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ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional
Teaching English to Second Language Learners in Academic Contexts
Teaching English to Second Language Learners in Academic Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking provides the fundamental knowledge that ESL and EFL teachers need to teach the four language skills. This foundational text, written by internationally renowned experts in the field, explains why skills-based teaching is at the heart of effective instruction in English for academic purposes (EAP) contexts. Each of the four main sections of the book helps readers understand how each skill―reading, writing, listening, and speaking―works and explains what research has to say about successful skill performance. Pedagogically focused chapters apply this information to principles for EAP curriculum design and to instructional activities and tasks adaptable in a wide range of language-learning contexts. Options for assessment and the role of digital technologies are considered for each skill, and essential information on integrated-skill instruction is provided. Moving from theory to practice, this teacher-friendly text is an essential resource for courses in TESOL programs, for in-service teacher-training seminars, and for practicing EAP teachers who want to upgrade their teaching abilities and knowledge bases.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2008
26 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 1, 2015
The PROS: This textbook does a good job of providing you ideas for teaching speaking and listening outside of lesson plans or a syllabus. It also attempts to provide you with a framework for setting up a listening or speaking course while justifying it with research. It's rare to find that balance in a book for teachers that tries to incorporate both readability and a research justification for teaching ideas. I appreciate this book's attempt at doing this very thing. I wouldn't skip the first chapter by the way -- it's not a bad way of thinking about the overall theory behind course design if you have to create a class from stratch.
The CONS: As another reviewer pointed out, some of the research is old (from the 1950s and 1960s). Whether or not the same results would come out today is debatable. It doesn't help you integrate the ideas into a lesson plan or overall syllabus for a language course outside of sample appendices (only Appendix 1 really does this too). There is not a lot of depth to some of the chapters and, consequently, they are not too helpful (testing chapter, pronunciation).
For the benefit of those who might want to read this book, I will list the contents of the chapters:
Chapter 1 -- Justification for the "Four Strands" Approach
Chapter 2 -- Ideas/Activities to Teach Listening and Speaking to Beginners
Chapter 3 -- General Listening Teaching Strategies
Chapter 4 -- Dictation and Dictation-Related Activities
Chapter 5 -- Tips for Teaching Pronunciation
Chapter 6 -- Learning through Negotiation in Task-Based Learning
Chapter 7 -- Learning through Pushed Output
Chapter 8 -- Language-focused Learning (Grammar, Vocabulary, etc.)
Chapter 9 -- Ideas/Activities for Developing Fluency
Chapter 10 -- Monitoring/Testing Listening and Speaking
One of the authors of this text, Jonathan Newton, told me personally that it "needs to be updated for the 21st century, but still has some good ideas in it." I believe that assessment is correct; the book is a good start for useful, research-based teaching suggestions but other books could probably do better if someone put their mind to it.
Until then, books like this one will have to serve..
(This is one of five books I plan to read as self-study before I go back to South Korea and finish my academic program here in New Zealand that has a relation to English teaching -- four to go..)
The CONS: As another reviewer pointed out, some of the research is old (from the 1950s and 1960s). Whether or not the same results would come out today is debatable. It doesn't help you integrate the ideas into a lesson plan or overall syllabus for a language course outside of sample appendices (only Appendix 1 really does this too). There is not a lot of depth to some of the chapters and, consequently, they are not too helpful (testing chapter, pronunciation).
For the benefit of those who might want to read this book, I will list the contents of the chapters:
Chapter 1 -- Justification for the "Four Strands" Approach
Chapter 2 -- Ideas/Activities to Teach Listening and Speaking to Beginners
Chapter 3 -- General Listening Teaching Strategies
Chapter 4 -- Dictation and Dictation-Related Activities
Chapter 5 -- Tips for Teaching Pronunciation
Chapter 6 -- Learning through Negotiation in Task-Based Learning
Chapter 7 -- Learning through Pushed Output
Chapter 8 -- Language-focused Learning (Grammar, Vocabulary, etc.)
Chapter 9 -- Ideas/Activities for Developing Fluency
Chapter 10 -- Monitoring/Testing Listening and Speaking
One of the authors of this text, Jonathan Newton, told me personally that it "needs to be updated for the 21st century, but still has some good ideas in it." I believe that assessment is correct; the book is a good start for useful, research-based teaching suggestions but other books could probably do better if someone put their mind to it.
Until then, books like this one will have to serve..
(This is one of five books I plan to read as self-study before I go back to South Korea and finish my academic program here in New Zealand that has a relation to English teaching -- four to go..)
February 18, 2017
This fairly easy to read, straight-forward book on teaching speaking and listening really does a good job of connecting research with in-class practices. One of the better ESL teaching books I have read. If you teach English, check out this one.
October 23, 2015
Paul Nation's and Jonathan Newton's book Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking is an excellent resource. The book is especially helpful in how a teacher could organize her course objectives. It is also helpful with providing various activities for ESL/EFL learners. Nation and Newton also provide suggestions for certain levels of vocabulary that should be emphasized at different levels of language proficiency. Thumbs up.
August 9, 2013
While not the most user-friendly text, there is much helpful information and effective strategies for teaching the two underrated aspects of learning English, listening and speaking.
Do yourself a favor and skip chapter 1 altogether. If the author wanted to get the attention of readers with an engaging beginning, he failed miserably. Start instead with chapter 2, entitled "Beginning to Listen and Speak in Another Language." Believe me, you will save yourself a big headache in doing this!
Furthermore, some of the research the author uses dates back, at times, to the 1960s and 1970s. I am sure there are elements of this research that can still prove helpful today, but the times in education, they are a'changin', and more recent research, while included, could further be utilized still.
In spite of a few misgivings, the activities and strategies mentioned in this book can prove to be useful, and all in all, I would recommend this book to any teacher teaching English Language Learners.
Do yourself a favor and skip chapter 1 altogether. If the author wanted to get the attention of readers with an engaging beginning, he failed miserably. Start instead with chapter 2, entitled "Beginning to Listen and Speak in Another Language." Believe me, you will save yourself a big headache in doing this!
Furthermore, some of the research the author uses dates back, at times, to the 1960s and 1970s. I am sure there are elements of this research that can still prove helpful today, but the times in education, they are a'changin', and more recent research, while included, could further be utilized still.
In spite of a few misgivings, the activities and strategies mentioned in this book can prove to be useful, and all in all, I would recommend this book to any teacher teaching English Language Learners.
April 10, 2017
A comprehensive book at all levels from overall rationale for the balance of the syllabus down to large numbers of suggestions for individual activity types. It impressively brings together a large amount of research and is a very efficient use of time for a reader wanting their teaching practice to be well informed by research. It`s fairly readable though the large variety of activities can make important points of activity design blur into one another as you read, but of course these are later available for reference. I don`t necessarily agree with the criticism of use of older sources. The breadth reading and research gives the authors the benefit of presumption in my mind as far as judgments on the current relevance of older research, unless specific examples of how the research has been superseded could be provided. Nonetheless, nine years after the publication date, a revised, updated edition would be welcome.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews