In this respect, we can notice the emphasis laid on of East Anglia.

A tenured Lecturer in English

content relevance—as in the case of the project on Literature at the Instituto de Enseñanza Superior en
drug abuse (p. 54), the one that encourages Lenguas Vivas, Buenos Aires, she co-chaired the
reflection on teenage spending habits (p. 104), or 17th Oxford Conference on the Teaching of
the one in which students produce a guide for Literature in April 2002. She has extensive
disabled people in the town where they are studying experience as a teacher trainer and presenter in
(p. 88). Besides, many other projects aim at international conferences. She works for NILE in
cultural awareness (most of the projects in the the UK, is in charge of a distance course for EFL
section called ‘Culture’ can be said to have this teachers at the Universidad Virtual de Quilmes,
underlying objective). Argentina, and is Co-director of the T. S. ELIOT
As for the role of technology in the implementation Bilingual Studies Centre, Banfield, Buenos Aires.
of projects, the Internet is often used as a reference Email: [email protected]
source, and e-mail is suggested as a way of finding
an authentic audience that legitimates the use of
English in such end-products as reports in
monolingual classes. However, this is never The Primary English Teacher’s Guide
presented as a must, and options are given for low- J. Brewster and G. Ellis, with D. Girard
tech versions of projects. This is the case even in
the section called ‘Media’, where video cameras Pearson Education 2002, 283 pp., £15.00
and other resources are of course advisable, but isbn: 0 582 44776 3
not always essential.
Finally, a short appendix provides the URLs of well- In the summer of 1993 I needed a book to help me
known directories and search engines, and a short teach children. In the bookshop I don’t recall
bibliography closes the book. finding Halliwell’s Teaching English in the Primary
Classroom (1992) or the Brumfit et al. Teaching
In short, the new edition of Project Work is bound to English to Children (1991): if they were there, I didn’t
become as influential as its first edition. It is a choose them! But I did find The Primary English
source of inspiring ideas from a variety of contexts, Teacher’s Guide (Brewster et al. 1992).
clearly presented, within a framework that
responds to important issues in modern ELT I remember, vividly, sitting on my sofa and
pedagogical practice from a humanistic devouring this gem of a book. I read it in an
perspective. ‘The humanistic movement stresses afternoon, then reread most of it several times over
the importance of qualities such as understanding, the next few months while preparing for my
personal assumption of responsibility, and self- September challenge of teaching groups of pre-
realization … language learning is seen as an school children. The book has a rather unusual
activity which involves students as complex human appearance, being small in size and printed on
beings, not ‘simply’ as language learners’ (Tudor, in paper which quickly goes yellow! All the teachers I
Hedge and Whitney 1996: 271). The projects in show it to, and there have been many, think it is
Diana Fried-Booth’s new book can make a major from the 1950s!!! “Such yellow pages’, they say. But
contribution to this educational mission. it is a fantastic book, and it came out at just the
right time, not just for me, beginning my career as a
References serious teacher of young learners, but at a time
Dickinson, L. 1996. ‘Talking shop: aspects of when everybody needed a guiding hand. It was the
autonomous learning’ in T. Hedge and N. Whitney beginning of the boom.
(eds.). A decade later I am asked to review the New
Hedge, T. and N. Whitney. (eds.). 1996. Power Edition. A decade which has seen the world of
Pedagogy, and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University teaching young learners grow in leaps and bounds.
Press. The Brewster et al. edition of 1992 coincided with a
Tudor, I. 1996. ‘Teacher roles in the learner-centred simple need to know. The New Edition takes us
classroom’ in T. Hedge and N. Whitney (eds.). further, incorporating what has happened in the
last decade, bringing us up to date, not only telling
The reviewer us what we need to know, but also showing us why
Claudia Ferradas Moi holds an MA in Education we need to know this, and invariably where we can
and Professional Development from the University find out more. The Introduction describes the
necessity for a rewrite due to changes in ‘…

