Language Teaching: Linguistics Theory in Practice (Whong)

Language Teaching: Linguistics Theory in Practice (Whong) is a recommended TEFL/TESOL title from the Global English reading list, available to buy on Amazon.

What it is. Melinda Whong's argument, published by Edinburgh University Press, that linguistic theory has practical consequences for the classroom - and her attempt to say what those consequences actually are, rather than simply asserting that they exist.

How it is built. A short historical survey of how language has been understood opens the book, followed by a plain account of the generative tradition: competence and performance, the case for an innate capacity, and what the theory does and does not claim. The centre of the book is a set of generalisations about how second languages develop - each one stated, evidenced from research, then worked through for what it implies about teaching. The closing chapters set familiar teaching methods against that theory and ask which of them the evidence actually supports.

Who it suits. Trainees on the linguistics specialist course and at Level 5, and anyone who has read that "research shows" something and wanted to see the reasoning underneath. It is written for teachers rather than for linguists, so the theory is explained rather than assumed.

What it does not do. It argues from the formal, generative side of the field. Functional, usage-based and sociocultural accounts of language learning get much less room, so read it as one position rather than as the settled view. It is also a book about principles: it will change what you think a practice activity is for, without handing you the activity.

Recommended for these courses:

• Level 5 250 Hour TEFL/TESOL Professional Course
• 30 hour Introduction to Linguistics