Providing an introduction, this work contains sections on the British Empire.

Why is "night" spelled with "gh"? Why can't sentences end with prepositions? Why does English have so many words that express the same ideas? Questions like these can be difficult for teachers to answer when they do not know the historical background of the English language. Why Is English Like That? gives teachers a brief and accessible history of the English without assuming any prior knowledge of the subject. The book outlines the historical events that shaped English; describes how its grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation developed over time; and highlights the "quirks" and "exceptions" in English that can be explained on a historical basis. By understanding how the English of today evolved from the English of past times, both teachers and students will be more comfortable with the many conventions of the English language. Why Is English Like That? also contains reproducible grammar and vocabulary exercises that will help teachers incorporate some of this historical knowledge into classroom activities. This book was written with English language teachers in mind, and the exercises are designed for ESL/EFL students, but it may also be used by teachers in training (L1 and L2).

This book traces the history of English language teaching right up to the origins of the communicative approach, ending with a discussion of the impact of applied linguistics on language teaching in both America and Britain.

This creative book focuses on teaching English as a foreign or second language. It is designed for use by self-motivated teachers of EFL/ESL who seek to maximize their own potential as teachers and, in doing so, maximize the learning of their students. The book includes information about exploration of teaching, classroom interaction and management, teaching materials and media, culture and the sojourning teacher, as well as how language instructors can teach students listening, conversation, reading, and writing skills. It can be used by EFL/ESL teachers nor formally trained in teaching English to students of other languages and by individuals who wish to increase their teaching skills through independent self-study. The book is appropriate for use in preservice teaching programs and inservice development programs. Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language is unique in emphasizing self-development as central to being an EFL/ESL teacher. Each chapter presents a set of questions directly relevant to teaching and includes advice on teaching problems. An appendix provides addresses, phoned numbers, and information on professional journals and publishing houses.

Teaching English to the World: History, Curriculum, and Practice is a unique collection of English language teaching (ELT) histories, curricula, and personal narratives from non-native speaker (NNS) English teachers around the world. No other book brings such a range of international ELT professionals together to describe and narrate what they know best. The book includes chapters from Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. All chapters follow a consistent pattern, describing first the history of English language teaching in a particular country, then the current ELT curriculum, followed by the biography or the autobiography of an English teacher of that country. This consistency in the structuring of chapters will enable readers to assimilate the information easily while also comparing and contrasting the context of ELT in each country. The chapter authors--all born in or residents of the countries they represent and speakers of the local language or languages as well as English--provide insider perspectives on the challenges faced by local English language teachers. There is clear evidence that the majority of English teachers worldwide are nonnative speakers (NNS), and there is no doubt that many among them have been taught by indigenous teachers who themselves are nonnative speakers. This book brings the professional knowledge and experience of these teachers and the countries they represent to a mainstream Western audience including faculty, professionals, and graduate students in the field of ESL; to the international TESOL community; and to ELT teachers around the world.

Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this book is ideal for general readers interested in the English language.