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e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 155
REVIEWS
Writing Education Research:
Guidelines for Publishable Scholarship
Joy Egbert and Sherry Sanden
New York, NY: Routledge, 2015.
IBTESAM HUSSEIN, REIMA ABOBAKER, and MAYSOUN ALI
University of Idaho and Washington State University
Publishing a manuscript is a daunting task for many novice
researchers and graduate students. Egbert and Sanden’s book
Writing Education Research: Guidelines for Publishable Scholarship
provides researchers with practical guidelines on composing a
publishable research paper for a peer-reviewed journal and helps them
identify research-based writing issues. e overarching goal of the
authors is to “support the successful dissemination of new knowledge
in education in a timely and useful way” (Egbert & Sanden, 2015, p.
xii).
e book is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter is broken
down into an overview, reviewers’ comments and related explanations,
language notes, guided practice, and recommended resources for
reading.
In the rst chapter, Writing and Publishing in Education, the
authors demonstrate ways to successfully construct a research
manuscript and emphasize the importance of the quality of the
manuscript structure and language. ey present dierent assumptions
that a researcher should be aware of before submitting a publishable
manuscript, such as useful content, rigorous conduct, surface edits,
and appropriate journal level. For example, the researcher has to make
sure that the literature reviewed is valid and reliable for the conducted
study.
e Manuscript Introduction and Purpose chapter addresses
the function of the research paper introduction. e authors portray
how researchers can walk their readers through their manuscript
and keep them engaged and interested. Techniques and examples for
introducing the topic, research problem, researchers’ rationale, and
outlining the paper’s structure are described in detail. A few useful
156 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
recommendations for an eective introduction include “start with
a story, a compelling statistic, or a relevant quote to illustrate the
problem directly” (p. 29).
Chapter 3 discusses issues related to the Review of the Literature
and eoretical Framework. e authors draw on Ridley’s (2012) per-
spective that a literature review is both a process and a product. e
chapter includes steps for developing an informative literature review
and theoretical framework. For example, the authors suggest that the
researcher should decide what kind of information he or she needs
to know, determine the source of the information, and gure out the
method of gathering the relevant research. Additionally, the authors
provide steps for developing a literature review: synthesizing, organiz-
ing, and writing. Practical resolutions based on reviewers’ comments
are illustrated to guide new researchers in providing a valid justi-
cation of their decisions. For example, they stress the importance of
clearly linking the methodology to the theoretical framework and re-
search questions, so that the methods implemented make sense to the
reader.
In Chapter 4, Research Questions, Participants and Context, the
authors address crucial components for successfully publishing a man-
uscript: creating relevant research questions, explaining the research
methodology, and describing the participants. rough a language-
note box, they suggest some typical academic language phrases used
to connect the research questions to both the theoretical framework
and the research paradigm, such as “Based on the literature review,
these are the research questions” and “Research questions that arise
from this gap in the literature review are” (p. 55). Such phrases give
readers concrete language resources to sustain the ow of a manu-
script and emphasize the signicance of making connections.
Chapter 5, Data Collection, Data Analysis and Limitations, dis-
cusses common issues, such as scarcity of data sources, unclear lim-
itations, and a lack of a detailed intervention. By following chapter
guidelines, reviewers can understand how and why the study reviewed
is conducted (p. 85). e most notable point of this chapter is the em-
phasis on explicitly justifying the data sources and the approaches
used to analyze them—an area that inexperienced researchers oen
struggle with.
In Chapters 6 and 7, Presenting Results and Discussion and Writ-
ing Conclusions and Implications, the authors discuss dierent ways
of composing the research ndings, discussion, conclusion, and im-
plications. ey highlight key criteria for the conclusion: organizing
and presenting data, interpreting the evidence, connecting to existing
scholarship, and addressing the implications to the target audience.
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 157
ey also guide researchers on how to report ndings, present results,
and use tables and charts eectively. e authors suggest, for example,
that the researcher should directly refer to the theoretical framework
in the conclusion. ey also recommend the use of clear labels, charts,
and titles.
e nal chapter, Title, Abstract, and Responding to Reviewers,
takes the reader step-by-step through creating an eective title and ab-
stract. e authors, for example, suggest that researchers should rst
check the title and abstract word requirement with the target jour-
nal. ey also emphasize that an abstract should include the problem
statement, participants, methodology, basic ndings, implications,
and results.
