Language in education: social implications

Abstract

Reviews the book, Language in Education: Social Implications edited by Rita Silver and Soe Lwin (2013). This is a book for teachers in accessible language with a companion website. The coverage provides contemporary references from the key writers on key topics that teachers of literacy should know about: language structure, language learning, language variation in use and the role of language in shaping learning. Interestingly, because it is aimed at primary school teachers in South East Asia, all students are 'multilingual', by default. It provides an excellent insight into the role of language in education. The book therefore presents a foundation in the knowledge of language and a social view of language use in educational settings. It synthesises theories for a practical interpretation of the role of language in the classroom context. It bravely joins many aspects of this complex field, combining word, phrase, sentence and text level language descriptions, and relating them to social practices, classroom talk and literacy across the curriculum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)