THE CAMBRIDGE GUIDE TO SECOND

LANGUAGE TEACHER

EDUCATION

ANNE BURNS JACK RICHARDS

Atula Ahuja

A Review

CONTENT

The book brings together key issues, debates and articles by prominent academics and researchers on a wide range of issues and contexts in the field related to SLTE.

English language skills are vital for any country that wants to be an active participant in the global economy and has access to information or knowledge pertaining to social and economic development.

FACTORS AFFECTING SLTE

Internal factors

• The profession of English teaching

• Effective approaches to their preparation and professional development.

External factors

• Globalization

• Demand for new language teaching policies & central control.

The profession of English teaching: SLTE has been evolving and changing by exploiting its own knowledge base.

Approaches to SLTE and professional development: Interactions with applied linguists and specialists in the field of second language teaching and teacher education has impacted the field of SLTE.

INTERNAL FACTORS

Globalization need for English as language of international trade and communication demand for competent English teachers world- wide.

Demand for new language teaching policies & central control over teacher education and standards for reasons of accountability, quality control and research.

EXTERNAL FACTORS

The book consists of 30 chapters and 8 themes.Each chapter synthesizes current practices and discusses theoretical insights on one aspect.

CHAPTERS & THEMES

Growth and Scope of SLTE’

Professionalization of L T

Pedagogical Knowledge in SLTE

Dialogic teaching and teacher education through technology

Critical theory & Critical pedagogy

Role of contexts in SLTE

Nature of Teacher Learning and Teacher Identity &

Cognition

Need for Accountability

.

GROWTH AND SCOPE OF SLTE

SLTE

Main issues & Themes

Examination of practises and

the scope

of SLTE

Evolving perspective

s

Practical

teaching skills

vs teacher development

Professional

training for

language teachers

Developing

standards for

English language teachingAcademic

qualifications

practical teaching experienc

e

Careers in a field

of education

al specializa

tion

PROFESSIONALIZATION OF LANGUAGE TEACHING

assessment

certification

Language acquisition

NCATE

PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHER

EDUCATION• Examines content be taught on teacher

education programs

• Highlights knowledge about language, language acquisition and professional discourse.

• Deals with classroom teaching skills and pedagogic issues and issues related to content knowledge and practical knowledge.

• Provides information to enable distinction between explicit knowledge and implicit knowledge, and concepts of knowledge about and knowledge how.

• Teacher Learning as an ability to construct

Practioner knowledge and theory

NATURE OF TEACHER LEARNING AND TEACHER IDENTITY &

COGNITION

This section also: examines mental processes involved in

teacher learning acknowledges the role of teacher cognition

in SLTE.

Discussions on traits of novice and expert teachers and explains the difference between ‘learning to teach’ and ‘learning to be a teacher’

NATURE OF TEACHER LEARNING &TEACHER IDENTITY & COGNITION

Sociocultural perspectives on learning emphasize that learning is situated. Contexts in which learning takes place shape it and create different potentials for learning. Contexts could be: class room in the teacher training institute distance learning through technology school where practical teaching takes placeSeveral chapters discuss the problem that exists in relating campus based and school- based learning due to the gap between theoretical course work and practical component at school. It is acknowledged that expertise occurs through experience and practice

ROLE OF CONTEXTS IN SLTE

This theme centres around conversations with other teachers and collaborative planning and explores the role of collaboration, team mentoring, supervision problem solving and decision making.

Advancement in technology has created possibilities for distance teaching through online learning and internet based resources. Dialogic teaching makes it possible for globalized teaching communities to come together with their own cultural, social, professional, and personal outlooks.

DIALOGIC TEACHING & TEACHER EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Through this theme the authors talk about raisingawareness about how power relations are constructed and how they function in a society.

Teachers are encouraged to engage in critical self reflection about their own identities and positioning in society and among their students.

CRITICAL LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

Since English teaching has become a world wide phenomenon now, there is a greater need for accountability in SLTE practices and assessment. To ensure quality there has to be a central control on competencies of teachers and components and contents of curriculum.

Internationally recognized standards and specifications need to be developed to ensure accountability, validity and reliability, hence a need for a central body that can monitor all aspects.

NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

It is an informative book that has put forth some important issues and debates in the fi eld of second language teaching eff ectively. However, some information about the professional background of the chapter authors would have been benefi cial to readers.

The book makes a vital contribution of our understanding about how this fi eld has expanded considerably since its initiation in the 1960s and has redefi ned its scope, goals curriculum, teaching approaches and methods. The book should benefi t scholars of language education and applied linguistics and prove very useful to the teaching fraternity and master’s and doctoral students in these fi elds.

CONCLUSION

Thank you!