Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach Michael J Wallace Cambridge University Press 2001 180 pp.

Teaching is not a static but a dynamic process teacher has to think back or reflect on his teaching in order to attain professional competence. Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach is a book which focuses on reflective teaching or reflective approach to attain professional competence. This book is written in Cambridge Teacher Training and Development series. The target readers are those who are engaged in designing, running or taking part in teacher education courses, as well as those playing supervisory, advisory, management, and administrative roles. This book also interests to anyone who is involved in thinking about the processes by which professional competence is developed and improved (p.1). Wallace at the beginning of the book makes clear that the book was not written to suggest specific content of teacher education, or even to advocate a particular approach to teacher education. But it tries to present a coherent framework of ideas for considering foreign language teacher and development. He also makes a distinction between teacher training and teacher education on the outset. The book has nine chapters in which Wallace begins Chapter I with an introduction on language teaching and growing demand of teacher education recently. He explains the terms professions and professionalism in order to examine the three major models of professional development they are namely the craft model, the applied science model, and the reflective model. The craft model gives due value to the experiential aspect of professional development. The applied science model takes into account scientific knowledge in recent times to achieve defined objectives. Wallace proposes reflective model as a comprise solution which gives due weight both to experience and to the scientific basis of the profession (p 17). He also suggests that teacher education has two dimensions received knowledge and experiential knowledge. Wallace goes on describe the

notion of the teacher as reflective practitioner- someone who reflects on practice as a way of developing expertise in it. Chapter 2 discusses about professional knowledge in which it has two kinds of knowledge, namely received knowledge and experiential knowledge and also it argues for the principle practice what you preach. It also reviews the research carried out on different learning styles, wherein learners are classified as either syllabus bound, or syllabus free; cue-seekers, cue-conscious, or cue-deaf; deep processors or surface processors; active or passive learners; serialists or holists and so on. It ends with a section on study skills. Chapter 3 emphasizes the importance of using teaching strategies and techniques. The techniques must feature in various ways the four key aspects of the academic process which are identified as knowledge, reflection, application, and evaluation. It also describes the various teaching modes like lecture mode and group mode. Chapter 4 captures the central theme of the book using reflection as a framework for relating theory and practice. It attempts an elaboration of the reflective model as a continuing cycle and reflection which leads to a dynamic, developmental concept of professional competence (59). After relating theory and practice by using reflection as a framework in chapter 4 next three chapters deals with some training activities. Chapter 5 on classroom observation looks at key parameters in the recall and analysis of professional action. It also describes three observation approaches such as Systembased observation, Ethnographic approach and Ad-hoc approach. Microteaching, stages of microteaching and underlying concepts in microteaching are discussed in Chapter 6. Wallace emphasizes Micro-teaching as a means of developing experiential knowledge and a context for trainees while learning their profession. Chapter 7 pays attention to supervision, types of supervision general and specific, and practical experience in teacher education. Any teacher education programme whether it may be in-service or preservice should be assessed in order to know how far it matches the aims and

objectives of the programme. Chapter 8 focuses on rationale for assessment it also lists out some basic principles of assessment and describes various modes of assessment. The trainer before assessing a training programme has to decide on the approach that suits the training programme in this regard Wallace describes two approaches such as norm-referencing and criterion-referencing. Chapter 9 provides a checklist of factors which need to be taken into account in planning a teacher education course. A case study of an actual training course which helps to organize a teacher education course was given. It also stresses the aims and objectives of a course. It also pays attention to the structure of the course, the methodology of the course, course coherence, course progression, and assessment. The book presents key issues and concerns in language teacher education. Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with a summary of the main points in that chapter. The chapters are divided into sections and sub-sections. As we know that no learning takes place in vacuum the personal review sections in the text invite the reader to think and relate to his/her experiences about the issues raised. Some sections invite self-reflection while others include group discussions. The glossary of some common modes of teaching and learning in higher education in chapter 3 is useful. The book ends with concluding remarks and some suggestions for further reading. However, while presenting the three major models of professional education in Chapter 1 it would have been comprehensive if Wallace has provided with teacher education courses which are based on these three models. It is disappointing that Wallace did not touch upon the changes that have taken place in reflective approach in recent past globally. On the whole I can say that the book is useful for those who are interested in foreign language teaching, designing, running or taking part in teacher education programmes.

Teacher Development
Book review Submitted to Prof. Jayashree Mohanraj

Submitted by
Naveen M Sarimalla

M.Phil (ELE) The English and Foreign Languages University Hyderabad500605