Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience

The second edition of Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School is one of a series of books entitled Learning to Teach Subjects in the Secondary School covering most subjects in the secondary-school curriculum. The books in this series support and complement Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience, 3rd Edition (Capel, Leask and Turner, 2001), which was first published in 1995. These books are designed for student teachers learning to teach on different types of initial teacher education courses and in different places. However, it is hoped that they will be equally useful to tutors and mentors in their work with student teachers. In 1996 a complementary book was published entitled Starting to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion for the Newly Qualified Teacher (Capel, Leask and Turner, 1996). That second book was designed to support newly qualified teachers in their first post and covered aspects of teaching which are likely to be of concern in the first year of teaching.

The information in the subject books does not repeat that in Learning to Teach; rather, the content of that book is adapted and extended to address the needs of student teachers learning to teach a specific subject. In each of the subject books, therefore, reference is made to Learning to Teach, where appropriate. It is recommended that you have both books so that you can cross-reference when needed.

The positive feedback on Learning to Teach, particularly the way it has supported the learning of student teachers in their development into effective, reflective teachers, has encouraged us to retain the main features of that book in the subject series. Thus, the subject books are designed so that elements of appropriate theory introduce each behaviour or issue. Recent research into teaching and learning is incorporated into this. This material is interwoven with tasks designed to help you identify key features of the behaviour or issue and apply this to your own practice.

Although the basic content of each subject book is similar, each book is designed to address the unique nature of each subject. The second edition of Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School is a substantial revision of the first edition with many new or completely rewritten chapters. This edition retains the thrust of the earlier book,

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