Results by title

240 books match the query 'English as a Second Language' and 8 start with i

cover of Images of English: A Cultural History of the Language

Images of English

A Cultural History of the Language

Richard W. Bailey

University of Michigan Press, 1992

This book offers a unique historical perspective on linguistics by focusing exclusively on how people's evolving opinions, beliefs, and attitudes have shaped the English language over the centuries. Moving away from a standard timeline of grammar and vocabulary changes, Bailey draws on a rich collection of historical quotations to show how commentary about English has always reflected the social anxieties, national pride, and political biases of its time. By tracing these perceptions from the 16th century to the post-colonial world, the book deconstructs the myth of simple "English triumphalism" and reveals that contemporary debates—such as complaints over linguistic decline or calls for gender-neutral phrasing—are actually deeply rooted in centuries-old social dynamics. Ultimately, this foundational text illustrates how our ideas about language are a mirror to society itself, making it an indispensable resource for students and scholars of sociolinguistics, history, and cultural studies.
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cover of Implementing Collaborative Writing Tasks in Multilingual Classrooms

Implementing Collaborative Writing Tasks in Multilingual Classrooms

Mimi Li and Neomy Storch

University of Michigan Press, 2025

In recent decades, interest in implementing collaborative writing—having two or more writers work on a joint composition—has been propelled by rapid developments in social software and moves toward online teaching. Mimi Li and Neomy Storch have drawn from their extensive research and teaching expertise on collaborative writing to re-evaluate the pedagogical practices of collaborative writing and inform readers about how diverse ways of implementing collaborative writing (across modes, genres, tasks, learning contexts) can facilitate multilingual students’ language learning and writing development in the digital age. 

With clear visuals and concrete examples of different types of collaborative writing tasks—including multimodal writing and collaborative reading for writing tasks—the book invites readers to consider the kind of decisions that need to be taken when implementing collaborative writing (e.g., group size, how to allocate students) and when assessing collaborative writing. In connecting frontier pedagogical knowledge to practice, Implementing Collaborative Writing Tasks in Multilingual Classrooms will help educators to implement collaborative writing activities in their various contexts. 

Throughout the book, readers will find:
  • Research-informed, pedagogy-oriented lessons on why and how to implement and assess collaborative writing in multilingual classrooms.  
  • Cutting-edge pedagogical knowledge that distinguishes the different modes of implementing collaborative writing (e.g., face-to-face, via computer-mediated communication, and a hybrid approach). 
  • Key practical suggestions for teachers. 
  • Tips on how to incorporate artificial intelligence in collaborative writing activities. 
  • Recommendations for further research that can be helpful for practitioners, teacher educators, or graduate students.
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cover of Incidents in an Educational Life: A Memoir (of Sorts)

Incidents in an Educational Life

A Memoir (of Sorts)

John M. Swales

University of Michigan Press, 2009

Incidents in an Educational Life chronicles the educational journey of John M. Swales. A leading scholar in the field of Applied Linguistics and its subfield of English for Specific Purposes, Swales has taught across the globe in places such as Italy, Sweden, Libya, the United Kingdom, and the University of Michigan. His memoir offers a rare glimpse into the professional journey of a prominent scholar and educator.
Incidents in an Educational Life explores the lessons Swales learned by teaching and by being taught. The story follows his gradual transformation from an English as a Second Language teacher to one of the leading international figures in his field, stopping along the way to tell the sometimes amusing, sometimes painful anecdotes that have made him the recognized educator he is today. His entertaining prose make this volume a must-read for anyone considering the field, or the many ways in which we all become teachers.
John M. Swales is one of the leading international scholars in the field of English for Specific Purposes. He retired in the summer of 2006 from the University of Michigan after teaching at multiple universities overseas. He is the co-author of the international bestseller Academic Writing for Graduate Students (3rd ed.).
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cover of Inside Academic Writing: Understanding Audience and Becoming Part of an Academic Community

Inside Academic Writing

Understanding Audience and Becoming Part of an Academic Community

Grace Canseco

University of Michigan Press, 2010

Inside Academic Writing is designed to prepare students in any academic discipline for graduate-level writing. The text situates students within their writing communities by prioritizing the steps of learning; students are directed to use common threads of academic writing across disciplines. The goal of Inside Academic Writing is to give students the opportunity to write for a variety of audiences and to develop the knowledge necessary to recognize how to write for different audiences and purposes.

Inside Academic Writing allows students to examine basic assumptions about writing before they learn specific strategies for targeting the audience or mapping the flow of information. Through the material in this textbook, students will create a portfolio of writings that includes a biographical statement and a research interest essay—important pieces of writing that are rarely taught in courses. Other types of writing featured are a summary, a problem-solution text, a comparative structure paper, and a commentary.

