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Grammar for English Language Teachers | |
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Authors: Martin Parrott
€26.30
978-3-12-533731
If a student has a question about English grammer, he will ask a teacher. But who does the teacher ask? Mr Parrott has supplied some of the answers in this substantial book on grammar for teachers. Being for teachers, this book not only gives detailed information on grammar, but also mentions problems students might have when learning the grammar point in question and offers suggestions of how best to teach each topic. Overall, this is a serious book at a serious price, but one which many teachers will be prepared to pay in order to fix problems with their grammar before their students discover that they have them.
There are 513 pages in the book which is divided into sections A-H. Rather confusingly, the book is also divided into sections 1-29. The overall idea seems to be that the alphabetical divisions deal with different themes, and the numerical sections are individual grammar points. Thus we have section A dealing with the basics - nouns, adjectives, participles etc, and sections 1,2,3,4 etc within these. By the time we get to section D the subject matter has become more technical, and we are now looking at complex sentences with (for example) finite clauses and non-defining phrases. Since this is not a book which is designed to be read straight through, the index has been sensibly placed at the beginning. Each grammar point starts with an overview of 'Key Considerations' and finishes in true didactic style with some exercises to make sure that the reader has understood the content. The answer key to these exercises is particularly long - from page 428 to page 513 because the key does not just give the answers but also explains the reasons for the answers. In keeping with the solid nature of this book (it's heavy enough to do your toes serious damage if you drop it) there are a number of tables but no illustrations of any kind.
Who is this book for? The book's own introduction answers this question. It is for teachers, learner teachers, teachers who want to continue learning, and English teachers for whom English is not a first language. Basically it is for anyone who is in the business of educating English language students, and does not want the embarrassment of having their language corrected by that annoying kid in the front row. Even experienced English teachers will find something they did not know in the book, and it should certainly find a place on the bookshelf of every language school's staffroom.
Verdict: A serious book for serious learners.
Assessment 7/10