Abstract
Developing Expertise Through Experience, edited by Alan Maley, is written to address the concept of ‘the teacher’s sense of plausibility’ (TSOP; Prabhu, 1987). The TSOP concept explores ways in which teachers develop professionally and personally by building a personal theory of teaching action based upon their own accumulated values, beliefs and experiences. This book goes into considerable depth in its 20 chapters by the invited contributors and offers insights into how language educators build their personal theories of teaching and learning by reflecting on their lived experiences as language learners, beginning teachers and experienced teachers.
Of particular interest to teachers and curriculum designers is Chapter 1, ‘The development of my sense of plausibility and its implications’, which looks at how the TSOP concept significantly explores the various aspects of communication, humour, questioning techniques, presentation strategies, use of visuals and interaction with the audience. This beginning chapter can be used as a basic guide to understand the key principles of TSOP – beliefs and values in teaching and learning English.
Moving on, what makes the book informative and convincing is its organisation. Each chapter includes an introduction, the earliest experiences of language learning and education, influences from workplaces, reflections from the experiences and conclusion. Apart from the organisation, the chapters have common themes that align with the sense of plausibility. These form the main strengths of the book.
One of the main strengths of the book is that it presents a comprehensive consideration of the strategies used by language educators and curriculum designers in developing their sense of plausibility and autonomy in developing lesson materials and class activities. The ‘“plausibility” paradigm’ explains that whatever training the teachers receive, they will adapt and transform it according to what works for them (Maley, 2019). In Chapter 3, a quotation from Fanselow that is worth sharing is ‘The aim I propose is self-exploration – seeing one’s own teaching differently. Observing to explore is a process’ (Fanselow, 1988).
The second strength of the book is that it explains how communicative activities play a vital role in language learning. These strategies are elaborated in Chapters 4, 5 and 11. For instance, involving students in classroom skits, mini-debates and singing competitions helps them to become confident speakers of English. The use of narration in stories and song lyrics is a powerful tool in language learning. In fact, a storyteller teacher is an asset in second language and foreign language classrooms, where it can be challenging to engage students. Although task-based learning with the use of textbooks is meaningful in teaching grammar and vocabulary, the real fun is in finding resources outside the textbook and turning them into teaching resources that encourage creative text intervention (Widdowson, 1983, in Brumfit and Carter, 1985). This is very evident in today’s education, where many teachers are moving away from textbooks. In place of textbooks, teachers design their own curriculum, prepare their own materials and plan collaborative activities that are meaningful and engaging.
However, Chapter 14 apparently heightens the value of a good textbook, especially if it can create innovatory ideas for teachers to design lessons (Hutchinson and Torres, 1994). Using comprehension passages from a book for building reading comprehension skills supports the retention of language among the students. For instance, Donn Byrne’s textbook, Intermediate Comprehension Passages (1970), helps teachers in using the passages to create their own lesson materials. Although textbooks are useful to some extent, teachers should move away from well-designed textbooks and instead, work to achieve a completely new professional experience that leads to another side of plausibility.
The third strength of the book is the emphasis on reflections from experiences that form an integral tool to teacher survival and development. Chapter 5 mentions that teachers can learn by reflecting on their own teaching and designing better lessons as they learn from experts. This is also evident in Chapter 6, which enthusiastically introduces the chess-master model, drawing inspirations from Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach (Wallace, 1991) and the Chinese board game of Go. In this model, the reflection phase is explained when a novice teacher records audio-visually his or her classroom performance and plays it back to reflect on the experience, receiving move-by-move comments from a master teacher. Furthermore, according to Chapter 13, both informal and formal reflection on one’s own and others’ teaching is highly recommended for professional growth. Chapter 16 considers how reflection is vital for professional development of teachers, as it requires additional knowledge in evaluating both successes and challenges in classroom teaching.
The last strength of the book is that it believes in self-expression, that is, about being oneself and having a voice in the world. In Chapter 18, language learning involves accepting student mistakes as a gift to the class as teachers need to turn the mistakes to learning advantage. In removing the ceiling, teachers make learning visible and engaging for the students. In making thoughts visible, teachers must learn to listen, to be patient and not to judge students or situations. When mistakes in language learning are perceived as a natural process, students become more aware of their mistakes, and it is easier for teachers to address these mistakes in class.
This book is highly recommended for all teachers who aspire to both personal and professional growth in promoting language learning. Critics may argue that the book lacks scientific rigour (Maley, 2019). However, the art of language learning and teaching is not scientific but highly personal and developmental to both learners and teachers.
In conclusion, ‘a sense of plausibility’ is a real language teaching concept in teachers. In fact, they should be given the autonomy and support to design appropriate language teaching materials and conduct impactful language learning experience for the students. The observations, discussions and reflections play a vital role in the professional development of teachers. The shift from textbooks and drilling activities to the use of communicative activities has encouraged more teachers to design their lessons in a more creative, innovative and engaging way.
