Education 3-13

International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rett20

Professionalizing Your English Language Teaching

edited by Christine Coombe, Neil J. Anderson, and Lauren Stephenson, 2020,
435 pp., price € 64,99 (hardcover), € 53,49 (eBook), ISBN 978-3-030-34761-1
(hardcover), ISBN 978-3-030-34762-8 (eBook)

Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay, Balqis Wandira & Eka Yuni Kurniati

To cite this article: Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay, Balqis Wandira & Eka Yuni Kurniati
(2023): Professionalizing Your English Language Teaching, Education 3-13, DOI:
10.1080/03004279.2023.2166355

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2023.2166355

Published online: 10 Jan 2023.

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EDUCATION 3-13

BOOK REVIEW

Professionalizing Your English Language Teaching, edited by Christine Coombe, Neil J.

Anderson, and Lauren Stephenson, 2020, 435 pp., price € 64,99 (hardcover), € 53,49
(eBook), ISBN 978-3-030-34761-1 (hardcover), ISBN 978-3-030-34762-8 (eBook)

The book in the ‘Professionalizing Your English Teaching’ series include a wide range of topics,
including the study of other languages and their instruction, as well as a variety of related topics.
It is not only based on instructional and non-instructional learning processes, but this book also
explores various aspects of teaching, beginning with curriculum selection, material design, class-
rooms, teaching practice, and evaluation. It consists of 36 topics, which are divided into ten chapters
within this book. It discusses various issues that underlie students’ method for gaining a second or
foreign language. The information that is provided in this book is geared toward study and includes
a variety of theoretical perspectives. The professional identity of a language teacher is explored in a
comprehensive and in-depth study that begins with understanding what is contained in the word
‘professional’, both as a teacher in a school and as an educator in an educational institution, and con-
cludes with how English language teaching professionals prepare for retirement.
The first chapter of this book was written by Parra-Guinaldo and Gregersen, and it provides a
number of different perspectives on the fundamental nature of professionalism. In this section,
the author investigates what it means to be professional in and of itself. They begin by presenting
several definitions of professionalism and the evolution of the idea of professionalism over the
course of time. Eventually, they provide an overview of how to view language teacher professional-
ism through the lens of positive psychology, how to place an emphasis on emotional intelligence,
and how to cultivate relationships between teachers and students. They argue that in this era of glo-
balisation, language scholars and practitioners need to engage more critically and investigate how
professional identity is constructed within the dominant discourse in order to understand how pro-
fessional identities are formed. The principal goal of this investigation is to comprehend how pro-
fessional identity is constructed. This chapter comes to a close with a discussion on the
repercussions of Language Teacher Identity (LTI) and professionalism.
In the second chapter, the authors explore a range of important issues to educators’ well-being. In
addition to the research of Abu Rmaileh, who studied the effects of stress on English teachers and
developed strategies for coping with it, this study was bolstered by the findings of Coombe and
Anderson, who confirmed a number of literacy studies from a psychological vantage point, including
the connection between positive psychology and happiness and the potential for psychology to
positively influence teachers’ personal lives and their professionalism in the classroom. Furthermore,
the author discusses a range of studies on factors that have been shown to boost teachers’ satisfac-
tion with their jobs. Researchers Coombe, Bouslama, Hiasat, Medina, and Manser used a six-factor
model to examine the significance of teachers’ emotional intelligence skills in the classroom. Mul-
tiple interventions are included in this study to help educators improve areas such as self-awareness,
self-management, social awareness, relationship management, general mood, and adaptability.
In the third chapter, the authors discuss a number of studies on the topic of how the level of pro-
fessionalism held by teachers is related to the level of organisational skills and output achieved by
such teachers. It revisited conventional conceptions of professionalism (which often contain ideas
like skill, dedication, and accountability, both in conscience and through authorities), before exam-
ining what they really imply for a pedagogical profession (where character is a recurrent theme). It
also talks about important parts of professionalism, like how the most influential English teachers
2 BOOK REVIEW