Overall, this book is well written and clearly structured. Although
it is written mainly for those interested in publishing a manuscript,
it also can be a valuable source to novice researchers and graduate
students. TESOL educators, in particular, can benet from this book
since many of the research examples provided are related to the eld
of TESOL. Another valuable component of this text is incorporating
the reviewers’ voices, which provide insights on the expectations of
a publishable paper. For example, the authors oer sample reviewer
comments such as “it may be helpful in the preface, in the opening
chapter, or in a new opening chapter, to outline the structural features
…” (p. 12). A reviewer comment such as this might draw a novice
researcher’s attention to the importance of providing structure when
writing a manuscript. One shortcoming of the book is that it does not
cover other types of publications, perhaps requiring dierent submis-
sion criteria, such as media reviews and forums. While an eective
book in helping researchers understand the ins and outs of publishing
a peer-reviewed paper, novice researchers who might consider dier-
ent publishing venues should not rely solely on it.
Reference
Ridley, D. (2012). e literature review: A step-by-step guide for stu-
dents (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
158 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary
Averil Coxhead (Ed.)
Alexandria, VA: TESOL International Association, 2014.
EUNICE LIM
Biola University
TESOL teachers are constantly looking for ways to make their les-
sons communicative, interactive, and challenging. e struggle
teachers face is that students get tired of routines, or of doing the same
activities or games. While some routine is needed, new and innova-
tive activities can be a source of motivation for students. I have found
Coxhead’s New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary to be a practical resource
for this purpose. is book is a compilation of vocabulary activities
from a multitude of authors organized for easy selection according to
student level (i.e., age, prociency) or lesson aims.
e activities presented in this book strive to address the condi-
tions for vocabulary learning—motivation, noticing, retrieval, creative
use, and retention (Nation, 2013) to help enhance the vocabulary-
learning experience of students. ese exercises provide a challenge
to students that boost their motivation, creating an environment most
conducive for vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, teachers can include
these fun activities to promote both deliberate and incidental vocab-
ulary learning. e tasks presented in this book require students to
notice words by negotiating meaning, dening a word, or by building
word consciousness. Retrieval and repetition are key components in
these tasks. Students are required to constantly retrieve the new lexi-
con they have learned while completing the activity. rough visuals,
actions, objects, and diagrams, students are exposed to new vocabu-
lary in creative ways.
Part I of the book, Learning New Words and Phrases, introduces
vocabulary activities that raise student awareness of vocabulary in use
and focus on multiword units (i.e., collocations). Some resources in
this section address a particular teaching point, such as word stress
or vocabulary for the weather. Other resources are more easily adapt-
able to any list of target words, such as Vocabulary Comics, an activity
that allows students to make visual connections between meaning and
word use.
Part II, Consolidating Vocabulary Learning, focuses on con-
solidating meaning and form and on organizing vocabulary learning
through repetition, competition, group work, and practice. One ex-
ample, Rating and Raising Word Knowledge, helps students identify
prior encounters with words and rate their level of diculty. One way
of building student autonomy is through the Low-Stakes Vocabulary
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 159
Test, in which students are given a list of tasks (i.e., add word stress,
list synonyms) and asked to complete each task and check their own
answers. Last, the Back to the Board game focuses specically on
meaning and form. One student guesses a word on the board while
the whole class explains it without using familiar words, making the
game more challenging.
Part III, Vocabulary and the Four Strands, describes the four
strands of language learning as identied by Paul Nation, who edited
the 1995 edition of this book. For a balanced language course, Nation
(2007) states that students should be given opportunities for meaning-
focused listening, writing, speaking and reading, language-focused
instruction, and uency development. A meaning-focused output
exercise that I found quite successful in a pre-intermediate writing
class is Group Storytelling, in which students produce meaningful
sentences using target vocabulary as they each write a creative story.
e stories are passed around the class, and each student contributes.
