Page 31 - ELG1802 Feb Issue 454

REVIEWS . REVIEWS & RESOURCES

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE TEACHING: RESEARCH-
BASED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES BOOK OF THE MONTH
By Steve Mann and Steve Walsh
Routledge 978-1-138-83946-6 every unit explores one critical thinking and acquire procrastination and
PersPectives intermediate idea from different angles. the necessary confidence effective communication)
professional educators who do not practise daniel BarBer, lewis For example, the unit on to express their own is impressive. The texts are
what they preach’. lansford and amanda food includes cooking in ideas. There are ten units. content-rich and engaging,
Chapter two provides responses to schools, Filipino street The language exercises with appropriately
these challenges and gives ways to put Jeffries national GeoGraPhic food and a TED talk on systematically cover challenging vocabulary.
the emphasis on ‘talk in the workplace’, learninG 978-1-337-27717-4 becoming a weekday grammar, vocabulary and This 162-page coursebook
thus making RP more evidence-based vegetarian. This approach the four language skills, also boasts some truly
and focused around teacher-to-teacher Perspectives is a new, works. It encourages and include exam-style stunning photographs.
conversation. four-level series with an students to evaluate new tasks. The range of topics Designed for B1 students
Each chapter of the rest of the book has innovative approach: information, develop (hiring people, cyborgs, wishing to progress to B2.
three or four examples of real data in the
form of ‘reflexive vignettes’ through which reviews in brief
the authors highlight key issues.
Chapters three and four look at pre-
service teacher training (Preset) and in- PRACTICAL ENGLISH USAGE FOURTH EDITION, Michael Swan THREE MEN IN A BOAT, Jerome K Jerome, Adaptation and
service teacher training (Inset), where too Oxford University Press, 978-0-19-420243-5 Activities by Gina D. B. Clemen, Black Cat 978-88-530-1646-1
often RP is simply tagged on to courses in
the form of participants writing journals. Most English language teachers have checked tricky grammar This 96-page graded reader is aimed at B1 students. The
Chapter four provides several systematic points in this well-known book, which is both a usage guide adaptation enables language learners to enjoy the humour of the
approaches to RP, such as reflection grids, and a learner’s grammar. The key change in this fourth edition is original. The book contains material to support and extend the
narrative texts and loop input, each of the replacement of the alphabetical organisation by a thematic reading experience: pre-reading tasks, comprehension questions,
which is well exemplified. arrangement. So, grammatical entries are grouped into 28 sections; exam-style activities, and dossiers which provide information
‘Reflection in the wild’, the curious title this topic-by-topic organisation works well. Vocabulary problems are on related topics, like the river Thames. After each of the eight
for chapter four, concerns how, following dealt with in a further three sections. Entries contain an explanation chapters, a thought-provoking question (called ‘Think!’) focusses
of a problem, corpus-informed examples of correct usage and
readers on an interesting point. I especially like the audio
training, teachers might continue life-long where appropriate, examples of student mistakes. With fascinating recording, which helps bring out the gentle humour. Users can
development by engaging in RP either alone entries on newspaper headlines, language change and varieties of listen to this using an app on a Smartphone or tablet. The book is
or in professional groups. English, this comprehensive book remains indispensable. imaginatively illustrated throughout. Engaging.
Of particular interest here are the
examples of stimulated recall, and SETT
(self-evaluation of teacher talk), which Reviews by Pete Sharma for Bournemouth English Book Centre: www.bebc.co.uk
involves analysis of transcribed recordings.
Chapter five provides examples of how
RP might be achieved in the written format.
Examples here include diaries, journals and
portfolios. Interestingly, the authors see
Mirror, mirror... digital platforms as the future of written RP.
They outline how the divide between
the course tutor and participants might be
reduced to allow for more spoken reflection.
The authors are keen to point out how
Reflective practice is more than casually pondering the divide between written and spoken RP
is over-simplistic – chapter eight highlights
your effectiveness as a teacher, a new book is keen how deeper teacher learning might occur
through a combination of dialogic reflection
to stress and micro-analysis of extracts of lesson
recordings.
The final two chapters consider the
hen a language teacher floats It points out how RP is too often only relationship between reflection and
out of the classroom feeling done in written form, insufficiently data- research and look at the role of reflection
good after a successful lesson, within action research.
Wor when they snarl down the Reflective practice This book is an important addition to
corridor after dealing with an unruly class, a growing area of concern in language-
you could say they were indulging in some is often undermined by teacher education. Although novice
reflective practice (RP). teachers in particular will find the advice
‘The two Steves’, as the authors describe professional educators most valuable, I would also strongly
themselves in their introduction, would who do not practise what recommend it to those involved in long-
almost certainly disagree. term professional development programmes.
‘Fine,’ you might ask them, ‘so what is it they preach
then?’ Briefly, RP is the systematic analysis
of your own teaching practice that enables
deeper teacher learning to occur. led, lacking appropriate reflective tools and Wayne Trotman is a
The first chapter reviews important largely presented as an individual process
literature and ideas related to RP, without collaboration. teacher educator at Izmir
presenting some critical positions regarding More disturbing is the authors’ comment Katip Çelebi University,
its nature and status. on how RP is ‘often undermined by Izmir, Turkey.
30 February 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 31