Learner English

Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers

by Michael Swan (Editor), Bernard Smith (Editor)

As a teacher of English as a foreign or second language, have you ever wished you knew more about your students' mother-tongues? Learner English is a practical reference book which compares the relevant features of the students' own languages with English, helping teachers to predict and understand the problems their students have. The nineteen chapters, each of which covers one language background, are written by specialists with experience in teaching students from the areas concerned. The chapters describe and explain the most important typical pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and other mistakes of learners who speak Dutch/Flemish, Scandinavian languages (except Finnish), German, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Greek, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, Indian languages, West African languages, Swahili, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai. The book is accompanied by a cassette with authentic examples of the various accents described in the book.

Genres: Education, Linguistics, Nonfiction, Language, Reference, Teaching

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 11, 1987

About the author

Michael Swan is a writer specializing in English Language teaching and reference materials. His many publications include Practical English Usage (OUP), the Cambridge English Course series (with Catherine Walter), and, also with Catherine Walter, the new Oxford English Grammar Course. Michael’s interests include pedagogic grammar, mother-tongue influence in second language acquisition, and the relationship between applied linguistic theory and classroom language-teaching practice. He has had extensive experience with adult learners, and has worked with teachers in many countries.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! So interesting to see what specific groups may be struggling with and what actually exists in their alphabet and language. Excellent resource!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i reference this book often and find it very helpful to anticipate errors with students from around the world.

[Betty C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very well done and extremely useful if you teach multi-lingual classes.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! Excellent reference book that I'm always referring to- explains first language influence and can really help identification of reasons behind learner error in beginner English.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that shows some of the challenges learners have in studying English.

[Vendawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Every teacher needs this in their library as a guide to help their students

[Shoody Something · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is highly recommended for any EFL teachers !!! It is a must read book , you may disagree to a few points there , but it really highlight what to expect from each EFL learner.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive teaching aid.

[Amber + Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read three chapters from this text. I only read the chapters that were most important to me at the time. I hope I will use the other sections in the book in the future. This is a great tool for anyone teaching non-native English users. It breaks down the language differences so as to better equip the teacher.

[Farhangamany]

good

[Highlyeccentric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part-read for CELTA. Fascinating!

[Nada · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for ESL teachers.