Part IV, Strategies for Vocabulary Learning, introduces activi-
ties aimed at direct and indirect strategies for vocabulary acquisition.
Students practice both deliberate vocabulary-learning strategies (i.e.,
studying word parts, axes, and suxes) and indirect learning strate-
gies (i.e. extensive reading) with the aim of extending these strategies
outside of the classroom. Some of the activities in this section speci-
cally address the use of learner dictionaries, collocation dictionaries,
and picture dictionaries. Other activities build vocabulary knowledge.
e Art of Learning Vocabulary has students explore the dierent as-
pects of target vocabulary in a hanging mobile. And, Learners Teach
“Found Outside the Classroom” Vocabulary gives students practice
with learning new words they may encounter daily.
Part V, Vocabulary and Technology, oers motivating activities
that use technology to nd out more about words and phrases in con-
text. In Mobile Vocabulary Learning rough Photo Blogging, stu-
dents use a class blog to teach each other new vocabulary words by
uploading pictures and writing sentences using new words. is activ-
ity allows students to strategically use the resources around them to
gain a deeper understanding of target lexicon and develop autonomy.
e last section of the book, Part VI, Vocabulary for Specic Pur-
poses, focuses on using specialized vocabulary. Identifying or catego-
rizing specialized vocabulary can help students better understand and
retain word meaning. For instance, the activity Poster Carousels gives
students practice using specialized vocabulary for poster design and
a mini-conference. In this activity, students select academic journal
articles in their discipline and present the research using specialized
vocabulary from their poster.
160 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
21st Century Reading 3: Creative inking and Reading
With TED Talks
Laurie Blass, Mari Vargo, and Ingrid Wisniewska
Boston, MA: National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning,
2016.
SARA MIRÓ MOLINS
Sonoma State University
21st Century Reading 3 feels like a breath of fresh air for those who
have to endure the oen-challenging task of teaching reading in
the EFL classroom. Written by Blass, Vargo, and Wisniewska (2016),
the textbook is lled with interesting and relevant real-life materials to
help develop reading skills and vocabulary knowledge, making it ideal
for upper-intermediate EFL students.
rough the use of TED Talks and National Geographic texts,
21st Century Reading 3 explores themes of global interest and pro-
vides practice for much-needed skills, such as critical thinking, com-
munication, creativity, and collaboration. An attractive feature of this
textbook is that the topics presented are appealing to a range of learn-
ers—from teens to adults. Unit topics include the culture of texting
A resource with a plethora of vocabulary activities is most ben-
ecial for a TESOL teacher. In my experience, I have found that these
exercises are easily adaptable for dierent learning goals and enjoy-
able. One limitation, however, is that many activities are specic to
one category of lexicon (i.e., colors, weather). Another shortcoming
is that the technology section misses the opportunity to extend an ap-
plication to the use of social media to pique student interest. For ex-
ample, Instagram or WeChat (social networking apps) could be used
in vocabulary exercises.
Overall, Coxhead’s New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary is a re-
source I recommend for any TESOL teacher’s library. e availability
of activities for a wide range of students oers TESOL teachers meth-
ods for facilitating creativity in the classroom and motivating student
learning.
References
Nation, I. S. P. (2007). e four strands. Innovation in Language Learn-
ing and Teaching, 1, 1-12.
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd
ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 161
(in e death of writing?), the importance of sleep (in Are you sleeping
enough?), barriers and bridges (in Bringing the world together), and the
professional world (in Career paths).
21st Century Reading 3 includes a total of 10 units. Each one is
divided into three main parts: two lessons and a project. e rst part,
Lesson A, presents a reading task featuring a topic of interest through
a specic genre, such as an interview, article, or personal blog. is is
followed by exercises facilitating reading-comprehension skills such
as understanding key details, analyzing an argument, identifying rea-
sons, or paraphrasing. e second part of the unit, Lesson B, features
a TED Talk and focuses on developing academic skills such as recog-
nizing arguments, making predictions, or connecting ideas by using
maps. Useful for both the instructor and student, transcripts for all the
TED Talks can be found at the back of the book.
