Date: 27-Sep-2006 From: Elizabeth Gangeri <Elizabeth.Gangerierlbaum.com> Subject: English L2 Reading: Birch
Title: English L2 Reading
Subtitle: Getting to the Bottom
Series Title: ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series
Published: 2006
Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
http://www.erlbaum.com/
Author: Barbara M. Birch, California State University, Fresno
Paperback: ISBN: 0805859292 Pages: 248 Price: U.S. $ 27.50
Abstract:
"English L2 Reading: Getting to the Bottom, Second Edition" remains a comprehensive, myth-debunking examination of how L1 features (orthographic system, phonology, morphology) can influence English L2 reading at the "bottom" of the reading process. It provides a thorough but very accessible linguistic/psycholinguistic examination of the lowest levels of the reading process. It is both theoretical and practical. The goal is to balance or supplement (not replace) top-down approaches and methodologies with effective low-level options for teaching English reading. Core linguistic and psycholinguistic concepts are presented within the context of their application to teaching.
Many ESL/EFL teachers are interested in supplementing their successful whole-language methods with bottom-up reading strategies, but aren't sure how to do it. This book fills that gap. Intended for ESL/EFL reading researchers, teacher trainers and teachers, and as a text for MATESOL students, most chapters contain practical suggestions that teachers can incorporate into whole language methods to teach beginning or intermediate ESL/EFL reading (letters, pronunciation, "smart" phonics, morphemes, and vocabulary acquisition) in a more balanced way. Pre-reading discussion and study questions are provided to stimulate interest and enhance comprehension. End-of-chapter exercises help readers apply the concepts.
Linguistic Field(s):
Applied Linguistics
Language Acquisition
Psycholinguistics
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