(Coombe, Quirke, Shewell, and Al-Hamly) changed, how to keep a healthy work-life balance (Ander-
son), and why personal strategic planning is important in their fields (Coombe).
In the fourth chapter, the authors delve into the topic of communication skills and how they relate
to the professionalism of a teacher. It is split up into three distinct sections. The first section, which
was authored by Murphey and Knight, delves into productive leadership abilities that are essential,
beginning with the various ways in which educators can listen, ask questions, imagine, and share
tales. Non-native English-speaking teachers (NNEST) are required to have a certain number of
language competencies in order to become successful educators. The second section, which was
written by Eslami, discusses these language competencies. The final section concludes with
various suggestions aimed at NNEST on how they can improve their mastery of English in order
to become more effective educators.
In the fifth chapter of this book, the authors discuss a variety of topics connected to the use of
technology as well as the way in which it relates to professionalism. Kessler examines some of the
skills and capabilities that may be gained and how they can be adapted to professionalise the
use of technology. For example, how to construct online profiles to promote teacher professionalism
is one of the topics that Kessler covers. Stephen then went on to discuss how one might make the
transition from being a teacher in a traditional classroom setting to become an online educator. In
conclusion, this chapter talks about a number of strategies that instructors can use to successfully
carry out the duties that come with each role in an online learning environment.
The sixth chapter covers three topics: quality, leadership talent, and professionalism. Each of these
topics is discussed in detail. Stephenson and Hiasat analyze the impediments that can improve and
affect the development of leadership qualities among educators. The last study in this chapter was
examined by Bailey, who outlined the advantages of leadership attitudes found in a seven-level
system, while Harold discussed the differences between mentoring and coaching and how to deter-
mine the attitudes or behaviours necessary for leadership activities. Mentoring new teachers, talking
to co-workers about your experiences and knowledge, publishing articles about your expertise, and
volunteering with professional groups are all highlighted in this chapter as essential elements of
instructional leadership.
The seventh chapter emphasises the role of professional learning, both individually and collec-
tively, reflective practice, and how to develop professionalism. This chapter is presented by
several authors. Starting with Curtiz, who explains reflective practice and identifies differences in
ways of thinking and implementing reflective practice toward professionalism, Diaz Maggioli dis-
cusses a systematic approach to develop professionalism at work and describes principles that
can balance the demands of professional development for individual instructors and institutions.
Quirke discusses techniques for building individual learning and professional development that
aim to help instructors advance their knowledge, practice, and careers so they can implement the
best learning practices for their students. It is also based on Gobert’s research, which looks at
how opportunities for developing their own professionals can be created, one of which is by organ-
ising English Language Teaching (ELT) conferences. The focus is placed on the importance of pro-
fessional learning, both on an individual and group level, as well as on reflective practice and
how to cultivate professionalism.
In the eighth chapter, Quirke addresses strategies for strengthening individual learning and pro-
fessional development. These strategies are designed to assist teachers in advancing their knowl-
edge, careers, and practices so that they can implement the most effective learning practices for
their pupils. This chapter is also based on Gobert’s research, which examines how possibilities for
developing their own professionals may be generated, one of which is by hosting ELT conferences.
This research looks at how opportunities for growing their own professionals can be established. The
findings of a study conducted by Aronson that demonstrated how involvement in professional
organisations might influence teachers’ professionalism lend credence to this assertion. It also
explains how educators can make the most of their professional associations to improve their
 EDUCATION 3-13 3

subject-matter expertise, leadership abilities, ability to network with colleagues, and capacity to have
an impact on policy decisions that affect their professional lives.
In the ninth chapter, the authors explain in detail how to start working with people in the same
field or who have similar interests. For example, they talk about how to submit and accept confer-
ence proposals and how to present research at English language teaching conferences. Afterwards,
Littlejohn and Reinders continued the conversation by focusing on the publishing industry and
methods of book promotion. The authors also provide an outline of several prospective subjects
to be tackled as one of the publication strategies, as well as describing the various reasons for essen-
tial publications to be carried out. This chapter gives some background on Pathare’s experience
writing textbooks and other educational materials. It also talks about the skills and mindset that
are needed to become a good writer.
The last chapter, the authors discuss strategies that can improve the ELT professionalism. Aubrey
elaborates on the difficulties she had when applying for jobs as an English teacher in a foreign
country. Schmidt suggested taking a trip to the country whose native tongue is the target language
for the foreign language course so that students could get an advantage in proficiency over those
who study the language simply at home. This has additional benefits, including a wider exposure to
different cultures and locations. The authors also provide information on evaluating faculty for pro-
motions and tenure, Wolfersberger’s three-pronged model of teaching, research, and service is
widely used by universities. The pillars of this system are the academic disciplines of teaching,
research, and community service. In addition, Algren provides a novel interpretation of the value
of making contributions to one’s professional community through acts of service and volunteerism.
At the end of the book, Reinders and Lewis provide their thoughts on the various retirement oppor-
tunities for TESOL educators as well as offer advice on how these professionals might best plan for
their future careers.
What exactly does it imply to work as a professional in language teaching? They review the con-
ventional concepts of the term ‘professionalism’ along with how the professional identity of teachers
is carried out and created in circumstances that are extremely varied and multilingual. LTI is a poss-
ible venue for pedagogical involvement as well as a particular region of attention in teacher pro-
fessional development’. This book explores the ways in which a language teacher’s
professionalism may be bolstered via the use of leadership effectiveness, strategic classroom man-
agement, and the use of various forms of media. The authors’ definition of ‘professionalism’ appears
multiple times, although it serves the same function each time. By reading this book, we’ll be able to
fully understand the ideas and terms that are brought up here. As a result, this book is appropriate
for academics, such as researchers, methodologists, curriculum designers, experts on materials, and
teachers, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in how to teach
and learn a second language as well as a foreign language.

Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay

Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
sholihatulhamidah@uinsu.ac.id http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7660-8763

Balqis Wandira
Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2922-0598

Eka Yuni Kurniati

Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
© 2023 Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay
https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2023.2166355