A Critical inking section at the end of each lesson facilitates
group discussion about the reading or the TED Talk while putting in
practice the skills learned in the lesson. e last part of each unit in-
volves a collaborative project. Students are asked to explore the main
topic of the unit using resources external to the text, such as the Inter-
net and other TED Talks. is section encourages students to conduct
further research on the topic outside of the classroom and prepare a
presentation, start a group discussion, or design a proposal.
e design of the book is in line with the topics used in the read-
ings—formal, yet fresh and relaxed. Numerous pictures, tables, and
diagrams in each unit facilitate the comprehension of the readings.
e design also makes use of blank spaces and colors on the page to
provide an overall appearance that is easy and pleasant to the eye of
the reader. is look, in turn, makes the book more appealing to a
wider range of learners. Visual learners, who sometimes feel over-
whelmed by the amount of print typically found in reading textbooks,
might actually feel as though this one adapts better to their learning
style. e text is also inclusive of a younger audience as it provides
a dynamic and casual presentation of materials, more appropriate to
their interests, needs, and capabilities.
is textbook provides a dense source of world knowledge
through the development of various language skills. Although the text
is primarily aimed at practicing reading skills, it is also an eective
tool for oral practice as each unit contains several related questions to
stir oral discussion. is, paradoxically, might be one possible short-
coming of this textbook; the extensive practice exercises and oral dis-
cussions might call for careful lesson planning. Time management can
become tricky when students are willing to talk!
Overall, 21st Century Reading 3 does an excellent job of reecting
162 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
the actual needs and interests of EFL learners in our ever-increasing
global society, preparing them for the real and somewhat scary world
that awaits outside of the classroom.
21st Century Communication 1: Listening, Speaking,
and Critical inking
Lida Baker and Laurie Blass
Boston, MA: National Geographic Learning, 2017.
CERISE SANTORO and JOHN PERVEZ
Cal Poly English Language Institute
Written by Lida Baker and Laurie Blass, 21st Century Communi-
cation 1: Listening, Speaking, and Critical inking is as engag-
ing as it is thought provoking. is National Geographic learning-ref-
erence text inspires listeners to challenge social issues and take action
on global concerns. Baker and Blass design an attractive handbook,
which capitalizes on the full-colored images of National Geographic
and the captivating brevity of TED Talks. Transcending the bleak
mundanity oen associated with ESL textbooks, this text serves as
a multifaceted language-reference text for novice-level ESL students
and TESOL instructors.
21st Century Communication is an ideal t for a listening and
speaking course text without the need for supplemental ESL materials
because it facilitates a blended approach to developing academic and
vocational skills through large-group instruction and independent-
study components. However, this text may also function as a supple-
mentary text. Instructors may reference 21st Century Communication
for activities if their institution’s textbook lacks problem-solving or
global-awareness approaches.
e text comprises eight themed units broken into two parts.
Units include Connecting to Nature (photography themed) and e
Livable City (urban-planning themed). Each unit is made up of vari-
ous components asking students to “put it together” through relevant
vocabulary exercises, communicative tasks, and critical-thinking
mind-maps. Part 1 introduces a listening component that includes
lectures, interviews, podcasts, and classroom discussions. Full-col-
ored images complement and contextualize the main ideas found in
the subsequent section. Part 2 contains TED Talk listening materials,
which can be accessed on the TED website at no cost. is two-part
approach to each chapter allows students and instructors to think
critically through written and oral modes. Text enhancements such
as bolding, italics, and color fonts encourage the student to “watch for
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 163
details,” “reect,” and “communicate through group presentations.”
A wide variety of featured TED speakers, who are experts in
their respective elds, contribute to the text’s rich engagement. e
various professionals include a lawyer, roboticist, writer, architect,
photographer, pianist, chemistry teacher, and entrepreneur. Digital-
literacy skills are enhanced through the supplementary online work-
book, which contains speech-recognition and auto-graded practice
exercises. Learners can work independently by combining this online
workbook with the 16-page independent student handbook. Part 2,
the “listening,” can easily be assigned and completed as homework.
A side benet of these provided materials ensures less grading for the
instructor and an ecofriendly approach to supplemental materials.
