R e v . B r a s i l e i r a d e L i n g ü í s t i c a A p l i c a d a , v . l , n . l , 2 0 0 1 2 1 7
RESENHAS
R I C H A R D S , J . C .
Beyond training:
p e r s p e c t i v e s o n la n g u a g e t e a c h e re d u c a tio n . C a m b r i d g e : C a m b r i d g e U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 9 8 .
A s t h e ti tle s u g g e s t s ,
Beyond Training
is a b o o k t h a t a im s a to f f e r in g a n e w p e r s p e c t i v e o n T e a c h e r E d u c a tio n . T h e c o r e o f S e c o n d
L a n g u a g e T e a c h e r E d u c a t io n is e x a m i n e d h e r e , b u t a ls o s o m e m o d e l s
a r e c r it ic iz e d w h ile d if f e r e n t s o lu tio n s a n d p r a c ti c e s a re p r e s e n te d , m a k in g
th is b o o k a r e a l g u id e f o r E d u c a t io n p r o f e s s io n a ls . T h e b o o k h a s a n
o p e n in g c h a p t e r w h ic h c o n s is ts o f a s u m m a r y a b o u t th e n e x t s e c tio n s . P a r t I,
Theories o f second language teaching
c o n ta in s c h a p te r s 2 a n d 3 ; p a r t II,Perspectives on teacher thinking
is c o m p o s e d o f c h a p te r s 4 to 6 ; p a r t III,Examining teacher education practices
in c lu d e s c h a p te r s 7 , 8 a n d 9 a n d p a r t IV,Entering the field o f language teaching
c o n ta in s c h a p te r 10, th e la s t o n e o f th e b o o k .I n c h a p te r 1
The scope o f second language teacher education,
th ea u th o r d is c u s s e s th e s ix d o m a in s o f s e c o n d la n g u a g e t e a c h e r e d u c a ti o n
(S L T E ). T h e s e d im e n s io n s o f te a c h in g a re : th e o rie s o f te a c h in g , te a c h in g
a n d c o m m u n ic a tio n s k ills, s u b je c t m a tte r k n o w le d g e , p e d a g o g ic a l r e a s o n in g ,
d e c is io n m a k i n g a n d c o n te x tu a l k n o w le d g e . T h is c h a p te r is a ls o a s u m m a r y
o f th e w h o le b o o k , I t c o n ta in s th e m a in a s p e c ts o f te a c h in g t h a t th e a u th o r
s e e s a s th e c o r e o f S L T E .
I n c h a p te r 2 ,
Theories o f teaching in language teacher education
,th e m a in th e o r ie s o f te a c h in g a r e a n a ly z e d , s o m e o f th e m are: s c ie n c e -r e s e a rc h
c o n c e p tio n s , th e o iy -p h ilo s o p h y c o n c e p tio n s a n d a rt-c ra ft m o d e ls o f te a c h in g .
A c c o r d in g to th e a u th o r, th e s e th e o r ie s a r e im p o r ta n t in S L T E i f th e y c a n b e
u s e d a s to o l s th a t m ig h t le a d to r e f le c tio n , h e lp in g th e f u tu r e te a c h e r s to
id e n tify t h e th e o r ie s th a t b e s t f it th e i r o w n te a c h in g a n d th a t a r e i m p l ic it in
th e ir b e l ie f s a n d p ra c tic e s .
