, for example, tries to replace rote memorization with repetition of the target language in the form of drills. But Thronbury shows some research that suggests otherwise, when observing some highly proficiently Chinese users of English share their successful experience of learning English through memorizing chunks of words, colloquialism from movies. This perspective for us teachers deserves our attention, since most of our practice is underpinned by the communicative approach that relies on meaningful, purposeful interaction among learners in pairs or groups.
What was thought-provoking to me was the sociocultural theory where Thornbury shares the story of a Swedish learner. Teaching him online (probably in the early days of online teaching), Thornbury wanted him to notice the use gerund (e.g. like playING music). Instead of exposing him to the grammar explicitly, he asked him (What music do you like playing?) and the learner's attention, as well as natural use of the form was produced. This is called self-regulation in a sociocultural theory. It made me rethink the idea of controlled practice versus practiced control where you focus the learners' attention on the form implicitly. However, I'm concerned that it might not be effective in other cultures where passive learner usually takes precedence. In such context, teachers must be as explicit as possible.
Of course, Thornbury doesn't expect the teacher to address or apply - I think - those big questions he's posing. To think about them in our teaching as practitioners of English will surely raise our awareness and perhaps lead us to change and react to what stagnant practice in our teaching context.
Overall, this is a recommended book for both teachers and soon-to-be teachers, too.
June 11, 2019
Thought-provoking e-book. Not in a controversial way. The staring at the clouds way, I mean.
Fairly interactive in that the e-book has links to Thornbury's blog, where others have been quite active ruminating about these very questions already. Therein lies the rub. Scott's blog has much or all of the content, which was the source material for book.
Enjoyed Questions for Discussion at the end of each chapter. It is worth noting your own responses to the questions. Always good to articulate one's thoughts.
Fairly interactive in that the e-book has links to Thornbury's blog, where others have been quite active ruminating about these very questions already. Therein lies the rub. Scott's blog has much or all of the content, which was the source material for book.
Enjoyed Questions for Discussion at the end of each chapter. It is worth noting your own responses to the questions. Always good to articulate one's thoughts.
December 1, 2025
Brief, to the point, backed up by research, and including a list of reflection questions.
June 9, 2015
Thornbury's reworked collection of blog entries is a wonderful read for anyone who' s interested in ELT. His style flows and captures the mind of the linguistically and sociologically perceptive. There were times when I laughed at his comments on teacher student dynamics - as a recent practitioner I could totally relate. And at times his questions delve into psychological and historic questions that really push the boundaries beyond practice and urge you to reflect on true communication. This simple complex skill we just so take for granted. I particularly commend his challenge to all teachers to be risk takers in the classroom. That is when authentic exchanges truly happen in a meaningful purposeful context.
March 21, 2015
A very stimulating read and very much worthwhile. Thornbury's still got the stuff.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews