This brief volume (119 pages of text) was written to provide “a model for engaging effective instruction with the variety of students that you [the reader] will encounter” (p. xv) in college English as a second language (ESL) or foreign language classrooms. The intended audience includes both graduate and undergraduate students as well as preservice and in-service teachers. The author espouses a problem-posing approach to teaching and to writing this volume, in that the reader is involved in a process of “naming issues, reflecting on them and possible solutions and acting upon your [the reader's] ideas” (p. xv).
The text consists of 10 chapters, most of which pose and answer a question, such as “What is the nature of process over product?” and “What are the factors that can affect second language acquisition?” Other topics addressed are effective language instruction, student-teacher relations, and effective praxis in various contexts. This structure is very transparent, which makes it easy to locate relationships and track one's progress through the ideas.
Each chapter begins with prereading questions that encourage the reader to reflect on the topic. Some of these questions have readers relate the issues to their own experiences as teachers and learners, whereas others ask them to provide their own definitions of key terms. In other cases, these questions build a bridge between the new chapter and material covered in earlier sections.
All of the chapters, except the last, end with postreading questions, topics for reflective journal entries, and follow-up activities designed to help readers explore their beliefs. Readers are encouraged to “use these as an opportunity to enhance your comprehension of the material, to co-construct new knowledge with your classmates, and to review your own beliefs and ideas in an effort to modify or reinforce them in your own developing model for effective language instruction” (p. xvi). Chapters 3 and 6 also include brief lists of suggested readings. The final chapter ends with three scenarios that readers are to problematize using ideas gleaned from reading the volume.
The basis for the voume was a study conducted at the University of Arizona in 1999–2000. In that research, the author observed the classes of four experienced ESL instructors, used questionnaires, and interviewed teachers and approximately 200 students. Quotes from four teachers and several students are given throughout the volume to illustrate the author's points. These quotes and Berlin's writing style make the prose very accessible. I expect my M.A. students would find this volume easy to read.
Would I assign this volume as required reading for my M.A. candidates in courses that I teach? Probably not, but I would put it on reserve or recommend it in two specific situations. First, I would recommend it as preprogram reading for experienced teachers entering graduate school—those who want to start reading before classes begin and who have some experience against which to weigh the ideas. Second, I would recommend it near the end of our program as the students begin to write their own position papers for their program-exit portfolios.
I started reading this volume expecting to find a review of research literature, and that information is, in fact, available. For instance, chapter 3 covers the affective, cognitive, developmental, environmental, and psychosocial factors that influence SLA. It lists among its suggested readings Doughty and Long (2003), Ellis (1994), and Gass and Selinker (2001). The genre, however, is more like an extended position paper supported by a literature review than a review of research literature. In fact, there were some surprising gaps in the sources cited. For example, the author characterizes the four teachers as the manager, the coach, the movie director, and the choreographer but does not discuss research by Katz (1996) that analyzed teaching styles (including that of the choreographer).
What this volume does do well is to pull together a wide range of information into a coherent philosophy of teaching. It might not be particularly useful for SLA researchers, but teacher educators, M.A. students, undergraduate teacher candidates, and practicing teachers will find the volume's ideas informative and reassuring. It weaves together research, theory, and practical teaching ideas with reflective activities designed to help readers explore concepts related to effective teaching.