C h a p te r 3,
Teachers ’ maxims
, e m p h a s iz e s th e im p o r ta n c e o f liste n in gto w h a t te a c h e r s h a v e to sa y a b o u t th e ir c la s s ro o m p ra c tic e s. T e a c h in g m a x im s
in f lu e n c e n o t o n ly th e w a y te a c h e r s p e r c e i v e th e ir a c tiv ity b u t a ls o th e w a y
th e y b e h a v e a n d m a k e d e c is io n s d u r in g th e i r c la s s e s . T h r o u g h th e s e im p lic it
th e o rie s o f te a c h in g , te a c h e rs u n d e r s ta n d a n d in te rp r e t th e ir w o r k a n d , th ro u g h
2 1 8 R e v . B r a s i l e i r a d e L i n g u i s t i c a A p l i c a d a , v . l , n . l , 2 0 0 1
I n c h a p te r 4 ,
Teacher beliefs and decision making
, R ic h a r d s p o in tso u t t o th e i m p o r t a n c e o f th e c o n c e p t u a l i z a t i o n s th a t te a c h e r s h a v e a b o u t
w h a t is g o o d a n d b a d te a c h in g . T h e s e b e lie f s a r e a c q u ir e d th r o u g h p r a c ti c e
a n d u n d e r l i e e a c h o n e ’s th e o r ie s o f t e a c h in g , i n f l u e n c in g t h e k i n d s o f
t h i n k i n g a n d d e c is io n m a k in g in s i d e a n d o u ts i d e th e c la s s r o o m . H e r e th e
a u t h o r d e s c r ib e s t h e n a t u r e o f b e l i e f s y s te m s a n d o f in t e r a c t iv e d e c is io n
m a k i n g . I t is a ls o d i s c u s s e d a n d p r e s e n t e d in th is c h a p t e r h o w th e s e
c o g n i t i v e a s p e c ts o f t e a c h i n g a r e r e l e v a n t f o r S L T E , u s in g a s e x a m p le s
s o m e t e a c h e r c a s e s tu d ie s
C h a p t e r 5 ,
Exploring pedagogical reasoning skills
, w a s w r itt e nn o t o n l y b y R i c h a r d s b u t a ls o b y L i a n d T a n g . T h e c o r e o f th is c h a p t e r
l i e s o n t h e q u e s tio n o f h o w m u c h th e p e d a g o g i c a l s u b je c ts i n f l u e n c e th e
p r a c t i c e o f th e f u t u r e te a c h e r s a n d i f t h e s e s u b je c ts c o n t r ib u t e o r n o t to
t h e i r a c h ie v in g t e a c h i n g e x p e r ti s e . O n e e x a m p le o f h o w e x p e r ie n c e d a n d
i n e x p e r i e n c e d te a c h e r s p la n n e d a r e a d i n g le s s o n a n d a n o t h e r o f h o w
l i t e r a t u r e te a c h e r s o f d if f e r e n t le v e ls a n d e x p e r ie n c e u s e d li t e r a t u r e te x ts
w h i l e t e a c h i n g E n g l i s h a r e g iv e n in t h is c h a p te r . T h e r e s u lts s h o w th a t
e x p e r i e n c e d t e a c h e r s a c c o m p lis h e d t h e u s e o f th e m a te r ia ls a s a w h o l e ,
w h i l e t h e le s s e x p e r i e n c e d t e a c h e r s h a d p r o b le m s o n d o in g th a t.
C h a p t e r 6 ,
What's the use o f lesson plans?,
d is c u s s e s t o p ic s li k et h e n a t u r e o f le s s o n p l a n s a n d th e ir u s e . A n e x a m p l e o f h o w n o v i c e a n d
e x p e r i e n c e d t e a c h e r s d e v e lo p e d a n d u s e d a le s s o n p la n is g iv e n a n d th e
d i s c o v e r y h e r e is th a t im p r o v is a tio n a n d d e c i s io n m a k i n g p la y a n im p o r ta n t
r o l e in t e a c h i n g a c tiv iti e s . T h e r e f o r e , p l a n n i n g a le s s o n h a s to b e s e e n a s
a p r o c e s s , n o t o n ly a s a p r o d u c t.
I n c h a p t e r 7 ,
Textbooks: help or hindrance in teaching ?,
R ic h a r d sd is c u s s e s h o w th e u s e o f te x tb o o k s c a n b e c o m e a n u s e f u l to o l f o r te a c h e r s
o r , o n t h e o th e r h a n d , c a n b l o c k c r e a t i v i t y a n d i m p r o v i s a t i o n in th e
c l a s s r o o m . T h e e x t e n t o f t e x tb o o k u s e in l a n g u a g e te a c h in g , th e n e g a tiv e
o r p o s i t i v e in f lu e n c e o f te x tb o o k s , t h e in t e r e s t s t h a t a r e i n v o l v e d in th e
d e v e l o p m e n t o f te x t b o o k s a r e s o m e o f t h e to p ic s d i s c u s s e d b y t h e a u t h o r
in t h i s c h a p te r .
