The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners®: Adult Education and Workforce Development, published by TESOL Press and written by Andrea Hellman, Kathy Harris, and Amea Wilbur, is one of few method books that directly relate to teaching adults English and address standards-based instruction and lesson planning. Educators of adult English learners will not only gain an understanding of the six principles for exemplary teaching of English learners but also receive tools and real-life examples to put the principles into practice right away.
In Chapter 1, the authors offer a rationale for raising the bar for adult English learners’ proficiency to meet 21st-century workplace demands, outline program characteristics that effectively serve adult English learners, and introduce the six principles. Educators will find the working knowledge needed to be able to apply the six principles, as well as references to standards documents, in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, the core of the book, the authors carefully define and illustrate each principle. The authors describe common obstacles educators of adult learners encounter and make recommendations within the six principles on how to proactively address them in Chapter 4. The last chapter shows how exemplary teaching can be recognized in different classrooms and countries so that educators can better envision using the principles in their own settings.
Johan E. Uvin from the Institute for Educational Leadership praises the book: “It validates the experiences of seasoned practitioners and provides a well-researched set of practices that all teachers will find useful in their pursuit of excellence. Perhaps more importantly, implementing many of the practices presented in this book will markedly accelerate the integration of adult English learners at work and in our communities.”
