Abstract

Rising enrollments of students for whom English is not a first language mean that every teacher – whether teaching kindergarten or high school algebra – is a language teacher. This book explains what teachers need to know about language in order to be more effective in the classroom, and it shows how teacher education might help them gain that knowledge. It focuses especially on features of academic English and gives examples of the many aspects of teaching and learning to which language is key. This second edition reflects the now greatly expanded knowledge base about academic language and classroom discourse, and highlights the pivotal role that language plays in learning and schooling. The volume will be of interest to teachers, teacher educators, professional development specialists, administrators, and all those interested in helping to ensure student success in the classroom and beyond.

Carolyn Temple Adger is Senior Fellow, Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC. Her research interests include biliteracy and language variation.

Catherine E. Snow is the Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor of Education, Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include first and second language acquisition and literacy.

Donna Christian is Senior Fellow, Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC. Her research interests include dual language education, dialect diversity, and language and public policy.

The second edition of What Teachers Need to Know About Language is an outstanding volume that makes a significant contribution to the field in so many ways, furthering our understanding of the issues surrounding what teachers need to know about language to be effective educators in today’s K12 public school climate. Reading this book is like discovering a goldmine and I am eager to discuss it with colleagues at my institution.

Quality instruction requires an understanding of the language demands of learning. This is an essential book that provides extraordinary resources for educators, striking a chord with anyone who cares about learning for all children (not just those who are learning English as an additional language).