In Vocabulary Myths, Keith S. Folse breaks down the teaching of second language vocabulary into eight commonly held myths. In debunking each myth, he introduces the myth with a story based on his 25 years of teaching experience (in the United States and abroad), continues with a presentation of what empirical research has shown on the topic, and finishes with a list of what teachers can do in their classrooms to facilitate true vocabulary acquisition.

The goal of Vocabulary Myths is to foster a paradigm shift that correctly views vocabulary as fundamental in any second language learning process and demonstrates that research supports this goal-that in fact there is a wealth of empirical evidence to support these views. In addition, an important theme is that teachers have overestimated how much vocabulary students really understand, and as a result, the so-called "comprehensible input" is neither comprehensible nor input.

The second language vocabulary acquisition myths reexamined in this book are:
*In learning another language, vocabulary is not as important as grammar or other areas.
*Using word lists to learn L2 vocabulary is unproductive.
*Presenting new vocabulary in semantic sets facilitates learning.
*The use of translations to learn new vocabulary should be discouraged.
*Guessing words from context is an excellent strategy for learning L2 vocabulary.
*The best vocabulary learners make use of one or two really specific vocabulary learning strategies.
*The best dictionary for L2 learners is a monolingual dictionary.
*Teachers, textbooks, and curricula cover L2 vocabulary adequately.

This book is a collection of strategies and tips collected through a survey of 80 practicing ESL professionals, as well as a series of conversations with the author’s colleagues. The book reveals teachers’ motivations for choosing certain techniques. A unique feature of the book is the thinking that underlies teachers’ choices in terms of how they manage their classroom.
 
Voices of Experience was designed and written with teachers-in-training and seasoned professionals in mind; the book would be used differently by each.
 
The book has five units: The Classroom Environment, Lesson Planning, Pair and Group Work, Classroom Interactions, and Classroom Trouble Spots. Each unit has two or three chapters that discuss the survey responses and relevant quotes from participants. Each unit concludes with a Connections section that features:
·         *Challenging Beliefs: What Teachers Think, which presents a statement for readers to respond to and compare their responses to others who completed the survey.
·        * Classroom Connections: What Teachers Do, which lists reflection or discussion questions
·        * Strategies and Motivations: What Teachers Say, which presents more quotes from respondents, particularly those that look at what’s behind teachers’ choices. These too could be used for reflection or discussion.