Other textbooks prepare students for graduate writing, but Inside Academic Writing was designed to bridge the gap between non-academic writing and the writing required within an academic community, with one’s peers, colleagues, and field experts. In addition, Inside Academic Writing offers guidance on writing materials for grants, fellowships, conferences, and publication.

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cover of Instructor Guide for Speechcraft: Discourse Pronunciation for Academic Communication

Instructor Guide for Speechcraft

Discourse Pronunciation for Academic Communication

Wayne B. Dickerson

University of Michigan Press, 2027

Instructor Guide for Speechcraft helps shoulder time-consuming, non-teaching tasks so that instructors can focus on working directly with their students. Four-part lesson plans are adaptable for instructors who want to insert critical pronunciation topics into a non-pronunciation ESL/EFL course. To aid in professional development, each lesson plan includes a commentary on the order of topics in the syllabus and common student questions. Appendices provide pre- and post-tests to make sure that instructors have the resources they need to teach confidently. In addition to the 232 audio recordings for the textbook, instructors can access 37 additional recordings that can be used for class preparation or for in-class progress checks. With the Instructor Guide for Speechcraft, teachers will be able to help their students achieve the clear, intelligible speech they need to pursue their studies in their chosen discipline, to serve as international teaching assistants, and to interact well in their chosen professions.

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cover of Intercultural Skills in Action: An International Student's Guide to College and University Life in the U.S.

Intercultural Skills in Action

An International Student's Guide to College and University Life in the U.S.

Darren LaScotte and Bethany Peters

University of Michigan Press, 2021

Despite the increasing diversification of U.S. higher education, without intentional curricular planning by faculty, international students may not experience intercultural interactions due to varying degrees of disinterest, discomfort, or anxiety—and the interactions they do have may be superficial. These challenges could be potentially mitigated by an intentional curriculum that complements and enhances English language instruction, such as Intercultural Skills in Action.

Although traditional ESL/EFL textbooks have primarily introduced cultural topics at a knowledge level only, this textbook is designed to create meaningful opportunities for students to reflect on and practice intercultural skills in ways that are relatable in their daily lives and that can lead to a more satisfying U.S. academic experience.

Each unit opens with a discovery activity that serves as a springboard for the unit and introduces the topic in an engaging way. Chapters feature academic content that builds expands knowledge of intercultural skills, plus opportunities for students to pause and reflect on how to apply what they are learning to their own intercultural experiences. The activities ask students to respond with short written reflections and practice oral skills through discussion in pairs and small groups. Each unit closes with an activity that requires students to use higher-order thinking skills to create, evaluate, and/or analyze cultural information gathered from college and university settings in the form of surveys, interviews, observations, or internet research and then report on what they have learned.

The intended audiences for this book are international students studying in Intensive English Programs, in university bridge or pathway programs, or at colleges and universities in the United States. It may also be used by new-student orientation programs or by student services offices that provide intercultural training for students, staff, and faculty who work with international students.


 
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cover of International Students in First-Year Writing: A Journey Through Socio-Academic Space

International Students in First-Year Writing

A Journey Through Socio-Academic Space

Megan M. Siczek

University of Michigan Press, 2018

The book explores the journey of 10 international students to better understand their experiences at a U.S. educational institution and how they constructed and revealed these experiences in this particular socio-academic space. The study features a series of three interviews during the semester that the participants were enrolled in a mainstream first-year writing course; their stories not only capture their experiences but reveal inspiring stories that “give voice” to students outside the dominant cultural and linguistic community.
 
This study raises questions about how to support international students:
  • In what ways can it inform our practices and policies relative to the internationalization of education and the development of global perspectives and competencies?
  • What does it reveal that could impact daily instruction of L2 writing, particularly when it comes to international students’ need to meet the expectations of “university-level writing” in U.S. institutions of higher education?
  • On an individual level, what can we learn from these students and about ourselves as a result of our interactions?
 
 
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cover of Interrogating Privilege: Reflections of a Second Language Educator

Interrogating Privilege

Reflections of a Second Language Educator

Stephanie Vandrick

University of Michigan Press, 2013

Interrogating Privilege is a welcome combination of personal essays and academic research, blending theory, analysis, and narrative to explore the function and consequences of privilege in second language education.

While teachers’ focus on the learning process and class goals are quite important, there is not enough attention paid to the types of privilege—or lack thereof—that individuals bring to the classroom.  Through chapters that can either stand alone or be read together, with topics such as gender, age, and colonialism (the author is the daughter of missionary parents) in second language teaching, this book seeks to address the experiences of teachers, scholars, and students as “whole persons” and to observe the workings of identity and privilege in the educational setting.

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