The teacher’s sense of plausibility revisited
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v11i1.1487Keywords:
sense of plausibility, self-study, critical reflection, personal history, personal theory of teachingAbstract
My aim is to give substance to Prabhu’s (1987) concept of ‘the teacher’s sense of plausibility’. That is to say, explore the way teachers develop professionally and personally by building a personal theory of teaching action based upon their own accumulated experiences - and reflection on them. Objective history is useful but perhaps more interesting are our personal histories. In this paper I shall attempt to link my own personal history in ELT to the places I have worked in, to the personalities I have encountered, to the evolving currents of ideas and publications, and to key critical moments in my own development. I shall weave together the five strands of places, personalities, ideas, publications and critical moments to demonstrate how they have influenced the direction of my own continuing development of a personal ‘theory’ of teaching. I shall suggest that this kind of reflective process can be a valuable element within the framework of teacher development as a whole.
References
Abbs, B & Freebairn, I. (1977). Starting Strategies. London: Longman.
Alexander, L.G. (1967). New Concept English. London: Longman.
Appel, J. (1995). Diary of a Language Teacher. London: Heinemann.
Barnett, L. (1988). The Way We Are. In-house publication, ESADE.
Billows, L. (1961). The Techniques of Language Teaching. London: Longmans Green.
Czikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Perennial.
Fanselow, J. (1978). Breaking Rules. New York and London: Longman.
Fanselow: J. (1992). Try the Opposite. Tokyo: SIMUL PRESS.
Filipovic, R.Z. & Webster, L. (1962.) British English by Audio Visual Method. Paris: Didier.
Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London: Penguin.
Halliday, M.A.K, McIntosh, A and Strevens, P. (1964). The Linguistic Sciences and Language Teaching. London: Longman.
Holt, J.C. (1982). How Children Fail (Revised ed.). New York: Merloyd Lawrence Books.
MacLure, M., Phillips, T., & Wilkinson, A. (Eds). (1988). Oracy Matters: The Development of Talking and Listening in Education. Milton Keynes: Open University Press
Maley, A. (1997). Musical Cheers and other very short stories. London: Penguin.
Maley, A. (1999). He Knows too Much. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Maley, A. (2000). The Language Teacher’s Voice. Oxford: Heinemann/Macmillan.
Maley, A. (2003). Inputs, Processes and Outcomes in Materials Development: Extending the Range. In Jayakaran Mukundan (ed) Readings on ELT Material. Serdang: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.
Maley, A (2009). ‘Towards an Aesthetics of ELT.’ Part 1. Folio, 13(2).
Maley, A. (2010). ‘Towards an Aesthetics of ELT’ Part 2. Folio, 14(1).
Maley, A. (2011). The reality of EIL and the myth of ELF. in Gagliardi, C. & Maley, A. (eds.) (2011) EIL, ELF Global English: Teaching and Learning Issues (pp. 25-44). Zurich: Peter Lang.
Maley, A. (2013). Creative Approaches to Writing Materials. In Tomlinson, B. (ed) Developing materials for language teaching (pp. 167-188)). London: Bloomsbury.
Maley, A. (2016). More research is needed – A mantra too far? Humanising Language Teaching, 18(3).
Maley, A. & Peachey, N. (eds). (2015). Creativity in the English Language Classroom. London: British Council.
Maley, A & Peachey, N. (eds.). (2017). Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. London: British Council.
Maley, A. & Kiss, T. (2017). Creativity and English Language Teaching: from inspiration to implementation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Naidu, B. et al. (1992). Researching heterogeneity: an account of teacher-initiated research into large classes. ELT Journal, 46(3), 252-263.
O’Neill, R. et al. (1971). Kernel Lessons Intermediate. London: Longman.
Pickett, D. (ed) (1978) The Foreign Language Learning Process. London: British Council.
Prabhu, N.S. (1987) Second Language Pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Prabhu, N.S. (1988). ‘Teaching is at most hoping for the best’ Seameo RELC Journal.
Prabhu, N.S. (1990). ‘There is no best method- why?’ TESOL Quarterly 24:2
Ramani, E. (1987). Theorizing from the classroom. ELTJournal, 41 (1): 3-11.
Robinson, K. (2016). Creative Schools. London: Penguin. www.ted.com/ talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en
Stevick, Earl. (1980) Teaching Languages: a Way and Ways. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Tomlinson, B. (ed). (2003). Developing Materials for Language Teaching. London/New York: Continuum.
Underhill, A. (2014). Training for the unpredictable. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL. Vol. 13, Number 2: 59-69.
van Ek, J.A. & Trim, J. (1991). The Threshold Level. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wajnryb, R. (2003). Stories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Weintraub, E. (1989). ‘An interview with Ephraim Weintraub’, The Teacher Trainer, 3(1), 1.