Reviews 411
development of new materials and resources, new The authors have provided us with a very solid
research, new applications of language learning Plan—Do—Review model, first appearing as Figure 9
theories and approaches, and a much greater —‘A framework for implementing learning to learn’.
awareness of issues such as globalisation, multiple This diagram is echoed throughout the book, and
inteligences, and citizenship’ (p. iv). The book is referred to again and again as a basic methodology
now a whole 45 pages longer, and the page size is a for planning teaching and learning. What is so
bit bigger too! good about this little recurring model is the
simplicity with which it appears to fit into any
Those extra 45 pages include new chapters on
context. It follows the typical three-stage structure
‘language learning at primary level, how children
of a lesson, synonymous with ‘pre-’, ‘while’, and
think and learn, teaching methodologies, learning
‘post-’, and supports not only the teacher’s
to learn, development of the four skills, English
planning and teaching, but also the children’s
across the curriculum, resources and management
learning, as the two progress through a lesson. This
skills for teachers’ (p. iv). As I read the New Edition,
solution incorporates activities that easily
I couldn’t help but rush to my yellow-paged
encourage learning to learn, something which
favourite, and check for bits I was sure I hadn’t
teachers, especially newly trained ones, may find
read. I happily rediscovered lots of information my
diªcult to plan for.
brain had autodeleted, and more still.
Chapter 6 includes an interesting section on
The New Edition is altogether modern. The
learning English vocabulary (pp. 80–92). It lists
contents page (p. iii) is laid out clearly and to the
seven factors involved in a word’s learnability
point, on one page showing a division into five
(adapted from White 1988: 50) and includes a
parts.
useful table entitled ‘Knowing a word’ (pp. 82: Table
Part 1: The Young Learner 1). The authors make a clear case for the creation of
a set of guidelines for selecting the vocabulary we
This is all it says it will be: a short historical
teach and encounter in the many coursebooks we
description of foreign language learning, including
use. The Culture chapter, highlighted on the back
the recent European Year of Languages, a solid
cover, is short but useful, and reinforces the
chapter on ‘How children learn languages’,
importance of looking at culture from the children’s
describing the young learner, with information on
perspective.
L1 and L2 acquisition and newly written
descriptions of the major theories involved in this Part 3: A World of Resources
study. The authors have linked this section very
In the section on discussing resources and their
well, cross referencing ideas and information, and
selection, nothing is left out. The selection of
finally ‘How children think and learn’. I enjoyed the
coursebooks is covered in detail, with lots of
section on Learning styles (pp. 34–6), which is
examples from recently published coursebooks.
supported by a clear table ‘Language Activities to
Songs, rhymes, and chants have been given their
Develop the Eight Intelligences’ (p. 36: Fig. 2). This
own chapter, as have games. Both chapters are very
section finishes with another excellent diagram
well laid out, with clear support structures for new
showing ‘A cyclical model of teacher thinking and
teachers. Storybooks are also covered, but Figure 35
learning’ (p. 38: Fig. 3), which summarizes how
on p. 191— ‘Criteria for selecting storybooks’— is
teachers generate their own theories about
confusing, with too many arrows, and far too
children’s learning.
much information. The chapter is full of ideas but
Part 2: Teaching Learning and Language Skills useful despite this. There is also an interesting
chapter on technology, which bravely attempts to
This section covers the how of teaching, learning to
harness a very quickly changing field in language
learn, the skills, cross-curricular English and
teaching.
culture. I especially liked Chapter 5, ‘Learning to
learn’, and Chapter 6, ‘From sounds to words to Part 4: Management Skills for Teachers
structures’. The former enlarges on what was
This section includes classroom management,
written in the yellowed version, and provides
lesson planning, assessment, and record-keeping,
teachers with a clear account of what to do and how
and—interestingly—parental involvement. I really
to do it. There is also a very well-chosen extract on
enjoyed reading the latter, which is obviously based
p. 63, which illustrates how a teacher can support
on techniques put into practice in the Young
the children’s understanding of why they do certain
Learners’ Centre in Paris, where one of the authors
activities.

412 Reviews
works. Not all the ideas are easily transferred to the responses given from real teachers in real
other contexts, but they certainly left me with much contexts, and the variety of real classroom
food for thought. The other chapters are very solid, examples, often in the form of short extracts of
clear, and full of useful ideas and support teacher and student talk. Many of these are in
structures. The assessment and record-keeping European contexts, but there are also many
chapter suggests several di¤erent techniques for examples in other formats of classroom and
assessing students, but omits to mention the latest educational policies from further afield.
development in this area, namely the language
I read the New Edition from beginning to end, but it
portfolio.
is possible to just dip into sections and take what
Part 5: Personal and Professional Development you want. There is much cross-referencing, so you
never really get lost! What is important is that the
With this final chapter, the New Edition gives pointers
reader is encouraged to reflect regularly about their
and tips for personal and professional development.
own context in relation to what they are reading,
The bibliography, or in this case the reference and it is almost impossible not to stumble upon
section, is jam-packed full of good material, and I something that we will want to change in our
have starred several publications I would like to teaching repertoire. I take my hat o¤ to Jean
get hold of, and articles I need to search for. Brewster and Gail Ellis: they have done a splendid
However I was slightly disappointed by its job. I now have two gems on my bookshelf, a little
organization: my yellowed version gives an one and a big one!
appendix with references under useful subtitles,
References
such as Grammar, Teaching reading and writing,
etc. (pp. 229–38) but the New Edition lists the Brewster, J., G. Ellis, and D. Girard. 1992. The
titles in alphabetical order only. Primary English Teacher’s Guide. Harmondsworth:
Penguin.
The yellowed version also has a very useful section Brumfit, C., J. Moon, and R. Tongue. (eds.). 1991.
on ‘Journals, magazines and newspapers’ (pp. Teaching English to Children. Cambridge: Cambridge
234–8). Some of these references are included in University Press.
the New Edition, which also gives information on
Halliwell, S. 1992. Teaching English in the Primary
web sites, but spread throughout the book. I tried
Classroom. London: Longman.
to refind a couple of web site addresses, and got
White, R. 1988. The ELT Curriculum. Oxford: Basil
frustrated searching text with only a vague
recollection of where they appeared. The authors Blackwell.
would have done well to imitate the first edition, so
mark the page if you’ve noticed a good web site The reviewer
address, or you’ll never find it again! Sandie Jones Mourão has lived and worked in
Portugal since 1987, where she is a freelance
This book is publicized as being ‘ideal for teachers, teacher of young learners and teacher trainer. She
teacher trainers and trainees’. I tried to imagine
works mainly with generalist non-native teachers,
what I would have felt ten years ago, not knowing
and is involved in several foreign language projects
what I know now. I think I would have read it with
which are running in pre-schools. She has an MA in
gusto, but, I don’t think it is as easy to read as my
TESOL from the University of Manchester, and is
treasured yellow-paged version. This New Edition is
more intense, more formal. The authors quote very interested in research into the role of play in
successfully, but academically, from diverse foreign language learning and using RealBooks.
sources, to support the information they give. To Sandie is the joint co-ordinator of IATEFL ’s Young
help the reader focus, several chapters include a Learners Special Interest Group, and very active in
number of simple thought-provoking tasks which the Portuguese English Teachers’ Association
lead us into the information which comes next. I (APPInep).
especially like the way some of them are followed by Email: [email protected]

Reviews 413