The Action-oriented Approach

This book is a most valuable and timely contribution to the discourse concerning current and emerging paradigms for language education. It brilliantly merges reflections on current perceptions of action-oriented approaches to language teaching and learning and the recently revised and extended descriptors of the CEFR into stimulating and thought-provoking insights. Thoroughly researched, comprehensibly discussed, and also very much practice-oriented.

* Bernd Rüschoff, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany *

With its extensive review of the literature and its innovative approach to language education, Piccardo and North’s book effectively bridges the gap between theory and practice. Due to its link to the CEFR, its complex dynamic ecological perspective, and its understanding of the learner as a social agent, I expect that this book will influence curriculum development, language teaching, and assessment for a long time to come.

* Diane Larsen-Freeman, Professor Emerita, University of Michigan, USA *

This inspiring and timely book comprehensively and clearly demonstrates how AoA represents a paradigm shift in language education. Encompassing and building on an array of theories and practices – communicative, task-based, autonomous, plurilingual and others – AoA offers language educators a holistic and innovative curricular and pedagogical vision that is authentic, engaging, relevant, adaptable, accessible, and meaningful in our complex late-modern age.

* Terry Lamb, University of Westminster, UK *

In all, while this book may be a dense read for those not already well acquainted with some of the related areas, such as the CEFR, social interactionist theory, or TBLT, for those who are it is a well-argued and provocative work.

-- Marcos Benevides, J. F. Oberlin University, Japan * JALT Journal, 43.2, November 20