Page 32 - ELG1705 May Issue 447

Critical

reading REFLECTING ON CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN

LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Thomas S.C. Farrell & Laura Baecher,
Bloomsbury; 978-1-4742-5584-4

Anna Phillips finds wisdom in a book for novice teachers

ow can we help novice Esol cover to cover. Ideally, though, as the authors school, and from special needs students to
teachers ‘survive’ in the suggest, it should be used as the basis for EAP classes on foundation courses. Every
classroom? In other words, how discussion, either formally or informally with ‘critical incident’ starts with an inquiry
can they teach effectively while at colleagues. question such as: ‘How do I foster a better
Hthe same time developing their An identical format is used for each of relationship with a challenging L2 student?’
own teaching skills? This handbook aims the ten chapters of the book. Each chapter There are a few preview questions before
to provide such teachers with solutions for starts with a brief overview of the particular the context and events of an incident are
forty familiar teaching dilemmas they might topic. There are four ‘critical incidents’ in described. After the description, there
encounter – hopefully not all at the same each chapter and each one is presented in an are more questions in order to encourage
time! As quoted in the introduction to the anecdotal way, each by a different teacher, as a ‘conscious reflection’ on the incident. These
book, novice teachers often face ‘the collapse kind of mini case study. reflexive questions encourage the reader, for
of missionary ideals formed during teacher ...material which is example, to think of possible ways to deal with
training by the harsh and rude reality of the dilemma before finding out what steps the
classroom life’ (Veenman 1984). easy to read but also teacher actually took next.
The ‘critical incidents’ of the title do not The follow up section reveals the teacher’s
refer to life-threatening emergencies, but to very useful and attempts to resolve the dilemma in later
‘any unplanned and unanticipated event thought-provoking... lessons. Interestingly, the incidents are not
which occurs during class, outside class or always resolved completely, particularly in the
anytime during a teacher’s career … when later chapters, suggesting for example that
subjected to conscious reflection’. So how The selected incidents, based on real- more time or practice may be needed, or other
does this handbook deal with these critical life classroom experiences according to the methods need to be used. This underlines
incidents, what are they and are the incidents authors, are interesting – and ones that most how complex the role of teaching is – and that
resolved in a practical and helpful way? Where teachers can relate to. For example, one there are rarely easy solutions.
does ‘conscious reflection’ fit in? teacher struggles to get monolingual eight- and The sections marked ‘Exploring the issue’ at
The book covers a range of general areas of nine-year-olds to use L2 in group discussion the end of each incident have some suggestions
teaching, including curriculum development, work and not always work with their friends. for activities that give teachers the tools they
teaching mixed level or large classes and Another teacher was suffering from exhaustion need for the future, so that if a critical incident
developing each of the four skills. The book after organising too many activities out of fear occurs, they are better equipped to deal with
manages to balance material which is easy of running out of things to do. it. All in all, this book successfully fills a gap in
to read but also very useful and thought- A variety of Esol contexts has been chosen, teacher training – put simply, what to do when
provoking. It can be dipped into or read from primary school to private language classroom methods go wrong.

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