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Teaching Young Language Learners, A. Pinter. Oxford

University Press, Oxford (2006), 192 pp.

Article in System · September 2007

DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2007.06.001

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 Book reviews / System 35 (2007) 400–403 401

matriculation essays that he had assembled while working as an examiner. Material of this
sort was unthinkable in the UK context, where official, institutional support for research
in languages was largely non-existent.
More importantly, perhaps, much of this work was technically sophisticated in a way
which would have been very unusual in the UK, where work of this sort would probably
have been condemned as witchcraft. Sauli Takala’s studies on vocabulary acquisition, for
example, were light years ahead of anything that was being done in this area in the Anglo-
Saxon world.
This book does not actually set out to survey this research in a systematic way, but inev-
itably it ends up being informed by it. Most of the big ideas described will be familiar to
researchers: the idea that transfer can be both positive and negative; the different levels
on which transfer operates; the specific role of transfer when language behaviour is domi-
nated by lexical factors; the role of transfer in pronunciation and phonology; and so on.
Most of the detail will be unfamiliar though, even to readers who know the basic Anglo-Sax-
on research literature well. For some reason, much of the Scandinavian research remains
poorly known, and little appreciated. The main role of this book will surely be to bring this
large and serious body of research to the much wider audience that it clearly deserves.
It is normal in a review of this kind to comment on the author’s personal contribution
to the work in hand. Typically modest, Ringbom cites only eight of his own papers in a
bibliography that stretches to sixteen pages. Do not be fooled by this. Ringbom’s influence
stretches much further than this understated list implies. Much of the work reported in the
book has been carried out by his students, or by junior colleagues, and it is clear that a
great deal of effort has gone into mentoring and setting up informal research networks
to make this possible. Altogether, it amounts to a solid mass of serious research, which
deserves to be better known.
Read this book then, not just as a way of finding out more about Scandinavian research
in SLA. Read it too as an object lesson in how small research acorns can grow into sub-
stantial oaks when they are nurtured by committed teachers.

Paul Meara
Applied Linguistics,
University of Wales Swansea,
Singleton Park,
Swansea SA2 8PP,
United Kingdom
E-mail address: p.m.meara@swansea.ac.uk

doi:10.1016/j.system.2007.06.002

Teaching Young Language Learners, A. Pinter. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2006).
192 pp.

I have been looking for a good coursebook for my Introduction to ELT Methodology
classes for many years. Since my course aims at preparing teachers for teaching English to
young learners, my hope was to find a book which provides a general overview of the
402 Book reviews / System 35 (2007) 400–403

essentials of language teaching and learning and which focuses on this age group. I think I
have found the book that I needed.
Teaching Young Language Learners combines theoretical knowledge with practical
applications and highlights other important aspects and factors that influence language
learning for young learners besides the language itself. Pinter has worked as a teacher trai-
ner for several years and she has long experience of teaching children. Her commitment
and enthusiasm for teaching this age group is beyond question. Young learners are usually
defined as learners between the ages of six and 14, but this definition is really too broad,
and for this reason, Pinter distinguishes between younger learners and older learners within
this larger group. She describes the characteristic features of both subgroups but does not
try to specify at what age children move from one group to the other. Instead the book
tackles ‘age groups on a continuum of younger to older learners’. Younger learners have
a holistic approach to language learning, older learners are more analytical. Because of
this, their English classes should be planned differently. Pinter’s book shows how to do
this. When she discusses teaching language skills, vocabulary and grammar, the provided
activities are grouped for younger and older learners.
There are not too many books which deal with teaching languages for young learners,
and Pinter’s intention, was to provide theoretical and practical support for teachers and
would-be teachers in this field. The illustrative examples, handouts, worksheets and pic-
tures taken from ELT coursebooks, and the explanations which accompany are all exploit-
able by teachers, and will help benefit their learners. The ready-made English language
teaching materials will help teachers how to be creative. The book will be a good starting
point for trainee teachers ELT Methodology in Teacher Training Institutions and Univer-
sities and it will also help existing teachers develop their existing language teaching skills
both at the theoretical level, and at the level of applying good practice. The book also pro-
vides useful supplementary reading and guidelines for experienced teachers who want to
engage with the field of teaching young language learners.
The clear structure of the book makes it very user-friendly. The Introduction provides a
broad overview which defines the age group covered by the term ‘Young Learners’, and
briefly summarizes the contents of the book’s eleven chapters. Within each chapter there
is a short introduction which gives an at-a-glance summary of the chapter. The topics
discussed cover the most relevant areas of the field: learning and development; learning
the first language at home and at school; learning a second/third language at home and
at school; educational policy and primary ELT programmes; teaching listening and speak-
ing; teaching reading and writing; teaching vocabulary and grammar; learning to learn;
materials evaluation and materials design; assessment; and research into the primary Eng-
lish classroom. Each chapter ends with a summary of the main ideas.
The special value of this book is that some topics closely connected with ELT, but more
usually discussed in other disciplines, are all brought together here. Child development
and learning to learn is a good example of this. Other up-to-date topics concerning lan-
guage education are also covered: ELT programmes and the Language Portfolio of the
Council of Europe, are particularly useful contributions. At the end of each chapter there
is a recommended reading list divided into two parts: background theory and practical tea-
cher resources. The reading lists are not simple listings, but they are supplemented with
short abstracts in order to help teachers find the most appropriate books for their pur-
poses. In addition, at the end of each chapter there are recommended action research tasks
covering the topics discussed in the chapter. These suggestions for classroom research
 Book reviews / System 35 (2007) 400–403 403

make it possible for teachers to discover more about their learners and about themselves.
Would-be teachers will also find ideas and practical advice to follow in the book for their
ELT thesis work in the tasks detailed in the Appendix. The Appendix also suggests thesis
topics for interested college and university students. A Glossary explains the most impor-
tant terms.
As an overview, this book functions effectively since it combines lots of practical ideas
with theoretical reasoning about the what, the why and the how of teaching young learners.
It will help novice teachers to become familiarized with the most important questions of
language teaching and will help practising teachers adopt new teaching styles which are
appropriate for teaching children. Of course, the book does not solve all the problems
which have arisen in this relatively new field of research, but as a general introduction into
the field it is highly recommended.

Andrea Orosz
University of Szeged
Hattyas sor 10, Szeged 6725, Hungary
E-mail address: orosza@jgypk.u-szeged.hu

doi:10.1016/j.system.2007.06.001

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