Book Reviews

103

EDGE, Julian, Mann, Steve

Innovations in Pre-service Education and Training for English Language Teachers
(London: British Council, 2013), 243 pp. ISBN 978-0-86355-702-6 (Pbk and pdf).

Reviewed by: Marie Yeo, Language Specialist, SEAMEO Regional Language Centre,
Singapore.

This edited book contains 14 chapters reporting innovations in Pre-service Education

and Training for English Language Teachers (PRESETT) taking place worldwide. As
noted by the editors, an innovation is not just an idea but involves new-in-context
action and reflection. To this end, each chapter includes information about the specific
context (setting, time, place, norms, and expectations), evaluations by various stakehold-
ers and reflections of teacher-educators on how the innovation has helped in their own
professional development. While the editors have chosen to present the chapters geo-
graphically, in this review, they are organized according to three broad (sometimes over-
lapping) areas: ICT (Information and Communication Technology); Assessment; and
Models, Methods and Materials.
The editors correctly point out that innovation does not necessarily equate to ICT and
multimedia usage. However, with the growing emphasis on e-learning and blended
learning, four chapters appropriately address digital innovations. Chapter 1 explores how
a web-based tool (Pebblepad) was able to spark interaction by providing a dialogic
teaching space and enabling scaffolding of student reflection. Chapter 11 describes the
use of free concordancing software to create personalized individual-Corpus or iCor-
pus, thus providing trainees with insights into and experience of learner-centred, cor-
pus-informed foreign language instruction. Chapter 7 concerns a project in Singapore
dubbed by the writers as the Starbucks approach to blending. This approach allowed
pre-service teachers to choose their individual blend of face-to-face tutorials and online
materials. Lastly, Chapter 14 compares synchronous and recorded online instruction in a
further education course. In the first pilot study, using Elluminate Live!, instruction was
delivered in a virtual classroom setting. In the second, students had access to both the
live class and a recording of the session. Findings about student preferences were some-
what surprising. These four chapters show that there is a place for the use of ICT in
PRESETT and that scaffolding, personalization and self-direction are key determinants
to the success of ICT application.
Like ICT, assessment is an area of interest and importance. Several chapters deal with
innovations in formative assessment. In Chapter 2, the author reports on efforts in
Senegal to move from summative, two tests per semester plus an exam, towards con-
tinuous and alternative forms of assessment, including peer-graded class projects, feed-
back on teaching and comment-only marking. Peer observation and feedback, tenets of
formative assessment, are addressed in Chapters 4 and 5. Through an innovation in
Mexico, pre-service and in-service teachers were trained to use ethnographic notes dur-
ing peer observation, resulting in more objective, descriptive (rather than evaluative) and
reflective notes. Chapter 5 concerns an innovation in California, in which pre-service
teachers play the role of instructional supervisors to their more experienced peers. An
104 RELC Journal 45(1)

analysis of pre- and post-observation transcripts demonstrated the value of descriptive

and non-judgmental instead of prescriptive and evaluative feedback. This assignment
also gave pre-service teachers the meta-language needed to talk shop with their super-
visors and colleagues. Lastly, relating to the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of
Languages (EPOSTL), Chapter 12 explores the three-stage implementation of the
EPOTSL, explains the rationale for each stage and shares the views of users on its
effectiveness.
The third area concerns innovative models, methods and materials. Chapter 3
describes a multi-tiered, comprehensive professional development model aimed at
producing highly competent language teaching professionals. Set in Peru, the
IMMERSE program included activities such as workshops, mentoring, observations,
focus groups, online courses and collaborative action planning. Not usually dealt with
in pre-service training is continuous professional development (CPD). Chapter 10
describes a Continuing Professional Development Practicum course in the United
Arab Emirates in which topics such as professional associations, book publishers, pro-
fessional examinations and ongoing language development were covered. Chapter 8
reports on an innovation in Sri Lanka, where the use of tips was woven into activities
such as giving feedback in a pithy tip-like format and employing tips to pull
together learning outcomes. Readers will appreciate both the description of how to use
tips in their training and the original Uva Top Tips list on page 145. Offering a
refreshingly different model, Chapter 5 reports on a shadowing program in the United
States, the aim of which was to expose student teachers to a real school environment
before they undertook practicum. Through this, student teachers gained a better under-
standing of the teaching and learning context. The author concludes that shadowing
should be a part of all pre-service teacher education programs. Set in Holland, Chapter
13 describes a novel approach that challenges traditional approaches of teaching the-
ory and practice separately in pre-service teacher education. The author suggests that
co-observation with a more knowledgeable other enables teachers to explore their
own beliefs about teaching and learning and to make sense of practical situations in
relation to theory. Finally, Chapter 6 looks at an innovation in China to develop the
critical awareness of pre-service teachers in evaluating, selecting and utilizing teach-
ing materials.
One of the main strengths and, at the same time, possibly a weakness of this collection
is in the degree of detail provided about the context, nature and implementation of the
innovation. Such detail allows readers to gain an appreciation of the geographical condi-
tions and constraints under which the innovation was implemented. It also gives step-
by-step guidance to those who might want to attempt a similar initiative. However, when
presented in a first person narrative style, the information sometimes appears rambling
and repetitive. Overall, this compilation makes a valuable contribution not only to
PRESETT but to all aspects of teacher education.
The book is available at: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/innovations-
pre-service-education-training-english-language-teachers