Issues in Modern Foreign Languages Teaching

Kit Field is a principal lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University College and the deputy director of Continuing Professional Development.

• 1. The Changing Place of MFLs in the Curriculum 2. Re-examining Communicative Language Teaching 3. Why Learn a Foreign Language 4. Which Language? - An Embarrassment of Choice 5. At What Age Should Foreign Language Learning Begin? 6. The Unique Contribution of MFLs to the Curriculum 7. Why Teach MFLs to the Lower Ability? 8. Modern Foreign Languages and Able Learners 9. Ability Setting Versus Mixed Ability 10. Why are Girls Better at MFLs than Boys? 11. Teaching Grammer in the MFLs Classroom 12. How Important is Cultural Awareness? 13. Issues in Target Language Teaching . And It All Ended in Tiers 15. Technology and the Tools of Communication 16. Towards Independent Language Use and Language Learning 17. Literature in the Communicative Classroom 18. Prestige and Profile of MFLs 19. Language Transfer and the MFL classroom

'Teachers who want to review what has happened in the world of modern languages teaching over the past two decades will find this collection a useful starting point. The idea of a whole-school language policy and practice is an exciting one. - Michael Grenfell, Times Educational Supplement'This excellent and thought-provoking book ... The contributions are fully grounded in research and reflective practice, and will, one hopes, redress what Coyle refers to as the "demise of foreign language learning in the previous decade", provide a vital re-injection of theory into teaching and teacher training and re-energise a jaded methodology.' - Nigel Norman, ALL Language Learning Journal'Many of the chapters will certainly form part of my recommended reading for my PGCE trainees ...' - Mentoring and Training