A Workbook in Language Teaching

This book is designed to be used either as a whole or in part. It should be of value, either in the initial training of new language teachers or as a basis for rethinking and mutually profitable discussions among those who are more experienced.

The present work confines itself to fundamentals. This "workbook" demands active responses from the reader. In this way, he begins to build within himself some of the skills that are essential to effective language teaching.

     The workbook is divided into three parts, each of which requires approximately fifteen hours of class work in addition to a moderate amount of outside preparation. The entire book, together with lectures and appropriate collateral readings, might thus form the backbone of a first semester course in language teaching. For very brief seminars in which most of the participants are seasoned teachers, Part III ("Talking about Grammar") might be used alone. With other groups, Part I ("Phonetics and Phonemics of English") and/or Part II ("Four Kinds of Drill") may be more suitable.

Each part of this workbook has been tested and revised in work with groups of trainee teachers. These have included not only Americans going abroad to teach their native language, but also teachers from many countries, many of whom may teach a language that is not their first. (from the preface)