Linguistics for Language Teachers: Lessons for Classroom Practice

This book is an introduction to linguistics specifically tailored for teachers of second, heritage, bilingual, and world language education. The book provides language teacher candidates with enough familiarity with the major aspects of language structure and function to see how they figure in the analyses of language and language learning, as well as to explore issues related to language in society, multilingualism, and language policy. Throughout the book there are opportunities to analyze language data and discuss language-related issues in various educational and social contexts. When language teachers understand the components of language and how language works, they can better identify patterns, pinpoint the underlying elements of the language they are teaching, and address the needs of their students. This book trains language teachers to be linguists by guiding them stepwise through the components of language, making linguistics accessible to language teachers, and focusing on the areas of linguistics that is most pertinent for teaching.

Sunny Park-Johnson is an assistant professor in the College of Education at DePaul University. She received her Ph.D. in linguistics from Purdue University. Park-Johnson directs the Bilingual-Bicultural Education Minor and co-directs the Bilingual Language Development Lab. Her research interests include bilingual and heritage language development and maintenance, morphosyntax, and the intersection of theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, and education.

Sarah J. Shin is associate provost for academic affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she is also professor of education. She received her Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Michigan and specializes in bilingualism, heritage language education, and TESOL teacher preparation. Shin is the author of　English language teaching as a second career　(Multilingual Matters, 2017),　Bilingualism in schools and society　(Routledge, 2018), and　Developing in two languages　(Multilingual Matters, 2005).