21st Century Communication also provides unit-specic holistic
rubrics that can be adapted to assess students individually or collec-
tively. e benets of using these prestocked rubrics is twofold. e
concision of these rubrics ensures that paper is not being wasted in
the learning process. is truncated design also encourages collabora-
tive eorts among group members. Using the provided rubrics will
enhance the instructor’s ability to gauge student progress.
A shortcoming with the text is the extensive imagery, which may
overwhelm the learner with excessive visual stimuli. Some of the space
used for images could have been better used by expanding on a point
in the text or introducing another skill, such as pronunciation skills.
However, the benet of these visuals is that they assist to immerse the
student in the content and context of the discourse. e various info-
graphics engage students in new forms of visual literacy and work as
a stepping-stone toward mastering the reading of complex charts and
graphs at the university level. A second limitation of the text is that not
all novice students will be able to comprehend the TED Talk listening
materials, which are more appropriate for a novice-high ESL course.
All in all, Baker and Blass have developed a useful ESL text for
instructor and student use. e text certainly ts its objectives of pro-
viding listening, speaking, and creative-thinking guided instruction
to ESL learners, but it does so in a way that is both creative and imagi-
native. e scope of the TED Talk content works in conjunction with
the diverse range of vocabulary exercises, skill activities, and extended
practice opportunities.
In line with the National Geographic Learning mission, 21st Cen-
tury Communication successfully demonstrates its commitment that
in-class textbooks should be interactive and engaging. e intertextu-
al and communicative themes, alongside breathtaking visuals and text
enhancements, ensure that course work is never supercial or syn-
thetic. Instead, students are eager to move from one theme to the next.
164 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
Grammar in Context 3 (6th ed.)
Sandra Elbaum
Boston, MA: National Geographic Learning, 2015.
KRYSTAL SUH
California State University, Fullerton
Decades ago we saw a revolt against the grammar-translation
method—a method of teaching English that involved explicit
grammar instruction with little attention to speaking and contextual-
ized communication. Since then, we have seen a number of theories
that avoid explicit grammar instruction and focus almost exclusively
on communication skills. Is there no middle ground? Sandra Elbaum’s
Grammar in Context 3 incorporates grammar in meaningful, commu-
nicative ways with activities that vary across the four skills—reading,
writing, listening and speaking.
While Grammar in Context 3 is intended for advanced English
learners in an academic setting, anyone who desires to hone his or
her writing and grammar skills could benet from its instruction.
e text includes charts and exercises that progressively remove the
scaolding for the learner. Early scaolding exercises include ll-in-
the-blanks, circle-the-right-answers, and other grammatical “training
wheels” typically oered in instructional exercises. However, the text
goes beyond simply lling out the appropriate grammar structure.
Students are required to produce their own sentences and eventually
build up to formulating short essays using the grammar structure in
each lesson. When I observed an Advanced ESL class using Grammar
in Context, I noticed that the level of cognitive attention required for
tasks, along with the vast array of possibilities to personalize their es-
says, helped students develop their academic voices and encouraged
autonomy. For example, students are asked to go back to essays writ-
ten in earlier units and renew them with the newly acquired structures
in mind. is serves to highlight student progress and increase learner
autonomy.
Complementing the targeted grammar points, the glossed read-
ings and visuals provided by National Geographic are high quality, in-
tricate, and impactful. Moreover, the topics of the glossed readings in
the 6th edition provide an eective springboard for discussions on a
variety of current topics. For example, Lesson 3, themed Oscar Night
in Hollywood, introduces the passive and active voice. Lesson 6, U.S.
Presidents and Elections, discusses the impact that the media have
had on presidential elections while also introducing modals in the
past. is lesson provided a space for the class I observed to focus on
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 165
important political events in the fall of 2016. Other topics vary from
movies and travel to technology and science ction, and there is even
a chapter on adoption.
Sandra Elbaum contextually interweaves a wide range of gram-
mar points into Grammar in Context 3. She thoroughly covers perfect
tenses, and leads users logically through adjective, noun, and adver-
bial clauses. Elbaum ends with unreal conditionals and wishes—a
structure most ESL students struggle with and avoid when possible.
