ENGLISH TEACHING

By: Fikri Ismail, Lc. MA., P.hd. “Teaching English as World Language” is a book that is deeply rooted in the principle that English teachers or teachers of other languages should reassess their perceptions towards the language they teach. 

They must be aware that the unintentional recycling of some common terms associated with English teaching, such as “foreign” as in “foreign language” or “secondary” as in “second language” may lead to the isolation of learners from the very language they try to learn. It is this principle that inspires this book to emerge as a new breed among its kinds. Its uniqueness lies in its author’s deep understanding of how languages are learned and acquired. There no doubt, this book should be the right choice for teachers who seek to prepare their students for the whole new world within which they can easily navigate.

Like other innovative books, this book possesses some noticeable strengths. First, the author has skillfully selected what goes into the book, from theories, assumptions, research findings, to practical applications, solutions, implications, and assessment. This suggests that practicality, clarity, and thoroughness are issues that matter to teachers as they may not want to scramble across so many books to find what they need to know. To a large extent, the book appears to promises some sense of adequacy to its reader.

Second, the author’s understanding of the local contexts also plays a very crucial role in presenting the book the way it is. The author’s continued involvement and interest in the field of language teaching is proof that teaching a new language requires much more than just “instinct.” No learning can be achieved without understanding the context in which it is embedded, and the author seems to have considered this aspect thoroughly.

Third, teaching a new language or deriving the methods that work requires both passion and exposure to the environments where the demand for a new way of communicating exists. The author’s own passion and determination to take English learning to the next level, and his past exposure to learning languages other than his own, are testament to the kind of content he decided to include in the book. Books like this should guide learners to the path of success and warn them about the potential mishaps ahead as previously experienced by the author. 

Finally, teachers who wish to seek some basics into language teaching and more should look no further than this carefully written and organized book. I congratulate both the author for this brilliant piece and for the teachers who choose to see their English teaching experience through the lens of this book.