How to Teach English (Second Edition)

Today, while the unprecedented spread of English as a world language (Crystal 1997; Graddol 1997; Graddol 2006) has spawned controversial debates over ‘Which English?’ ‘Whose English’ (Kachru 1986, 2005), and ‘Why English?’ (Phillipson 1992; Pennycook 1994), at the end of the day, the English teacher, imbued with the responsibility of facilitating the enhancement of his/her learners’ English proficiency, will be concerned with how to teach English well or better—the kind of English that matches the expectations of the educational institution in which the teacher works. Especially for teachers newly initiated into the profession, an excellent book for this purpose is Harmer's How to Teach English. A new edition, this book departs from the 1998 version in the following aspects: ‘… a change of chapter order … a new chapter [on] testing … new materials and techniques [to supplement the old ones that] have stood the test of time … more up-to-date … references … and a glossary to help new teachers through parts of the mighty jargon swamp that our profession generates just like any other’ (pp. 11–12). Each chapter is well laid out for an easy skim of the important ideas in bold fonts, beginning with a list of the main headings just below the chapter title and ending with a summary of salient points. Although the book uses ELT jargon—marked out in bold fonts—the reader can take comfort in knowing that ample explanation, or even cross-referencing of ideas, is readily available in its well-designed glossary.