Each grammar lesson includes well-organized charts illustrating the
grammar structure and oers contextualized examples. For instance,
in Lesson 2, e Mystery of Risk, the chart breaks down the contextu-
alized sentences: “I / have / taken / some risks” into structural build-
ing blocks: subject /auxiliary / past participle / noun phrase. Aer the
charts are various essential tips called Language Notes. What I believe
to be an essential asset to Elbaum’s book, these language notes could
also overwhelm an inexperienced teacher or a struggling student. An
inexperienced teacher could fall into the trap of trying to teach every
language note and oering an explanation for each grammar struc-
ture. If used strategically, however, the variety of language notes and
the detailed charts remind teachers of things students may not know
about grammatical structures. is allows them to make informed de-
cisions about aspects to focus on in a limited class period. is also
serves to remind busy teachers to mention an essential loophole to a
particular grammar point. In addition, these notes facilitate autono-
mous learning for ambitious students who wish to go deeper at any
point.
e listening activities are, in theory, useful. However, unless you
teach in an auent context, it is not practical to ask the students to
buy the CD. Most of the students in the class I observed bought used
books with old pencil markings and no audio. An alternative option
might be to buy a CD to use in the class. Even without the CD, the
discussions prompted by the readings in the text provide excellent
opportunities to hone students’ listening and speaking skills via oral
interaction in groups or as a class using the topics as a springboard.
I was introduced to this text as a service-learning assistant at
Cypress College in an Advanced Academic ESL class. Many students
planned to further their ESL studies aer this class. Armed with that
information, the teacher gleaned particular items from each unit to
equip the students with a solid grasp of grammar points needed at
the next ESL level—while maintaining a trajectory toward learner au-
tonomy and communicative ability. e abovementioned charts and
language notes assisted the teacher immensely in this endeavor.
e most relevant and practical aspect of this book is the push
166 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
toward learner autonomy while oering adequate scaolding to help
teachers and students arrive at that goal. One way the text develops
learner autonomy is through the contextualized writing prompts
at the end of each unit. Prompts start out small and draw from the
reader’s background knowledge. For instance, one of the rst writing
prompts is: “What are the benets of being bilingual? Give examples
...” while a more complex prompt oered later in the text is: “What do
you think would be the advantage or disadvantage of cloning human
beings?”
As students develop more complex editing tools, they are encour-
aged to go back to earlier essays and apply new grammar knowledge.
is process reinforces the grammar points while also developing stu-
dent writer autonomy. Students are reminded as to why grammar in-
struction matters to their ESL learning. As teachers, we know we only
have a limited time with our students and we must aim to empower
them with the ability to learn without limits and equip them with the
tools they need to voice their ideas. I believe the principles behind
Grammar in Context 3 will aid us tremendously in that endeavor.
Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners:
A Practical Handbook (2nd ed.)
Keith S. Folse
Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2016.
XIAOLI YU
University of Central Florida
Despite the dierent perspectives on teaching grammar to English
learners, it is dicult to argue against the signicant role that
grammar plays in learning a second language. Keith Folse’s Keys to
Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners: A Practical Hand-
book (2nd ed.) claries commonly discussed issues in English as a
second language (ESL) grammar for ESL teachers and oers practical
teaching approaches.
Straightforward explanations and examples instead of compli-
cated jargon are consistently included in the book, while tedious lit-
eral explanations of grammatical principles are rare. e author uses
a concise format to present grammar points (e.g., Simple Past: SUBJ +
did + not + VERB; Past Progressive: I/he/she/it + was + not + VERB
+ -ing). ese precise explanations systematically extend to a number
of common ESL mistakes, providing a comprehensive understanding
of ESL grammar teaching.
e ve chapters of the book logically move from a general intro-
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 167
duction to specic grammar points to teaching techniques. By read-
ing the chapters in sequence, readers can experience the deepening of
content. Yet the arrangement of content also allows readers to nd any
topic, from the 16 keys, 20 hot-seat questions, or 25 specic teaching
techniques, to nd an answer for specic questions without having to
read in sequence.
