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Review written by
Thomas Simon
Learner English has been around for
quite a while now so the release of a relatively new
edition gives us the chance to reaffirm the usefulness
of this unique reference. The sub-title is 'A teacher's
guide to interference & other problems' & the
introduction states:
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'It is meant to help
teachers to anticipate the characteristic difficulties
of learners of English who speak particular mother
tongues, and to understand how these difficulties
arise.'
'The book is written especially for the non-specialist
teacher .....Technical linguistic terminology
has been kept to a minimum, and contributors have
in general aimed at producing clear simple descriptions
of usage rather than detailed scholarly studies.'
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.The book deals with 22 language groups. This 2nd edition
adds the following groups; Polish, Speakers of South
Asian languages, Speakers of Dravidian languages &
Malay/Indonesian speakers.
In each chapter the language is analysed under the
following headings; distribution, introduction, phonology,
punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, & a sample of
the written language with a word-for-word translation.
Each section then has its own sub-sections which are
informative & to the point. The information that
the book gives, builds your confidence in dealing with
most nationalities you will teach. And as the book is
the work of the expert 'contributors', who are given
credit at the beginning of the book, it is clear that
the information being offered is an authentic aid to
dealing with learners' problems in class.
Due to increased migration, these days when teaching
abroad, it is common to have more than one nationality
in the class & when in an English-speaking country
the chances of not having more than one nationality
in the class is very slim. So this is where Learner
English has a perpetual use as you never know
which nationalities you will be teaching in the next
course.
So, whether you are teaching monolingual or multilingual
groups of English learners, or whether you are just
starting out or a more experienced teacher, Learner
English is an indispensable reference to have
available in the staffroom.
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