Critical Questions, Critical Perspectives

Language and the Second Language Educator

Edited by:
Timothy Reagan, University of Maine and University of the Free State

A volume in the series: Contemporary Language Education. Editor(s): Terry Osborn, University of South Florida.

Published 2005

Critical Questions, Critical Perspectives: Language and the Second Language Educator is intended primarily for language educators, broadly conceived, and thus is appropriate for not only foreign language teachers, but also individuals teaching English to speakers of other languages in both Anglophone and non-Anglophone settings, teachers in bilingual education programs, heritage language teachers in both formal and informal settings, and others whose work involves language teaching and learning. It is also intended for teachers of all age groups and levels, since the issues that it raises are neither age nor level specific. This is not a book about teaching methodology, nor is it the sort of work that will provide the teacher with practical activities for use in the classroom.

REVIEWS
"Critical Questions, Critical Perspectives is different from most other books about language and foreign language teaching. It does not address anything related to language teaching methods, nor language assessment and management. Instead, as Reagan states in the preface, “it asks the language educator to step back from his or her daily challenges and concerns and consider some of the many important theoretical issues that underlie and inform our pedagogy and profession” (p. ix). As the title suggests, throughout the seven chapters of the book, the author maintains a critical perspective toward various language issues." Na Liu Arizona State University