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rEFLections
July 2012 Vol. 15
B ook Review
Title Practical English Language Teaching:

Young Learners
Editor David Nunan
Author Caroline T. Linse
Publisher McGraw Hill (2006)
No. of pages 216 pp
ISBN 9780071257275
Reviewer Wareesiri Singhasiri

In the final chapter of the book ‘Practical English
Language Teaching Young Lear ners’, the author
Caroline T. Linse mentions that “teaching ESL or EFL
to young learners is an evolving field, and many efforts are being made around the
world to improve the process for both teachers and students.” Cameron (2001) also
supports that “teaching languages to children need (s) all skills of the good primary
teachers in managing children and keeping them on task, plus knowledge of the
language, of language teaching, and of language learning.” From this, it can be said
that teachers of young learners require both practical and theoretical knowledge for
teaching their students and increasing the quality of learning. To seek for that
knowledge, this book may provide what teachers are looking for.
The aim of this book is to explore the issues which directly relate to teaching of
English to young learners who are five to twelve years of age. In chapter 1, “The child
as a language learner”, Linse provides a brief overview of child development and ways
to learn about children’s development and interest. The differences between language
acquisition and language learning are also discussed. Chapters 2-5 provides the
principles of teaching of each skill area – listening, speaking, reading and writing. In
these chapters, classroom techniques and activities are also included. Chapter 6,

“Teaching vocabulary to young learners”, explores vocabulary instruction for young
learners and how to promote vocabulary development. Chapter 7, “Assessing young
learners”, provides information on how to assess both oral and written language skills.
Chapter 8, “Working with parents of young learners”, explains the importance of
working with parents as well as strategies which can be used to create a positive home-
school connection. In the final chapter, “Key issues in teaching young learners”, the
author raises the vital points that teachers of young learners should be aware of i.e.
classroom management, special needs, multiple intelligence, tutoring, technology and
professional support.
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July 2012 Vol. 15
There are several notable aspects of the book worth mentioning. First of all, the
theoretical aspects which have been discussed in the chapters have been well-written as
they are quite easy to follow because the author provides the fundamental background of
the theory. In addition, when any terminology is introduced, it is defined with simple
language and with clear examples. For instance, in Chapter 1 the concepts of ‘language
acquisition’ and ‘comprehensible input’ are explained clearly. The second point is that
the activities with extract materials provided in chapters 2-6 are very practical with
clear explanation such as in Chapter 3, pp. 64-65, and Chapter 4, pp. 89-93. Teachers can
apply those in their classrooms because the author elaborates how a teacher could use
examples in steps of teaching. This may stimulate ideas and inspire novice teachers to
try out new teaching techniques. The extracts of teacher and students’ interaction are
shown to help readers get a clear picture of how to teach students. As can be seen from
page 105, the author suggests that prewriting can be used as a drawing activity which
can lead to discussion between teachers and students. The extract of the dialogue
between the teacher and students on page 105 may help the readers learn some
questioning or elicitation techniques when teaching writing skill. In terms of useful
resources, at the end of the chapter, readers can find suggestions for books, articles and
websites offered for additional up-to-date information.
This book not only introduces how to teach the four language skills, but also provides a
chapter about assessment. The chapter begins with an overview of assessment and
different aspects of assessment. If the readers are novice teachers who lack experience
in learning assessment, this chapter may be useful. The scoring systems of different
language skills and portfolio assessment are provided as can be seen from pages 149 and
154-157. There is only one area where the book could have been stronger. That is,
various assessment forms and rubrics of every skill could be provided and probably
categorized based on different levels of learners.
Another part which is worth discussing is Chapter 8 “Working with parents of young
learners”. It is a section which may help teachers understand why having a good
relationship with parents is important because creating a teacher-parent relationship can
develop a partnership with parents. Although this chapter seems not relevant to
language learning, the author clarifies that in English language classrooms the children
often talk about their families. As a result, it is worthwhile for teachers to understand
the learners’ family background so that they could support the learners in their learning
and overall development.
All in all, the book is very readable, informative and thought-provoking. It should be
recommended to novice language teachers and students in the disciplines of TESOL
and EFL.
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July 2012 Vol. 15
References:
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching Language to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.
Wareesiri Singhasiri, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Language

Studies, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. She was
awarded her PhD in English Language Teaching from University of Essex, UK. Her
research interests include research methodology and learning strategies and styles.
Email: wareesiri.sin@kmutt.ac.th

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rEFLections

July 2012 Vol. 15

Wareesiri Singhasiri, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Language

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