Harold Rosen and English in Education and the Language Arts

Simon Gibbons is Reader in English Education at King’s College London, where he is Director of Teacher Education. As a teacher and researcher, he has published extensively on the development of English as a school subject for over 30 years.

• Chapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Harold Rosen and the Rise of the New EnglishChapter 3. Harold Rosen: Class and CulturesChapter 4. Harold Rosen: Language and Learning across the CurriculumChapter 5. The Importance of Story, Narrative, Autobiography and MemoryChapter 6. Harold Rosen: Activist and Advocate for Teacher AgencyChapter 7. The Enduring Importance of Harold Rosen’s Work

Simon Gibbons has done a detailed, wide-ranging analysis of Harold, my father's, work. The book has enthused me with the will to join the dots between what I knew and what I only knew of by name. As a father, he was a hugely knowledgeable, funny, relentlessly questioning figure, jumping between earthy observation and scholarly viewpoints. This book matches my personal view in that it shows us Harold weaving his way between the concerns of the classroom teacher, the culture and language of school students and the downward pressure from those in charge of education. I'm both grateful for, and in awe of how Simon has synthesised all this into a coherent, accessible survey of Harold's life-work.- Michael RosenSimon Gibbons has composed an authoritative account of and personal tribute to the work of one of the most influential thinkers, writers and activists in the world of English teaching and language and learning in the second half of the 20th century. Harold Rosen’s intellectual legacy is as relevant now as his words and acts were ground-breaking in his lifetime; and, in the current context of the politics of education, yet more sorely needed.- John Richmond, Editor