I n c h a p t e r 8 ,
Through other eyes: revisiting classroom
observation
, th e a u t h o r p r o p o s e s a n e w w a y o f c la s s r o o m o b s e r v a ti o n . I n o t h e r w o r d s , o b s e r v a t i o n c a n b e c o m e a to o l th a t w ill p r o v id e c r it ic a lr e f l e c t i o n f o r t h e t e a c h e r s a b o u t t h e i r o w n te a c h in g . B e h a v io r i s m is
c r i t i c i z e d h e r e a n d s o m e c lu e s a b o u t o b s e r v i n g a c l a s s a r e g i v e n . A ls o ,
R e v . B r a s i l e i r a d e L i n g ü í s t i c a A p l i c a d a , v . l , n . l , 2 0 0 1 2 1 9
h e r e l i e s o n t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t w h a t is i m p o r t a n t to o b s e r v e in a te a c h e r
is h i d d e n u n d e r th e o b s e r v a b l e a c t s o f te a c h in g , t h a t is w h y t h e u s e o f
c r i ti c a l r e f l e c t i o n s h o u ld b e e n c o u r a g e d w h i le w e o b s e r v e s o m e o n e ’s
c la s s e s .
C h a p t e r 9 ,
Reflective thinking through journal writing
, w r i tte nb y R i c h a r d s a n d H o , r e p o r t s o n h o w t h e u s e o f j o u r n a l w r i ti n g c a n h e l p
te a c h e r s t o b e c o m e m o r e a w a r e o f t h e i r a c ts w h il e t e a c h i n g a n d o f th e i r
a c t i v i t y a s a w h o le . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e a u th o r s , j o u r n a l w r i ti n g f a c ilit a te s
th e p r o c e s s o f th in k in g a n d u s in g r e f le c t io n a s a m e a n s to im p r o v e te a c h in g .
A s tu d y d o n e in H o n g K o n g w ith E n g l i s h te a c h e r s is e x e m p l i f i e d , s o as
to s h o w h o w th e y c o d e d a n d a n a ly z e d th e le v e l o f r e f le c tiv ity f o u n d a m o n g
m a n y j o u r n a l e n tr ie s . M a n y p o s it i v e a s p e c ts w e r e a c h i e v e d d u r in g th e
e x p e r i e n c e , in c l u d i n g t h e b r o a d e n i n g o f th e r e la t io n s h i p b e t w e e n th e
te a c h e r , t h e in s t r u c t o r , th e c o n t e n t a n d th e in s titu tio n w h e r e th e s tu d y
to o k p l a c e .
C h a p t e r 1 0 ,
The first year o f teaching,
is th e l a s t o n e o f t h e b o o ka n d th e o n ly o n e o f p a r t IV . T h r o u g h th e e x p e r ie n c e s o f f iv e n o v ic e te a c h e r s
t h e a u t h o r d i s c u s s e s s u c h a s p e c t s a s i n i t i a l e x p e r i e n c e s o f te a c h in g ,
e x p e c t a t i o n s , h o w m u c h t h e s e te a c h e r s e m p lo y e d t h e p r a c t i c e s t h a t th e y
h a d l e a r n t d u r in g t h e i r s tu d ie s a n d t h e p r o b le m s a n d d if f i c u l t i e s th e y h a d
in t h e f i r s t y e a r a s te a c h e r s . I t w a s f o u n d t h a t c u ltu r e a n d b a c k g r o u n d
p l a y e d a s ig n if ic a n t r o le f o r t h e s e f iv e te a c h e r s , a n d a ls o t h a t t h e p r e s s u r e
w a s r e l a t e d to c o n c e r n s a b o u t h a v in g a g o o d r e l a tio n s h ip w i th th e s tu d e n ts
a n d c o v e r i n g th e c o n te n t. T h e s e t w o m a i n c o n c e r n s p r e v e n t e d th e 5
p a r t i c i p a n t s f r o m u s in g m u c h o f w h a t th e y h a d l e a r n t in t h e i r c o u r s e .
A s s e e n h e r e ,
Beyond Training
c o m e s a s a r e le v a n t b o o k f o r th o s ew h o a r e i n s o m e w a y i n v o l v e d in S L T E , b u t it is a ls o a u s e f u l to o l f o r
a n y o n e w h o m i g h t b e i n t e r e s t e d in t h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f p e d a g o g y a n d
e d u c a t i o n p r a c ti c e s .
A n n a C r y s ti n a M e l lo