West, M. (1960). The Teaching of English in Difficult Circumstances. London: Longman.
Widdowson, H.G. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wilkins, D.A. (1976). Notional Syllabuses. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Young, R. (2016 ongoing project). History in Person: Moments of language teaching in the personal histories of teachers. Wuhan: Central China Normal University.
Alexander, L.G. (1967). New Concept English. London: Longman.
Appel, J. (1995). Diary of a Language Teacher. London: Heinemann.
Barnett, L. (1988). The Way We Are. In-house publication, ESADE.
Billows, L. (1961). The Techniques of Language Teaching. London: Longmans Green.
Czikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Perennial.
Fanselow, J. (1978). Breaking Rules. New York and London: Longman.
Fanselow: J. (1992). Try the Opposite. Tokyo: SIMUL PRESS.
Filipovic, R.Z. & Webster, L. (1962.) British English by Audio Visual Method. Paris: Didier.
Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London: Penguin.
Halliday, M.A.K, McIntosh, A and Strevens, P. (1964). The Linguistic Sciences and Language Teaching. London: Longman.
Holt, J.C. (1982). How Children Fail (Revised ed.). New York: Merloyd Lawrence Books.
MacLure, M., Phillips, T., & Wilkinson, A. (Eds). (1988). Oracy Matters: The Development of Talking and Listening in Education. Milton Keynes: Open University Press
Maley, A. (1997). Musical Cheers and other very short stories. London: Penguin.
Maley, A. (1999). He Knows too Much. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Maley, A. (2000). The Language Teacher’s Voice. Oxford: Heinemann/Macmillan.
Maley, A. (2003). Inputs, Processes and Outcomes in Materials Development: Extending the Range. In Jayakaran Mukundan (ed) Readings on ELT Material. Serdang: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.
Maley, A (2009). ‘Towards an Aesthetics of ELT.’ Part 1. Folio, 13(2).
Maley, A. (2010). ‘Towards an Aesthetics of ELT’ Part 2. Folio, 14(1).
Maley, A. (2011). The reality of EIL and the myth of ELF. in Gagliardi, C. & Maley, A. (eds.) (2011) EIL, ELF Global English: Teaching and Learning Issues (pp. 25-44). Zurich: Peter Lang.
Maley, A. (2013). Creative Approaches to Writing Materials. In Tomlinson, B. (ed) Developing materials for language teaching (pp. 167-188)). London: Bloomsbury.
Maley, A. (2016). More research is needed – A mantra too far? Humanising Language Teaching, 18(3).
Maley, A. & Peachey, N. (eds). (2015). Creativity in the English Language Classroom. London: British Council.
Maley, A & Peachey, N. (eds.). (2017). Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. London: British Council.
Maley, A. & Kiss, T. (2017). Creativity and English Language Teaching: from inspiration to implementation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Naidu, B. et al. (1992). Researching heterogeneity: an account of teacher-initiated research into large classes. ELT Journal, 46(3), 252-263.
O’Neill, R. et al. (1971). Kernel Lessons Intermediate. London: Longman.
Pickett, D. (ed) (1978) The Foreign Language Learning Process. London: British Council.
Prabhu, N.S. (1987) Second Language Pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Prabhu, N.S. (1988). ‘Teaching is at most hoping for the best’ Seameo RELC Journal.
Prabhu, N.S. (1990). ‘There is no best method- why?’ TESOL Quarterly 24:2
Ramani, E. (1987). Theorizing from the classroom. ELTJournal, 41 (1): 3-11.
Robinson, K. (2016). Creative Schools. London: Penguin. www.ted.com/ talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en
Stevick, Earl. (1980) Teaching Languages: a Way and Ways. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Tomlinson, B. (ed). (2003). Developing Materials for Language Teaching. London/New York: Continuum.
Underhill, A. (2014). Training for the unpredictable. The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL. Vol. 13, Number 2: 59-69.
van Ek, J.A. & Trim, J. (1991). The Threshold Level. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wajnryb, R. (2003). Stories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Weintraub, E. (1989). ‘An interview with Ephraim Weintraub’, The Teacher Trainer, 3(1), 1.
West, M. (1960). The Teaching of English in Difficult Circumstances. London: Longman.
Widdowson, H.G. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wilkins, D.A. (1976). Notional Syllabuses. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Young, R. (2016 ongoing project). History in Person: Moments of language teaching in the personal histories of teachers. Wuhan: Central China Normal University.
Downloads
Published
2016-05-31
Issue
Section
Articles
