Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (third edition)

Abstract

The third edition of this popular and well-known book is an updated and easy-to-use resource for any teacher or teacher trainer who wants to discover or rediscover the principles underlying approaches and methods in language teaching. This new edition has some interesting additions. The changes are explicitly described in the ‘Introduction to the third edition’. The book is divided into four different parts. Part I, ‘Major trends in twentieth-century language teaching’, is subdivided into four different chapters. Some of the chapters included in Part II of the book, ‘Current approaches and methods’, have been expanded: Chapter 5 on Communicative Language Teaching, Chapter 6 on Content-Based Instruction and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and Chapter 8 on Competency-Based Language Teaching, standards, and the Common European Framework of Reference. A chapter on text-based instruction has been added to this edition. Part III, ‘Alternative twentieth-century approaches and methods’, has been expanded and the chapter on Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), part of the second edition, has been taken out from this edition. Part IV, ‘The teaching and learning environment’, a new addition, is divided into three different chapters which propose ‘current views of the roles of learners and teachers’ in the different approaches and methods, and how they ‘can be viewed in relation to the process of curriculum development’ (p. ix). This edition also includes an Appendix with a chart comparing approaches and methods, which is very clear and easy to read.