Page 36 - ELG2202 Feb Issue 479

REVIEW .

TEACHING IN CHALLENGING
CIRCUMSTANCES
By Chris Sowton
Cambridge University Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-108-81612-0
he inspiration for this title is
Michael West’s Teaching in Difficult
Circumstances, published in the
T middle of the last century and
based on his experience of teaching English
in India. The author of this title opts for
the more politically correct ‘challenging’,
pointing out how, although several of the
issues raised by West still apply, such as
teachers dominating classroom discourse,
in terms of access to education, especially
in wealther countries, things are much
more rosy. On a deeper level, he warns
against complacency. Far from becoming
a mechanism for change, he says that
education continues in many societies to
enable the consolidation of pre-existing
power. Hopefully, titles such as this may
help, even in a small way, to alter this
structural imbalance.
Examples of challenging circumstances
will, of course, vary from one context to
another. Helpfully, on page two, the author
lists 12 global challenges, some of which PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
will certainly resonate more than others
with the majority of language teachers.
These include mismatches between
the educational philosophy of various
stakeholders, teachers having little or no
input in the policy-shaping process, plus
insufficient training and poor contractual Notes on good practice
conditions for staff members.
The contents of this title are spread over
32 chapters in nine parts, each chapter
beginning with an inspirational quote. The As a teacher you should never stop learning,
one on page one I particularly admired:
Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the says Wayne Trotman
powerful and the powerless means to side with
the powerful, not to be neutral (Paulo Friere).
Part one focuses on the general ways applauded for once again recommending the stakeholders, such as parents and guardians,
in which teachers can create a suitable use of dictation, this time with dictogloss. part nine is more introspective, identifying
environment for language learning by Teaching language without textbooks is the means of self-care such as reflecting on one’s
ensuring the classroom is safe, inclusive and theme of part five, which lists 10 principles for own teaching and identifying opportunities
student-focused. The emphasis here and in good online learning along with how to make for teacher development. These are all vital
all parts in this title is on how to overcome use of the local environment. In complete means towards staying mentally alert in what
challenges, such as bullying, physical contrast, part six identifies, when they are can often be a turbulent profession.
disability and perhaps hunger caused by available, how to maximise the potential of This book certainly deserves a place on
fasting during Ramadan. course books. A must-read section in this part the shelves of all reputable institutions with
The focus in part two is on day-to-day is ‘Managing textbook bias’ (pages 133-137), a concern for provoking the thoughts of their
matters, including the immense value of which identifies seven types of bias, including teachers, ranging from those recently entering
using different languages where necessary. invisibility, in which some groups, especially the profession to those who may feel they
My own belief is that teachers who feel it’s women, people with disabilities or gay people have seen and heard it all.
pedagogically beneficial to take money off are simply absent. West, M (1960), Teaching in Difficult
students who use their first language in an How to motivate, empower and give Circumstances, London. Longmans, Green.
English lesson should in turn have money agency to students, along with checking
deducted from their own salary. their learning effectively and humanistically
Part three concentrates on teaching large is the concern of part seven. My second
classes and includes a thought-provoking favourite inspirational quote heads the Wayne Trotman is
section on taking the learning outside the section on creating assessment on page 154: a teacher educator
classroom by, for example, setting up If you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, at Izmir Katip
running dictations. it will live its whole life believing that it’s stupid Çelebi University,
The specifics of teaching language skills (Matthew Kelly). While part eight looks at Izmir, Turkey.
via interactive zero-resource activities is the how to create links between an institution
focus in part four, where the author is to be and the wider community consisting of
36 February 2022