Author : Laurence N Berlin
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136793801
Total Pages : 584 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (367 download)
Book Synopsis Contextualizing College ESL Classroom Praxis by : Laurence N Berlin
Download or read book Contextualizing College ESL Classroom Praxis written by Laurence N Berlin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contextualizing College ESL Classroom Praxis: A Participatory Approach to Effective Instruction provides pre-service and in-service teachers with a model for engaging in effective instruction with the variety of students encountered in college English as a second language or foreign language classrooms. Along with the model, the text is designed to help readers develop the tools to use it within a participatory approach. This approach, based on the principles of Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, is combined with multicultural education and the general tenets of a communicative approach to language teaching. From the philosophical to the theoretical to the practical, these strands are combined into a cohesive whole. The underlying premise is that the best way to develop an understanding of a participatory approach is to engage in it. Throughout the book, readers are asked to apply problem-posing--a learning process that begins with naming issues, reflecting on them and possible solutions, and acting upon one's ideas. Questions addressed include: *What is the nature of process over product? *Is a new definition of effective instruction necessary? *What are the factors that can affect second language acquisition? *What do teachers believe about effective language instruction? *What do students believe about effective language instruction? *What makes pedagogy effective? *How do teachers and students relate in the classroom? *What does instruction mean for students? *How can effective praxis be adapted to various contexts? Each chapter includes Pre-Reading Questions, Post-Reading Questions, a topic for a Reflective Journal, and Follow-Up Activities. These provide opportunities to enhance comprehension of the material, to co-construct new knowledge with classmates, and to review personal beliefs and ideas in an effort to modify or reinforce them in one's own developing model for effective language instruction.