Making It Happen: From Interactive to Participatory Language Teaching -- Evolving Theory and Practice (4th Edition)
Review BELIEFS ABOUT SECOND AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING Following theories of Vygotsky, Freire, and many others, Dr. Richard-Amato argues that the field of second and foreign language teaching needs to head closer to the sociocultural end of the teaching continuum. However, she is convinced that aspects of cognitive theory must continue to inform a broader and more inclusive paradigm in which western and nonwestern perspectives are considered. Although Dr. Richard-Amato believes that method as magical formula will not fit this paradigm, she thinks that method as a resource critically examined can serve as a useful component in the right environments. She suggests that the field move away from grammar/skill-based teaching and again toward interactive, content-based teaching (including relevant tasks and proficiencies. She argues that explicit grammar and skill instruction appropriately timed need to play an important role. In addition, dialogical language testing if properly developed could make testing processes much more like instructional processes. While emergent participatory language teaching has been an increasing presence in many classrooms, she thinks it would be a mistake to define it as a method or an approach. For it transcends both and gets to the very heart of the student-teacher relationship. It can now and in the future involve students more intimately in their own learning. Even more important to the postmodern world that could emerge will be teacher attributes such as openness, willingness to self-reflect, and ability to adapt to local situations/cultures.