Customer Reviews

The Language Teaching Matrix: Curriculum, Methodology, and Materials (Cambridge Language Teaching Library)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Language Teaching Matrix" was a required text for the methodology component of my masters course in education that I took in 1994. It is scholarly, thorough, easy to read, and a worthy choice for any TESOL graduate program, but I'll have to admit that I didn't really enjoy using it. In Nunan's Second Language Teaching and Learning, which was published in 1999, we get to meet real students and hear humorous and occasionally humbling anecdotes. The Language Teaching Matrix, however, only talks of "the teacher" and "the learner", and the materials that Richards develops and uses are invariably generic and lifeless to be beyond belief. But then again, if you are one of the world's most successful EFL textbook writers, why change anything? Buy this book only if you love Jack Richards' textbooks and want to emulate his undeniable professionalism. Otherwise, go for Nunan's SLTL, which I think is far more useful and interesting to read.

I'm nervous to comment on Professor Jack C. Richards' titles. He's the great guru and has heavily impacted the profession. I've been his blind follower and keep all his titles inluding: 1. THE LANGUAGE TEACHING MATRIX... (1990); 2. APPROACHES & METHODS...(2004); 3. REFLECTIVE TEACHING IN SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS (1994) (used it as one of the textbooks in my MA TESOL/App Ling program at Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1996-1997); 4. DICTIONARY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING & APP. LINGUISTICS (2002); 5. METHODOLOGY IN LANGUAGE TEACHING: AN ANTHOLOGY... (2002); etc.,in my personal library. I always reach out to his books for answers to any serious professional questions.

"The Language Teaching Matrix" (1990) is one such book that I rely on. I consult this particular title when designing instructional materials or a course, or when I need to re-examine my own pedagogical assumptions and beliefs.

As a Technical Communication instructor at the university, I found CHAPTER 6 (FROM MEANING INTO WORDS: WRITING IN A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE) to be very helpful and I return to it to re-check my personal assumptions, theory, beliefs and strategies about teaching writing, in general, and technical report writing, in particular. I would like to highly recommend any writing instructor to read this particular chapter of the book.

The book, in general, is a great resource for course design and classroom teaching. However, this title alone perhaps isn't sufficient to guide course design and instruction. If used in combination with other similar titles, this can be of great help. Also, I was hoping to see the latest edition of the book on Amazon.com but was disappointed.

Dr. M. Solaiman Ali
ESP Unit, Faculty of Engineering
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah