Free ELT ebooks

Dear All,

In this section there is a range of books and teacher resource packs that are of interest to teachers for download. The files are in Portable Document Format (pdf).

Below is the written description of the books. The books themselves are rather old and dated but they still contain information and ideas that may still be relevant to us today.

http://www.teaching english.org.uk/transform/books



English as an International Language
This concise volume from 1978 is pre-‘World Englishes’ and before the acceptance of Kachru’s model of the inner, outer and expanding circles of English language use. Nevertheless, it is clear that the book’s authors were fully engaged with the diversity of English language use and the practical needs of learners. Mark Lester and others debate what might constitute International English and its value globally, while Peter Strevens and John Norrish challenge attitudes to local forms of English, arguing for their integration into ELT.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Developments in the Training of Teachers of English
This volume dates from 1979 and is a gem for anyone interested in the early days of university level ELT qualifications, especially in the UK. Norman Whitney’s is the first chapter, in which he asked, with empathy, how ‘foreign applicants’ could be helped to choose the most appropriate course for them. There follow chapters on the development of courses at Edinburgh, Lancaster, Bangor, Manchester and London. Ann Hayes offered a portrait of the British Council’s own Teaching Institute in London at the time. Finally, Maria Sticchi Damiani urged teachers to foster a sense of community and sponstaneity in the classroom.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


National Syllabuses
Dating from 1980, this book was written in response to a major study by the International Evaluation Association of achievement by education syllabuses worldwide in six key school subjects, including English. Among the contributors, Alex Inkeles criticises the IEA study for its ‘insufficient analysis’, but commends the exercise for its challenges to popular assumptions about educational achievement and the role of teachers. Douglas Pickett and the other authors drew on the IEA data to make recommendations, including allowing the mother tongue in the ELT classroom.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Humanistic Approaches: an empirical view
This is a delightful read, which attempts to provide an introduction to latest thinking in 1982 on a wide range of humanistic topics. These included defining humanistic values in ELT; community language learning; computer simulations; ‘suggestopedy’; and the Silent Way. The chapters are accessible, with references to the authors’ own teaching experiences. There are occasional humorous or waspish comments, all of which increase the enjoyment for the reader. The volume ends with profiles of the authors.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Language Teaching Projects for the Third World
This Document, from 1983, offers a selection of project case studies and commentaries from various African contexts. Most of the projects were British Council-run. The authors reflect the preoccupations of expatriate project workers of the day, and the lack of African contributors strikes the modern reader immediately. Nevertheless, this is a valuable resource for those interested in the history of English for development and the role of donor agencies.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Language Issues and Education Policies - Exploring Canada’s multilingual resources
Very different to the other ELT documents, this volume focuses on the work of a single institution: the Modern Language Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). The book, published in 1984, introduces the Canadian context and the work of the Centre, and then provides articles on a range of research. Issues featured include minority language students; immersion education; learning strategies; and observation.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


English as a Second Language in the United Kingdom
This is, of course, as much a key topic in the UK as it was in 1985 when this book was originally published. The book aimed to cover ‘English teaching to British residents’ and addresses teaching children in the school sector; teaching adults in education and in the workplace; and teacher training, among others. One chapter asks ‘Can ESL teaching be racist?’


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ESP for the University
This book, from 1986, provides a snapshot of developments in ESP teaching at university level during the 1970s and early 1980s. In his Preface, Christopher Brumfit challenged a recent claim that ESP had ‘legitimised English teaching’, suggesting rather that it had made English teaching ‘more purposeful’. The papers in this book include an extensive one on task-based learning, and all are focused on practical solutions.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Language Teacher Education: an Integrated Programme for ELT Teacher Training
Originally published in 1987, this book aimed to address teachers’ needs according to context. Following an overview of developments to date, the authors investigated various key issues from PRESET, INSET and advanced teacher education at the time. These included teacher language; working with the need for change while coping with constraints; and counselling versus teaching. Teaching models and sample materials are included.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Research in the Language Classroom
This book, from 1990, looked at the practical benefits for teachers of classroom research. It consists of papers from practitioners from countries in Europe, North America and Australasia, but with detailed reference to a wider variety of global teaching contexts. Topics range from ‘Investigating Learners’ Language’ to ‘Researching Teachers: Behaviour and Belief’.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment Size

English as an International Language 1.65 MB
National Syllabuses 2.19 MB
Humanistic Approaches: an empirical view 2.39 MB
Language Teaching Projects for the Third World 3.25 MB
Developments in the Training of Teachers of English 1.78 MB
Language Issues and Education Policies - Exploring Canada’s multilingual resources 3.01 MB
English as a Second Language in the UK 3.85 MB
ESP for the University 3.86 MB
Language Teacher Education: an Integrated Programme for ELT Teacher Training 3.95 MB
Research in the Language Classroom 3.49 MB