Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing (ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series) [Paperback]

I.S.P. Nation (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 041598968X | ISBN-13: 978-0415989688 | Publication Date: August 15, 2008 | Edition: 1

Using a framework based on principles of teaching and learning, this guide for teachers and teacher trainees provides a wealth of suggestions for helping learners at all levels of proficiency develop their reading and writing skills and fluency. By following these suggestions, which are organized around four strands – meaning-focused input, meaning-focused output, language-focused learning, and fluency development – teachers will be able to design and present a balanced program for their students.

Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing, and its companion text, Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking, are similar in format and the kinds of topics covered, but do not need to be used together. Drawing on research and theory in applied linguistics, their focus is strongly hands-on, featuring

• easily applied principles,
• a large number of useful teaching techniques, and
• guidelines for testing and monitoring,

All Certificate, Diploma, Masters and Doctoral courses for teachers of English as a second or foreign language include a teaching methods component. The texts are designed for and have been field tested in such programs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

I.S.P. Nation is Professor of Applied Linguistics in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (August 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 041598968X
• ISBN-13: 978-0415989688
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable resource on vocabulary learning, January 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (Cambridge Applied Linguistics) (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by an English professor whose area of expertise is EFL vocabulary building. If you're an English teacher looking for a book which explains teaching vocabulary to ESL/EFL students in a crystal-clear manner, this is THE book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A relatively useful text for TESOL/linguistics courses at university level, April 6, 2010

By 

S MacLeod "newzild" (Malaysia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing (ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series) (Paperback)

This book and its companion volume (Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking) were the core texts of two courses I took for my MA Applied Linguistics. The central tenet of the books is that EFL/ESL classroom learning should consist of equal amounts of the "four strands" of language learning - meaningful input, meaningful output, fluency, and direct attention to language items.

Compared with the other required texts I read while completing my MA, this book is highly pedagogically relevant (ie: some of the suggestions appear to be actually useful for classroom teachers).

The book contains a lot of suggestions for teachers in terms of tasks and activities. It gives a brief description of the research that underpins the suggestions and also suggests further reading material that might prove useful for writing essays and assignments at university level.

Having said that, I have found that I've used very few of the suggestions in my job as an EFL teacher at a South Korean elementary school. The reason is that the book focuses on specific tasks and activities, rather than explaining how to develop lesson plans that incorporate those tasks/activities. In other words, the book has a narrow focus.

I think this is an excellent book for academic courses and teachers who want some ideas for activities, but somewhat less useful for teachers seeking an overall guide to effective EFL/ESL teaching.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book gets it done. . ., November 24, 2006

By 

a writing teacher (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (Cambridge Applied Linguistics) (Paperback)

I can't agree more with the previous reviewer. This book is by far the best I've read on the subject--highly informed, highly practical, research-based, and comprehensive. If you're in doubt about whether to buy it, take a moment to look through the table of contents and the excerpts! After reading this book at a library, I can't imagine *not* buying a copy for my classroom.