The book contains numerous commendable features, among which is the inclusion of a wide range of essential topics, all covered in a substantive manner, yet one that is easily accessible to the non-specialist ... The overall appeal of this book is also enhanced by the many thought- provoking questions and suggested additional references, including online sources found at chapter endings ... In sum, this is an excellent collection of readings. -- Martin R. Gitterman * Linguist List *
Rita Silver and Sor Marlar Lwin have produced an invaluable resource for learning, reflection and enrichment about the infinitely complex and fascinating dimensions of language in education. Progressing by stages from the ubiquitous presence of language in education, through to structure, meaning and variation within languages, to children's cognitive and social processes of acquisition, and then to social varieties, communication contexts and policy realities, they traverse the full lifecycle of language in education. This is a convincing and ordered contribution to the field of language in education for teachers, parents and students. -- Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of Melbourne, Australia
This inspiring, informative and unpretentious book provides an excellent introduction to the field. Topical and highly readable, the international team of contributors has produced a text which will appeal to a broad range of readers interested in finding out more about how language is used, taught and learned in educational settings. -- Viv Edwards, Professor of Language in Education, Reading University, UK
This edited collection brings together a number of chapters and suggested resources that will prove helpful to students and practising teachers alike.It reflects the linguistic and social aspects of language, its form and use, for educational settings, comprehensively and yet in an extremely accessible way. -- Rhonda Oliver, Professor of Education, Curtin University, Australia
This is a well-written, scholarly and informative book, which brings together key issues related to language and education, viewing language in all its social dimensions. It will be of value to students across many courses and levels of study, both undergraduate and postgraduate. It will have particular value for teachers wishing to improve their understandings of language and its role in teaching and learning. -- Jean Conteh, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, Leeds University, UK
We use language to define our world, while at the same time the social world in which we live defines our language. The structure of language and the variation we find within it depend both on the social world as well as the ways in which we create an identity for ourselves and the ways in which we build relations with others. Understanding how language both constrains our thoughts and actions and how we use language to overcome those constraints are important lessons for all educators. In each of the nine chapters in this book, the authors ask a specific question about how and why language helps or hinders, and they provide sensible answers that do not assume technical knowledge of linguistics. In so doing, the authors have made the lessons of language accessible to a wide range of readers. -- Richard F. Young, Professor in English Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
This book serves as both an introductory text to those who are wanting to familiarize themselves with the important role of language in education and at the same time it provides an important contribution to a greater understanding of perspectives on language structure, language variation and language function. Often when students begin to study education subjects with a view to being a classroom teacher it takes a long time for them to appreciate the role of language in teaching - this book brings into immediate focus the importance of language in education. -- Robyn Cox, Associate Professor of Literacy Education, Australian Catholic University, Australia
The reviewed book provides an excellent introduction to the relationship between language and education, enhanced by its emphasis on the social aspects of language, beyond the purely grammatical. It also stands out for its excellent selection of topics and clarity in dealing with them. [...] This book can be a great instrument for present and future educators in the field of linguistics. -- Dr. Victor Manuel Longa Martinez * Aula de Encuentro, (Bloomsbury Translation) *
