Language Diversity in the Classroom

The rapidly changing demographic composition of students in American (& other) schools poses an increasing challenge for teachers who increasingly are finding larger and larger numbers of students from diverse ethnolinguistic and racial backgrounds in their classes. School systems are beginning to understand the need to better prepare their teachers to understand and to draw upon the linguistic resources that students bring to the classroom. Language Diversity in the Classroom is an excellent book that should inform and stimulate discussion in teacher education programs. I recommend it enthusiastically.

-- G. Richard Tucker, Paul Mellon University Professor of Applied Linguistics, Carnegie Mellon University

John Edwards has written a plethora of outstanding journal articles, and several exceptional books-my favourite, to date, being his wonderful "Multilingualism"(1994). This has now changed: "Language and Diversity in the classroom" is my new favourite, and I am delighted to recommend it most highly.

-- Timothy Reagan, Central Connecticut State University * Language Problems and Language Planning 34:3 *

This volume provides a comprehensive background on research on sociolinguistic and cultural variation in the classroom and the linguistic behavior of speakers of nonstandard dialects and foreign languages. Edward’s voice is distinct and his conviction is clear throughout the book. This volume is appropriate for in-service or preservice teachers; it is particularly relevant for training programs in language arts, second or foreign language teaching, and bilingual or multicultural education.

-- Gabriela G. Alfaraz, Michigan State University * Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2011, 33, 481-485 *

The author claims-quite rightly-that this is a "comprehensive and jargon free" survey of those linguistic issues which have educational components or ramifications. It is both a scholarly and brave piece of work, since Edwards does not hesitate to attack certain 'politically correct' approaches to the topic, where these can be shown to render no service to the groups referred to; he also attacks the use of inflated language, unproven statements along with the use of theories inappropriate to the subject (discourse analysis comes out particularly badly in this respect).

-- Anne Judge, University of Surrey * Language Policy (2011) 10:105-1