1st Edition

Teaching English to Second Language Learners in Academic Contexts Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking

    304 Pages
    by Routledge

    304 Pages
    by Routledge

    Teaching English to Second Language Learners in Academic Contexts: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking provides the fundamental knowledge that ESL and EFL teachers need to teach the four language skills. This foundational text, written by internationally renowned experts in the field, explains why skills-based teaching is at the heart of effective instruction in English for academic purposes (EAP) contexts. Each of the four main sections of the book helps readers understand how each skill—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—works and explains what research has to say about successful skill performance. Pedagogically focused chapters apply this information to principles for EAP curriculum design and to instructional activities and tasks adaptable in a wide range of language-learning contexts. Options for assessment and the role of digital technologies are considered for each skill, and essential information on integrated-skill instruction is provided. Moving from theory to practice, this teacher-friendly text is an essential resource for courses in TESOL programs, for in-service teacher-training seminars, and for practicing EAP teachers who want to upgrade their teaching abilities and knowledge bases.

    1. Teaching Language Skills in EAP Contexts

    Section 1: Introduction to Reading

    2. How Reading Comprehension Works

    3. Building an Effective Reading Curriculum: Guiding Principles

    4. Reading: Instructional Activities and Assessment Options

    Section 2: Introduction to writing

    5. Writing in a Second Language

    6. Building a Writing Curriculum and Developing Strategic Writers

    7. Writing: Instructional Activities, Feedback, and Assessment Options  

    Section 3: Introduction to Listening

    8. How Listening Comprehension Works

    9. Building a Listening Curriculum

    10. Listening: Instructional activities and assessment options

    Section 4: Introduction to Speaking

    11. Speaking in a Second Language

    12. Building an Effective Speaking Curriculum: Guiding Principles

    13. Speaking: Instructional Activities and Assessment Options

    14. Language Skill Development and EAP: A Reflection on Seven Key Themes

    Biography

    Jonathan M. Newton is Associate Professor and Director of the MA TESOL program at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

    Dana R. Ferris is Professor of Writing and Associate Director of ESL at the University of California, Davis, USA.

    Christine C. M. Goh is Professor of Linguistics and Language Education at the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

    William Grabe is Regents’ Professor of Applied Linguistics at Northern Arizona University, USA.

    Fredricka L. Stoller is Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at Northern Arizona University, USA.

    Larry Vandergrift was Professor Emeritus from the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

    "This volume uniquely brings together practical applications of theory and research on teaching the four language skills. It is written by experts in the field who understand what teachers need for their practice."

    --Denise Murray, Macquarie University, Australia

    "This book offers a critical perspective of the teaching and assessment of the four language skills. It is research-informed and inspiring as it focuses on a variety of topics and tasks to offer an understanding of how reading, writing, listening and speaking can be taught and learned effectively. It is a useful resource, with an accessible treatment of theoretical contents and a well-balance combination of theory, practical illustration and pedagogical insights into the teaching/learning of the four language skills."

    --Carmen Perez-Llantada, University of Zaragoza, Spain

    "“…[T]this volume is written in a clear and readable-friendly style, providing an accessible resource for pre-service and in-service teachers keen on the teaching of the four language skils within EAP….[T]his book captures a wide range of topics and synthesizes them from various sources, focusing on the dimensions of pedagogical principles, instructional activities  and assessment options for L2 teaching….In view of this, we strongly recommend it as an inspirational resource book for EAP and L2 teachers, curriculum designers as well as graduate students who have research and professional interests in the field of ESL teaching in academic contexts.”
    --Journal of English for Academic Purposes 37 (2019) pp. 170 -172

    "Overall, this book offers a professional understanding of language skills teaching and development in the EAP context. The sections will not only inform the experience-based actions undertaken by English teachers, but enlighten the theoretical considerations involving the linkage among the teacher’s profession, instructional methods, academic contexts, and students’ individual characteristics."

    --Xing Wei, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, Tesol Quarterly

    "[This text] aims for instant impact, and it is easy to dip in and out of to find guidance and tips on the run. It is invaluable in invigorating anyone trapped on the Ixion’s wheel of teaching IELTS, with clear pointers on how to bring those formulaic examination materials to engaging pedagogical life….This work moves beyond being a primer on how to teach to offering insightful practical/praxical strategic insights into how English is learned in academic contexts"

    --TESOL ANZ Journal 2019