ELT: The Basics offers a clear, non-jargonistic introduction to English language teaching for EFL/ESL teachers in training, early career teachers, those considering taking up ELT, and experienced teachers who may want to read about the way the profession has developed and continues to evolve.
Key features of this book include:
- Real classroom data and data from ELT training programmes
- Discussion of a wide range of learning contexts and different types of learners (young learners, adults, third age, academic, refugees and immigrants, etc.)
- Comparisons of different types of syllabuses and methods, and discussion of current technologies
- An emphasis on classroom interaction as the key to maximising learning
Featuring a glossary of key terms, cartoons and illustrations, further reading, personal reflection points, and discussion of the most important and relevant research, this book is a clear and accessible introduction to the complex field of ELT.
Acknowledgements
Introduction to the Reader
1 THE RAW MATERIAL: LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE
THE EL IN ELT
SUBSTANCE
THE STUFF OF LANGUAGE
SOUNDS
INTONATION
WRITING
FORM
WORDS
GRAMMAR
LEXICOGRAMMAR
MEANING
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DINOSAURS
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
COMPLETING THE LANGUAGE PUZZLE
THE DISCOURSE PROCESS
DISCOURSE IN THE CLASSROOM
TEMPLATES AND GENRES
WRITING, SPEAKING, OR BOTH AT ONCE?
ENGLISH IN THE WORLD
FROM VARIATION TO VARIETIES
ACCENTS AND DIALECTS
THEN WHAT?
FURTHER READING
2 LANGUAGE SKILLS
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL
THE COMMUNICATION MATRIX
LISTENING
A STREAM OF SOUND
BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER
TALKING BACK
BOX-TICKING
THE TWO-SIDED COIN
WHOSE VOICE?
SPEAKING
GO WITH THE FLOW
TELL ME
WHO’S LISTENING?
MIND THE GAP
THINGS TO CONSIDER
READING
WHY READ?
STRATEGIES
TEXTS: EASY OR HARD?
TEXTS: KEEP IT SIMPLE?
WRITING
PENS AND KEYBOARDS
TIME DELAY
AUDIENCE DESIGN
PRODUCT AND PROCESS
THE FIFTH SKILL
FURTHER READING
3 THE MAIN ACTORS: LEARNERS AND LEARNING
WHO ARE OUR LEANERS?
AN EARLY START
NATALIA THE COMMUNICATOR
SCHOOL AND PEERS
IN AT THE DEEP END
GROWING UP
CLIL
THE TEENS
ADULT LEARNERS
PATHWAYS
A BUSY LIFE
NATALIA’S MOTHER
THE THIRD AGE
LEVELS AND LABELS
EFL? ESL?
MORE PATHWAYS
MOVING THROUGH ABC
CAN-DO AND CORPORA
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
ACQUISITION
ALL IN THE MIND?
SLA: HAPPENING OR DOING?
LANGUAGE OUT THERE
A SOCIO-CULTURAL ANGLE
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
4 SYLLABUSES, MATERIALS, METHODS
ORGANISING LEARNING
CURRICULUM AND SYLLABUS
ORGANISING A SYLLABUS
GRAMMAR AT THE CENTRE
VOCABULARY
THE LEXICAL SYLLABUS
TAKEN TO TASK
TASKS TO THE FORE
A MIXED GRILL
MATERIALS
MATERIAL ISSUES
ARE THEY REAL?
DO THEY WORK?
METHODOLOGY
FASHIONS COME AND GO
WHAT LIES BEYOND?
FURTHER READING
5 BEING A TEACHER
ORGANISING YOUR WORK
THE CLASSROOM
PLANNING THE LESSON
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES
NATIVE AND EXPERT USERS
OBSERVATION
YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS
THE HUMAN FACTOR
INTELLIGENCE
POWER, ROLES, RELATIONSHIPS
IDENTITIES
WE ARE WHAT WE SAY
JUST YOU AND ME
DOING LANGUAGE TEACHING
SO FAR
PPP? III? TBL? PLEASE NOTICE
ERROR CORRECTION
GRAMMAR IN THE CLASSROOM
SIMPLICITY TO COMPLEXITY
POWER OF THE -ING FORM
VOCABULARY: IN THE MIND AND IN USE
GETTING TO THE CORE
REALISTIC GOALS
ALL IN THE MIND
PRONUNCIATION
WHOSE PRONUNCIATION?
INTONATION PLUS PRONUNCIATION
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
6 CLASSROOM INTERACTION
INTERACTING
TALKING THE TALK
EASY AS 1, 2, 3
SETT: SELF EVALUATION OF TEACHER TALK
MANAGERIAL MODE
MATERIALS MODE
SKILLS AND SYSTEMS MODE
CLASSROOM CONTEXT MODE
COULD DO BETTER (CIC)
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
7 LEARNING HOW TO DO IT: TEACHER EDUCATION
ELTE PATHWAYS
WHAT TEACHERS SAY
GETTING STARTED: PRESET
CELTA
BY DEGREES: BA AND MA
GAINING ENTRY
KEEPING GOING: INSET
DELTA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ‘IN THE WILD’
THINKING IT THROUGH
A WAY FORWARD?
WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE?
IT’S GOOD TO TALK
THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB
STIMULATED RECALL
ENHANCING SETT: SETTVEO
FURTHER READING
8 TECHNOLOGY IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
CORPORA
LOOKING AT LANGUAGE
CORPORA, TEACHERS, AND LEARNERS
ELT ONLINE
TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCIES
MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES
TEACHER INTERACTIONAL COMPETENCIES
TAMING THE WILDERNESS
MOBILE LEARNING
SCREENING MATERIALS
LET THE MACHINE DECIDE?
AUTOMATED ASSESSMENT
INTERACTION AND THE BOT
THE JOURNEY AHEAD
FURTHER READING
Glossary of Key Terms
References
Index
Biography
Michael McCarthy is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham, UK, and Honorary Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Valencia, Spain. He has (co-)authored and edited 60 books and was co-founder (with Ronald Carter) of the CANCODE spoken English corpus. He has lectured in 46 countries and has been involved in language teaching and applied linguistics for 57 years.
Steve Walsh is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communication, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, UK. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong. He has published 10 books and more than 100 research papers. He has been involved in English Language Teaching and English language teacher education for more than 30 years in a range of overseas contexts.
This admirably accessible introduction to ‘the basics’ of ELT provides a review of key elements of English language teaching that is ideally suited to trainee teachers and those early in their career. Drawing on the authors’ wide-ranging knowledge and expertise, this informative text combines real world data with reflective tasks as it outlines key elements of language teaching and learning. With its suggestions for further reading and discussion of pathways for professional development, it provides an excellent overview for those starting out in ELT.
Graham Hall, Northumbria University, UK
