This text is about what really happens in language classrooms. This paperback edition is about what really happens in language classrooms, both those in which language is the topic of instruction and those where it functions primarily as the medium of instruction. In this collection of 19 original papers, the authors utilize a variety of research methods, with an emphasis on the collection and analysis of data. Chapters investigate such issues as language-related anxiety, curriculum renewal, classroom interaction, teachers' on-line decision-making, and sociopolitical concerns affecting life...

This text introduces an area of educational research, "teacher learning," as it applies to the teaching of languages. The paperback edition introduces a new field of educational research called "teacher learning," as it applies to the teaching of languages. Seventeen original articles, based on studies done in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, provide examples of theory and research into teacher learning and of the role that previous experience, social context, and professional training play in the process.

This volume examines the area of second language vocabulary studies from three broad perspectives: description, acquisition and pedagogical context. The book's 15 chapters are grouped together to achieve a balance between descriptions of what vocabulary is and how it behaves, how the mind learns new vocabulary and then uses it when it is learned, and pedagogical issues of teaching and testing L2 vocabulary.

Establishing Self-Access examines establishing, maintaining and developing self-access language learning (SALL). While much of it presents practical ideas dealing with issues related to SALL, they are supported by references to relevant literature and research. This link between theory and practice makes the debate about SALL accessible and makes this a useful resource for establishing and running self-access learning facilities. Its unique features include a typology of self-access facilities; a discussion about how to manage self-access; a step by step guide on evaluating self-access; a...

This volume is a collection of nine original papers exploring dimensions of individual difference in language learning from narrative and biographical perspectives. This book focusses on language learners as people, not as abstract individuals. By listening to the voices of the learners themselves and setting them in the context of their personal and social lives it advances our understanding of the enormous tasks faced by second and foreign language learners. It contains new and previously unpublished research which fills a gap in the existing literature. It also demonstrates how...

Beyond Training examines the nature of second language teacher development and how teachers' practices are influenced by their beliefs and principles. It seeks to move discussion of language teacher development beyond the level of "training," which reflects a technical view of specific teaching practices. Instead, it takes a more holistic approach to teacher development built on the notion of the teacher as critical and reflective thinker. The argument pursued throughout is that teacher education needs to engage teachers not merely in the mastery of techniques, but in an exploration of the...

Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers proposes that action research should be a collaborative process emerging from the practical concerns of groups of teachers working in a common or similar context. Teachers' first-person accounts provide the basis for exploring the challenges and constraints of action research. Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers discusses: what collaborative action research is and why it is of interest to classroom teachers; processes and steps in collaborative action research; methods for data collection that integrate with...

The affective domain and the emotional factors which influence language learning have been of interest in the field of language teaching for a number of years. By proposing a holistic approach to the learning process, this volume takes the position that the language learning experience will be much more effective when both affect and cognition are considered. The eighteen chapters discuss issues such as memory, anxiety, self-esteem, facilitation, autonomy, classroom activities, and assessment from the perspective of affect. Affect in Language Learning will be of interest to...

How can one involve students in classroom decisions? What difficulties might arise? What benefits can be expected? This collection addresses these questions by bringing together for the first time accounts from teachers who have introduced shared decision-making with students.

Distance learning presents language teachers and learners with a new set of challenges, opportunities and practical realities. This book presents a comprehensive overview of important issues within the field and explores the ways in which all participants are adapting their practices in response to the new learning environment.