The concept of "funds of knowledge" is based on a simple premise: people are competent and have knowledge, and their life experiences have given them that knowledge. The claim in this book is that first-hand research experiences with families allow one to document this competence and knowledge, and that such engagement provides many possibilities for positive pedagogical actions.
Drawing from both Vygotskian and neo-sociocultural perspectives in designing a methodology that views the everyday practices of language and action as constructing knowledge, the funds of knowledge approach facilitates a systematic and powerful way to represent communities in terms of the resources they possess and how to harness them for classroom teaching.
This book accomplishes three objectives: It gives readers the basic methodology and techniques followed in the contributors' funds of knowledge research; it extends the boundaries of what these researchers have done; and it explores the applications to classroom practice that can result from teachers knowing the communities in which they work.
In a time when national educational discourses focus on system reform and wholesale replicability across school sites, this book offers a counter-perspective stating that instruction must be linked to students' lives, and that details of effective pedagogy should be linked to local histories and community contexts. This approach should not be confused with parent participation programs, although that is often a fortuitous consequence of the work described. It is also not an attempt to teach parents "how to do school" although that could certainly be an outcome if the parents so desired. Instead, the funds of knowledge approach attempts to accomplish something that may be even more challenging: to alter the perceptions of working-class or poor communities by viewing their households primarily in terms of their strengths and resources, their defining pedagogical characteristics.
"Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms" is a critically important volume for all teachers and teachers-to-be, and for researchers and graduate students of language, culture, and education.

The concept of "funds of knowledge" is based on a simple premise: people are competent and have knowledge, and their life experiences have given them that knowledge. The claim in this book is that first-hand research experiences with families allow one to document this competence and knowledge, and that such engagement provides many possibilities for positive pedagogical actions.
Drawing from both Vygotskian and neo-sociocultural perspectives in designing a methodology that views the everyday practices of language and action as constructing knowledge, the funds of knowledge approach facilitates a systematic and powerful way to represent communities in terms of the resources they possess and how to harness them for classroom teaching.
This book accomplishes three objectives: It gives readers the basic methodology and techniques followed in the contributors' funds of knowledge research; it extends the boundaries of what these researchers have done; and it explores the applications to classroom practice that can result from teachers knowing the communities in which they work.
In a time when national educational discourses focus on system reform and wholesale replicability across school sites, this book offers a counter-perspective stating that instruction must be linked to students' lives, and that details of effective pedagogy should be linked to local histories and community contexts. This approach should not be confused with parent participation programs, although that is often a fortuitous consequence of the work described. It is also not an attempt to teach parents "how to do school" although that could certainly be an outcome if the parents so desired. Instead, the funds of knowledge approach attempts to accomplish something that may be even more challenging: to alter the perceptions of working-class or poor communities by viewing their households primarily in terms of their strengths and resources, their defining pedagogical characteristics.
"Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms" is a critically important volume for all teachers and teachers-to-be, and for researchers and graduate students of language, culture, and education.

The purpose of English for Professional Success is to empower students with the language and life skills they need to carry out their career goals. To this end it provides ample opportunities for students to build awareness and practice the language in real-life scenarios. Its integrated skills approach develops the student's self-confidence to survive and succeed in professional and social encounters within an English-speaking global community. University students regardless of their major will immediately be motivated by the opportunity to prepare for the job market as they practice their English language skills in the following job-related scenarios. Professional development Continuing education, graduate school, distance learning, student employment, and performance evaluation Job hunting How to read want ads, deal with application forms, plan and write cover letters and resumes, develop interview skills and learn what employers look for in a candidate Relocating Apartment hunting, deciding whether or not to look for a roommate and how to do so, handling landlords, interpreting leases, dealing with household problems On the job skills Problem-solving, setting goals, creating action plans, decision-making, developing time-management skills, dealing with change within a company The language of work Learning the language of warehousing, placing orders, participating in meetings, giving formal presentations, practicing moderating skills