The ELT book of the week for the fourth issue of ELTWeekly is:
The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3rd Edition
by
Jeremy Harmer
Book Details
Product Description
*Includes new examples from published coursebooks and reference materials *’Follow-up Tasks’ to practise the ideas presented in each chapter *Suggestions for further reading, and a detailed bibliography
From the Back Cover
The Third Edition of this classic text incorporates a broader and more detailed analysis of issues relevant to language teachers. The Practice of English Language Teaching is full of practical suggestions and samples from actual teaching materials.
Customer Reviews
J. Marren, Glen Ridge, NJ USA
Harmer was one of the two recommended texts for my CELTA English as a Second Language course. I found it heavy going, long on theory, short on practical advice for the new ESL teacher. I much prefer Scrivener, “Learning Teaching.” It’s hard to find in the US, but worth the effort.
N. Vachon
The Preface points out that the target audience of this book is postgraduate students, teachers in inservice training and practicing teachers. In other words people who have had some training in the past which they are now looking to put into practice. This is not my situation. I have none the less found the book to be very useful as a guide to the practical principles to be followed in Enlgish language teaching. Though it does not include very much in the way of sample activities or grammer rules, the principles the book discusses, if creativly applied, have the potential to offer a much more versitile range of activities then a collection straight forward lesson plans to follow or model after.
Admitedly I have not yet started teaching so I have not yet been able try it out.
T. Coates, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam
For both soon-to-be and established teachers, Harmer’s book is a good introduction to the research behind English language learning and thus the more effective ways of teaching. It is short on specific teaching ideas, but that isn’t its point. He points out ways that people learn, what some of the difficulties of learning English are and how to work on specific areas. I’ve found the book very helpful in becoming a better, more knowledgeable EFL teacher.