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Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language

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Now in its third edition, this best selling methodology resource gives both experienced and prospective teachers the theoretical background and practical applications they need to succeed.

584 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

75 people are currently reading
1069 people want to read

About the author

Marianne Celce-Murcia

25 books24 followers

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5 stars
159 (39%)
4 stars
134 (33%)
3 stars
65 (16%)
2 stars
22 (5%)
1 star
22 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Sam R..
50 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2022
This was a great textbook for my ESL teaching methods course! The chapters were well-written and not too dense to parse, with lots of helpful explanations of teaching methods and concerns. I’ll definitely be referring back to some parts of this textbook in the future.
Profile Image for Susan.
8 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2014
Excellent selection of information on a variety of issues for potential teachers of ESL/EFL. I read parts of this book for a TESL course and found it incredibly helpful, though by no means comprehensive (it isn't supposed to be). It's a book I'll keep and probably return to when needed as I continue teaching.
Profile Image for Caitlin Skellett.
78 reviews
April 26, 2016
Great "article-like" chapters dealing with different perspectives on teaching. Many chapters also have very applicable strategies, lesson plans, and activities. Definitely a book to keep in an ESL teacher's personal library for a time when you're stuck on some problem in the classroom.
Profile Image for Sammi.
469 reviews
April 22, 2020
This book is packed full of useful information. It is very dense though. Each section focuses on a specific aspect of education. It’s a great book for reference, but I found myself skimming through A LOT of information to get to the main points. Which the book does have a nice wrap up and explanation of each chapter alongside future trends at the end of each chapter. So, if I got bogged down reading, I knew I could quickly piece it all together again at the end.
Profile Image for Joy Downen.
35 reviews
November 15, 2022
I didn't actually read the whole book because that wasn't required for my class, however, I would highly recommend this book. Make sure to the 4th edition, or the newest edition. I would give this book 5 stars however, I have nothing else to compare it to.

Overall, it was a very practical resource for students in an ESL teaching program. It offers a lot of insight through clear explanations, research, and practical applications. This will most likely be a resource I will return to.
1 review
May 4, 2017
I give this book an easy 5 stars, because it incorporates all the methodological aspects of teaching English as EFL/ESL along with further references for additional reading, this book is my Bible I'll definitely keep it near me as long as I'm in the field of teaching
Profile Image for Brittany.
74 reviews
December 30, 2018
Fantastic reference book! Never finished reading all the sections I wanted to, but I'll get there (very slowly, because there's so much to work through in this book).
1 review
January 24, 2023
Help pleaaaase !how do I start reading ???
I've added some books to my library but I couldn't accede to the book itself !
Profile Image for Vlatko .
11 reviews
January 16, 2018
Some chapters were quite brief, concise and quite useful, while some of them were unnecessarily crammed with dull terminology and over the top descriptions, huge chunks of text conveying very little meaning.
17 reviews
Currently reading
June 12, 2008
THis is a great book for ideas of how to approach your adult 2language speakers in class in that it offers ideas and a great philosophy/approach.
766 reviews36 followers
July 19, 2025
Where I learnt to teach English like a bureaucrat. If you want your students to actually think and speak like humans, go read Gethin and start teaching liberatorially.
1 review
May 9, 2016
This book was definitely a helpful collection of basic essays on issues in EFL/ESL
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1 review
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January 23, 2019
Y
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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