Chapter 1 begins with the comparison between ESL and tradi-
tional English grammar teaching. With dierent learning and teach-
ing contexts, learner ages, and time constraints, ESL learners develop
a wide variety of specic learning needs. In particular, for adult learn-
ers of Intensive English Programs, time is oen extremely limited and
learning objectives extensive. Consequently, the author points out,
ESL teachers are expected to provide clear and explicit grammar in-
struction rather than merely employ communicative approaches usu-
ally used in L1 grammar instruction.
Chapter 2 reviews basic grammar terminology. Four sections are
included: common grammar errors made by native speakers, the eight
parts of speech, basic grammar labels for sentence structure, and 12
English verb tenses. Readers may nd that some of the labels and clas-
sications used in this book dier from those in other English gram-
mar reference books. For example, this book employs eight parts of
speech classication (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections), whereas other gram-
mar reference books may have more detailed categories (e.g., four
separate categories for adjectives: articles, determiners, demonstrative
adjectives, and possessive adjectives). However, one needs to keep in
mind that this book focuses on providing understandable ESL gram-
mar patterns rather than comprehensive explanations for “traditional”
English grammar.
Chapter 3 explains the 16 keys of ESL grammar. ese 16 grammar
points are considered to make up the most essential grammar knowl-
edge (e.g., verb tenses, the be verb, and modals). Each key contains ve
parts and includes typical ESL errors, grammar-point explanations in
charts and tables, frequent vocabulary usages and collations, compari-
son with other languages, and teaching techniques. Practical explana-
tions and teaching suggestions are provided throughout each section.
For instance, in Part E of Key 7 (Articles), the author explicitly points
out that Chinese, Japanese, and Russian students should be guided to
use the article a or an every time they learn a count noun, since their
L1 grammar diers from the English principle.
e last two chapters are more teaching oriented. Chapter 4 of-
fers ideas for answering 20 unexpected hot-seat questions frequently
asked by ESL learners, such as adjective word order, present unreal
168 • e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017
conditional sentences, and since versus for. Chapter 5 provides 25
specic teaching techniques with teaching conditions and samples.
For instance, in one teaching technique, “Reduce teacher workload:
Let students write practice quizzes for each other” (p. 385), a sample
student-written quiz is included. e text concludes with ve appen-
dices consisting of lists and quick references for native-speaker errors,
irregular verbs, sample exercises for the grammar keys, and a glossary
of grammar terminology.
e organization of the information and page layout are system-
atic and uniquely designed in this book. e author uses charts and
tables with dierent fonts and colors to organize the explanations for
most of the grammar points. For example, the grayed boxes in the
margins provide additional information for specic grammar points
and teaching techniques.
Compared to the rst edition, the content of this new edition is
extended and improved. Key 16, Negating, is added to Chapter 3. In
addition, within each key section in Chapter 3, the author adds an
additional section introducing vocabulary associated with a specic
grammar point. is is a rather distinguishing feature of the new edi-
tion, as it employs information from corpus linguistics to present the
high-frequency vocabulary and collocations. Information from cor-
pus linguistics is extracted from a large number of naturally occurring
language samples rather than subjectively chosen. us, one might
argue, the examples provided within each key are more authentic.
Research points out that data from corpus linguistics provides real-
world usages of vocabulary, collations, and language patterns (Ken-
nedy, 2014).
e limitations of the book are few. Readers may nd it a bit con-
fusing that some redundant content is included in dierent chapters
or sections. For instance, present perfect tense is mentioned in Chap-
ter 3 Key 2 (Verb Tenses, Present) as well as Hot Seat Question 16.
Since this book is designed as a practical teaching book, this redun-
dant aspect, on the other hand, allows instructors to easily access any
specic location of interest in the text. Moreover, if two sections of the
text are connected, side notes are provided, informing readers where
to nd related information.
Overall, Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learn-
ers: A Practical Handbook (2nd ed.) can be used by ESL teachers as
an eective supplementary text to other instructional texts for teach-
ing ESL grammar. e practical features of the book promote eective
teaching practices by allowing ESL instructors to nd answers to com-
mon ESL grammar questions without consulting complicated gram-
mar reference books.
e CATESOL Journal 29.1 • 2017 • 169
Reference
Kennedy, G. (2014). An introduction to corpus linguistics. New York,
NY: Routledge.
