Teaching English by Evans, Tricia;

Short description:

English teachers aim to foster sensitivity, self-expression, and communication skills in their students, rather than delivering a fixed body of knowledge. Teaching English, first published in 1982, provides practical advice on how educators can achieve these objectives in secondary classrooms.

Long description:

Unlike history or science teachers, English teachers do not impart a fixed body of knowledge. Instead, they focus on nurturing sensitivity, fostering awareness of the world, and cultivating self-expression and communication skills in their students. First published in 1982, Teaching English offers practical guidance for achieving these goals. It navigates the middle ground between the idealism of educational theorists and the cynicism of classroom pessimists, emphasizing the importance of setting priorities and engaging in self-evaluation during times of educational change.

The book explores effective approaches to teaching talking, reading, writing, poetry, drama, and other aspects of English in secondary schools. It uses the realities of the classroom as a foundation for envisioning what could be achieved, providing strategies to make learning purposeful and impactful. Additionally, Teaching English addresses the challenging questions students often ask, such as “Why are we doing this?” and “What is this for?”—offering thoughtful answers informed by research and the shared experiences of seasoned English teachers.

Reviews of the first publication:

‘A comprehensive, well organised, sensibly balanced book which suggests and explains how a variety of good practice might be undertaken in all the subject’s important areas. It never ignores the realities likely to be encountered in schools…’

— Margaret Mathieson

‘To detail everything I found worthwhile would be to summarise the book…even war-scarred veterans will find something of value in the book.’

— Walter McCall

‘From the first principles of all good teaching, the establishment and maintenance of good relationships within the classroom environment, through the practicalities of organisation and the physical environment to the specifics of the teaching material and its presentation to the pupil, Tricia Evans offers sound advice. By assimilating a mass of modern research material to support her conclusions, balancing statistics with statements from classroom experience, Tricia Evans answers many of the questions which disturb secondary school teachers, both the young and the experienced…Her book should be compulsive, even compulsory, reading for those interested in evaluating, assessing and improving their classroom performance.’

— W.F. Boyle, British Book News

Table of Contents:

1. Aims and Objectives 2. The English Environment 3. Talking for Effect 4. Reading in Class 5. Writing for a Purpose 6. Approaching Poetry 7. The Basics 8. English and Assessment 9. English and Drama 10. Finding a Balance