About Language

Tasks for teachers of English: Decoding the mechanics of communication.

The Teacher's Linguistic Compass

In About Language, Scott Thornbury challenges the notion that knowing a language is simply about memorizing grammar rules. Instead, he presents language as a living system. The book is structured as a series of discovery tasks that guide the reader through phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse analysis. Thornbury’s genius lies in his "Dogme" philosophy—a lean, resource-light approach that prioritizes the actual language emerging from the learners themselves over pre-packaged textbook materials.

Core Linguistic Pillar	Detailed Pedagogical Application
Grammaticisation	The view that grammar is a process rather than a set of static facts. Teachers learn to help students "grammaticise" their ideas as they move from simple vocabulary to complex structures.
Discourse Analysis	Moving beyond the sentence level to understand how texts are held together through cohesion and coherence, reflecting how native speakers actually organize their thoughts.
Lexical Approach	Exploring the importance of "chunks"—fixed and semi-fixed expressions that allow for more fluent and natural-sounding speech compared to building sentences word-by-word.
Communicative Competence	Focusing on "sociolinguistic" appropriateness—teaching students not just what is grammatically correct, but what is socially effective in specific cultural contexts.

In-Depth Content Breakdown

• From Sound to Sense: Thornbury demystifies phonology, explaining how stress, intonation, and rhythm are not just "accents" but essential carriers of meaning and emotional nuance in English.
• The Logic of Errors: A significant portion of the work encourages teachers to view learner errors not as failures, but as evidence of a developing "interlanguage"—a vital stage in the cognitive journey toward fluency.
• Authenticity in Action: The book provides frameworks for analyzing real-world texts (news articles, casual conversations, emails), helping teachers bring the "real world" into the classroom environment.

"Teaching language is not about delivering a product; it’s about fostering the conditions where language can happen."

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Gemini