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Students Take Control
published in
Times Educational Supplement,
29 October 2004
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Mind Your Language! describes itself as a self-help guide for anyone studying any foreign modern language at any level. It starts by inviting the reader to assess his or her performance in 15 areas of language learning, ranging from attitudes and motivation to using a dictionary and travel abroad. Each area is then considered in detail in a separate chapter, which typically outlines common problems and suggests strategies for improvement. The stress throughout is on students taking control of their own learning.
The book is clearly structured and each chapter aims to guide the reader through a series of logical steps. Improve Your Learning Experience, for example, is subdivided into Before the Class, During the Class, After the Class and The Final Word, a brief summary of the advice. In this case, it is PAPER: Prepare, Anticipate, Participate, Enquire, Review. Mnemonics are a regular feature of the book: the key to successful reading is RODEO and accurate writing depends on VEGAS.
The style of Mind Your Language! is informal and reassuring. One can hear the voice of a kindly, traditional teacher offering straightforward advice, with the occasional anecdote or quotation to lighten the tone. I liked the warning tale of the software package which translated the English Out of sight, out of mind into the Russian equivalent of invisible maniac! Mind Your Language! offers sound advice on many aspects of language learning....
The general approach is most appropriate for sixth-formers... Mind Your Language! is probably most useful as an addition to a school or college library, where older students can dip into selected chapters and take from them advice which they find helpful.
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Review
published in
CILT MFL Bulletin,
Issue 5, Summer 2004
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I came across this book by chance very recently on the Internet and as it seemed to be quite interesting I took the plunge and bought a copy. Having read it, I think it’s definitely worth a look at.
The author claims on his website that the book is a guide for young people learning any foreign modern language at any level whatsoever. It describes how to get the most out of one’s language studies by outlining good practice in a number of key areas. It can best be described as a self-help book. It is certainly written in a very readable and accessible style, and could be read quite easily by pupils from about the age of 15 upwards. It also gave me quite a few good and interesting ideas about the kind of advice I could be giving to my own pupils, although I haven’t had a chance to try any of them out yet!
The book is divided into four main sections, each of which has four chapters. It starts off with a review which pupils can do to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and which is cross-referenced to the rest of the book. The other chapters in the section cover motivational issues, advice on how to get maximum benefit during the time spent in the classroom and tips about good organisation. It’s all sound advice and written in a friendly, communicative and chatty style that should appeal to pupils. Each chapter is divided into convenient subheadings, with the frequent use of bullet points ensuring clear delivery of advice and information. The author is also very keen on using mnemonics to assist students in the learning process.
The second section covers the four key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. I found this the best part of the book. Some of the author’s ideas and strategies for improving performance in these areas are very good and I can definitely see myself passing on this advice to my own pupils. The third section gives advice on using textbooks and dictionaries effectively, along with hints on approaching homework and examinations. Most of the advice here is good (if not entirely original) and with the advantage of being presented within a languages context. Finally, the fourth section offers guidance on using computers, audiovisual resources, getting the most out of those people involved in your language learning (i.e. we teachers) and studying languages abroad.
Did I like the book? In short, yes – I think it would be a great read for those of our pupils who are serious about doing languages in the upper stages of secondary and perhaps further. As I’ve already said, teachers can get something out of it as well. The best thing about it is its universality: the advice it gives can be applied to any foreign language at any level, and it’s not tied to any one educational system or examination syllabus. One disadvantage – as it’s an American book (written, interestingly, by a Scottish teacher) the price is a bit on the high side.
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