Page 36 - ELG1906 May-Jun Issue 465

REVIEWS .
REVIEWS & RESOURCES

THE CAMBRIDGE GUIDE TO LEARNING
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE BOOK OF THE MONTH
Edited by Anne Burns and Jack C. Richards
Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-40841-7 ALAN MALEY’S 50 CREATIVE fi ve areas: writing, music, others, such as: using
ACTIVITIES drama, playing with puppets, improvisation
ach chapter in this superb title ALAN MALEY language and hands-on. and asking students to
seems to put to bed various urban CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS One activity, ‘Literature form a living tableau.
myths concerning language learning. ISBN 978-1-10-845776-7 is all around us’, is based Clearly, this book is
EOpening with a section devoted to on ‘metathesis’, which intended for selective
‘Learners and Learning English’, it looks firstly Creativity involves is the reversal of items, use. Maley provides
at the development of language in young aspects of innovation,
children, those aged 4-12 years. It notes how quality and relevance. for example, ‘Work is frequent references to
the persistence of non-native accents may, the curse of the drinking inspirational poems,
according to Flege’s Speech Learning Model, We recognise it, even classes.’ Other ideas paintings and music
be due to how L2 learners perceive new L2 if it is diffi cult to defi ne. are similarly inventive to weave into lessons.
sounds based on their existing L1 phonetic The activities in this 100- and playful. Activities Brilliant, maverick and
categories. page practical book are which don’t appeal to challenging in turns, but
Following this, ‘Learning as an loosely categorised into me may well appeal to certainly never dull.
Adolescent,’ focuses on the notion of a
‘maturational period’ (from 12-17 years),
and explains how recent research in this area reviews in brief
has shown that far from marking the point
at which language learning ability seems THE NEW A-Z OF ELT ETPEDIA™ GRAMMAR
to halt and decline, it is in fact a highly A Dictionary of Terms and Concepts 500 ideas and activities for teaching grammar
favourable age at which to learn a language. Scott Thornbury Daniel Barber and Ceri Jones
‘Learning as an Adult’ in chapter three plays Macmillan Education Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
down the widely-held belief that beyond an ISBN: 978-1-786-32788-8 ISBN: 978-1-912-75502-8
alleged critical period, adults struggle to learn The title of this well-established This hefty, 242-page resource
English, pointing out how some strongly Everything you reference book is self- book contains a mixture of
believe that motivation and identity have explanatory. I loved the fi rst tips, ideas and activities to
stronger influences than age. version, which appeared help teachers plan and deliver
constitute between 5 and 15 per cent of need to know about more than 60 pages longer, ideas are grouped logically
‘Learning with Learning Difficulties’
in 2006. The new edition is
lessons with grammar. The
notes how learners with additional needs
into areas such as future
and new entries include:
the population of students in the European academic word list, adaptive forms, modals, conditionals
and passives. Some ideas
learning and mobile learning.
Union, dyslexia being the most commonly I was delighted to see both are familiar: Kim’s Game and
support, the author notes how such persons EFL but they were ‘Blended Learning’ and ‘fl ipped pelmanism, for instance. Others
occuring difficulty. With appropriate
classroom’ accorded their own
are variants on well-established
are easily capable of becoming multiple entries. The topics are divided ideas, like speculating on using
language users. into three main fi elds: language lottery money, but this time as
(e.g. grammar), learning (e.g.
a class. Others originate from
Section two considers the individual, afraid to tell you... psycholinguistics) and teaching the repertoire of the highly-
social and affective dimensions of language (e.g. methodology). Many experienced author team. I
learning, aspects that have traditionally entries have been updated, particularly like the card activity
been more associated with second language and some have disappeared. Navigation is also made easier with for practising the present perfect continuous. Time-saving;
acquisition research. Chapter six argues Wayne Trotman welcomes the new, the inclusion of colour headings. Entries are clear, concise and especially the 56-page bank of photocopiable material, which is
that motivation in learning and success accessible. Authoritative; a must-have for teacher trainers. easy to dip into for inspiration.
in learning can fluctuate over time, and complete, evidence-based guide
that teachers need to abandon their role as
external controlling motivators in order to REVIEWS COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE:
view students more from a whole-person occasionally occur between call-centres the closing chapters on learning through Feature: English Grammar in Use 5th Edition (CUP) by Raymond Murphy
Book of the month: Business Partner B2 (Pearson) by I. Dubicka, M. Rosenberg, B. Dignen, M. Hogan, L. Wright
perspective. and callers. technology, online learning and learning
Further chapters here indicate As a precursor to the section that through social media. Reviews in brief: Successful International Communication (Pavilion) by Chia Suan Chong
that between 30 per cent and 40 per cent follows it, one looking at the four skills, While each of the thirty-six chapters Framework First: Introducing Academic Writing and Critical Thinking (Canford) by Richard Harrison
of learners from a variety of backgrounds ‘Learning the Systems of English’ is in focus ends with focused discussion questions
experience language in section five, i.e, how followed by key reading and a lengthy list of
anxiety, that language … teachers pronunciation, word- references, one of the most refreshing aspects
learning strategies vary level vocabulary, and of this title was the authors, whose names
according to cultural, need to abandon phrase-level features for the most part this reviewer of over thirty Address: Administration: Shirley Porter
EL Gazette
shirley@elgazette.com
social, political and and grammar each years did not recognise and who perhaps
personal factors, their role as develop. represent a new generation of experts in Unit 3, 6 Fairclough St Director of Sales: Ian Carter, Media Shed Ltd
London, E1 1PW
and that the teacher Later sections look the field. The valuable chapter contents
plays a crucial role external controlling at the social uses of certainly indicate this. United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)207 183 1815
Phone: +44 (0)203 971 8305
ianc@media-shed.co.uk
in learners’ language motivators… English, in particular
identity formation. genres, literacy, Editor-in-chief: Melanie Butler Subscriptions: Webscribe
Sections three and pragmatics and the
four look respectively at the role of language increasing importance of developing inter- Wayne Trotman is a teacher melanie@elgazette.com Phone: +44 (0)1442 879097
subs@webscribe.co.uk
learning contexts and learning English for cultural competence. Ending the guide is educator at Izmir Katip
special purposes, such as academic and a look at approaches to learning English Çelebi University, Izmir, Managing Editor: Ron Ragsdale, Granta Solutions Ltd EL Gazette is on Twitter and Facebook
ron.ragsdale@grantasolutions.com
for the workplace. Interestingly, the latter via tasks, translation, textbooks and the Turkey.
examines linguistic break-downs that use of corpora, which leads naturally onto
20 May/June 2019 editorial@elgazette.com 21