Lessons from Good Language Teachers

Carol Griffiths and Zia Tajeddin

This book is intended as something of a follow-up to "Lessons from Good Language Learners" (C. Griffiths, Ed., CUP, 2008), but from the point of view of the teacher. As we all know, teaching is a very demanding profession, for which the hours spent in the classroom are only the tip of the iceberg. It requires the teacher to be autonomous, reflective, interculturally aware, knowledgeable, sensitive to individual differences, able to handle all this dynamic complexity without getting burnt out, and "on board" with all the latest acronyms such as ELF (English as a lingua franca). In addition, they must be conversant with all the cutting-edge methodologies (including the latest technology), assessment theories and procedures, classroom management practices, instruction in strategies, and feedback techniques. They must be able to give instruction in pragmatics, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and the four language skills. The book aims to take a "human" perspective, recognizing that teachers are not just machines, but real human beings, with feelings, needs and identities of their own, as well as families and other demands on their time and energy. Another aim is to not just reproduce and summarize previous literature, but to have something new to say by means of some new research which contributes an evidence-based perspective to a development of the field. As the 22 topics of the chapters in this volume clearly indicate, language teachers are complex individuals, who are expected to have a range of personal qualities, to be able to satisfy the needs of their students, and to have the knowledge and skills to provide instruction in a range of language areas. Good language teachers are a valuable asset in any educational setting, so it is the hope of the authors of this book that it may contribute to the ongoing development of the GLT.

KEYWORDS: method, strategies, identity, ELF, cognition, intercultural awareness, reflection, autonomy, burnout, assessment, individual differences, management, feedback, relationships, pragmatics, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading, writing

This book is available from www.amazon.com or from CUP's own website: www.cambridge.org