Early language learning and teacher education - Subhan Zein

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide range of geographical and educational contexts around the world. The volume aims to enhance understanding of early language teacher education as well as to address the need to prepare early language teachers and assist them in their professional development. The chapters focus on the complexity of teacher learning, innovations in mentoring and teacher supervision, strategies in programme development and perceptions, and knowledge and assessment in early language learning teacher education. The volume offers comprehensive coverage of the field by addressing various aspects of teacher education in different languages. The contributions highlight examples of research into current practice in the professional enhancement of early language learning teachers, but with an emphasis on the implications for practitioners.

Subhan Zein(PhD, Australian National University)teaches atthe University of Queensland, Australia. He is thelead editor ofEnglish Language Teacher Preparation in Asia: Policy, Research and Practice(Routledge) and editor ofTeacher Education for English as a Lingua Franca: Perspectives from Indonesia(Routledge).

Sue Garton is Reader in English Language (TESOL) at the School of Languages and Social Sciences, Aston University, UK.She is Series Editor of the Palgrave seriesInternational Perspectives on English Language Teachingand has recentlyeditedThe Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners(both with Fiona Copland).

This volume is a very welcome addition to research in a much-neglected area: early language teacher education. As well as taking a truly international perspective, it includes chapters on bilingual education, TESOL, Modern Foreign Languages - areas of early language teacher education which are rarely found together, despite the synergies between them. Presenting thoughtful and innovative discussions of a range of key topics in the field, it is set to become essential reading for anyone involved in early language teacher education.

Early language learning and the policies associated with it have been introduced around the world, but there is still little known about teacher education in global contexts. This book addresses this need and brings together a group of major scholars who have done a brilliant job in each chapter. Highly recommended resource!

The book is coherent, contains sound pedagogical and theoretical reflections on a number of issues in primary English, and starts to break down barriers between disciplines, such as foreign language teaching and bilingualism. This is an important step forward considering the number of multilingual children in classrooms around the world whose multilingual voices are usually silenced.