This thought-provoking and informative collection of essays covers a broad spectrum of topics including: - Why the communicative approach is dead and what to do about it - How to implement blended learning in day-to-day English teaching - Virtual worlds and why English teachers should get a second life - The different roles played by the language teacher - The value of translation in language teaching - Whether native English speakers really make better teachers - Why you should NOT be teaching International English - A more effective way to teach Technical English - The truth about Superlearning and suggestopaedia - The secret to being a good English teacher - Teaching the language of sex. Also included are chapters on the author's unique insight into the issue of complexity in language teaching as manifested in the correlation between language, set theory and fractal mathematics - and the consequences for learners and teachers of English.

This thought-provoking and informative collection of essays covers a broad spectrum of topics including: * Why the communicative approach is dead and what to do about it* How to implement blended learning in day-to-day English teaching* Virtual worlds and why English teachers should get a second life* The different roles played by the language teacher* The value of translation in language teaching* Whether native English speakers really make better teachers* Why you should NOT be teaching International English* A more effective way to teach Technical English* The truth about Superlearning and suggestopaedia* The secret to being a good English teacherAnd as you might expect from a book subtitled what you always wanted to know about teaching English but were afraid to ask, it even includes a chapter on teaching the English of that forbidden subject, sex.Also released for the first time in book form are chapters on the author's unique insight into the correlation between language, set theory and fractal mathematics - and the consequences for English teachers. 'Controversy is evident from the very first chapter ... it was high time to dust off the cobwebs in the EFL/ELT business.''This book provides a refreshing look at old concepts, opens our eyes to new perspectives and encourages teachers to venture along new paths.' - Elke Schulth, Chair of ELTAS

This thought-provoking and informative collection of essays covers a broad spectrum of topics including: Why the communicative approach is dead and what to do about it How to implement blended learning in day-to-day English teaching Virtual worlds and why English teachers should get a second life The different roles played by the language teacher The value of translation in language teaching Whether native English speakers really make better teachers Why you should NOT be teaching International English A more effective way to teach Technical English The truth about Superlearning and suggestopaedia The secret to being a good English teacher And as you might expect from a book subtitled what you always wanted to know about teaching English but were afraid to ask, it even includes a chapter on teaching the English of that forbidden subject, sex. Also released for the first time in book form are chapters on the author's unique insight into the correlation between language, set theory and fractal mathematics - and the consequences for English teachers. 'Controversy is evident from the very first chapter ... it was high time to dust off the cobwebs in the EFL/ELT business.' 'This book provides a refreshing look at old concepts, opens our eyes to new perspectives and encourages teachers to venture along new paths.' - Elke Schulth, Chair of ELTAS

Language is a dynamic process, the hallmarks of which are self-organisation, self-similarity and chaotic determination. Instead of seeking simple solutions to complex problems, teachers and syllabus designers should be reaching out beyond existing course books and methodologies to embrace the lessons learned by other scientific disciplines. The fractal approach envisages a new paradigm of language based on forms found in nature and indicates a goal-oriented method of developing teaching materials incorporating a holistic view of language acquisition. This book outlines the theory, presents guidelines for implementing it in the classroom and gives practical examples of the fractal approach in action. With this approach, Claypole 'steps away from ELT convention and offers a perspective from a very different world... His contribution to the field is definitely worth reading.' - Evan Frendo

Despite major advances in computer hardware generally and in software development techniques in areas such as engineering troubleshooting and gaming, computer assisted foreign language learning applications have not kept pace with the general trend. This is as true today as it was when the content of this book was first set out and in a sense we are still waiting for the envisaged breakthrough which will harness the power of artificial intelligence and object-oriented software development in order to create truly effective software solutions specifically designed for the independent language learner. The third edition of this book presents a snapshot in time, outlining the scope of software solutions available for autonomous language learning at an early stage of their development and then goes on to examine the interface between the technology of expert solutions and the latest applications in the fields of natural language processing, interactive gaming, online learning and virtual reality.