There is little doubt the teaching of English to young learners (TEYL) is one of the hottest topics in the field right now. All around the world, ministries of education are lowering the age at which the English language is introduced to learners. The appearance of this book, by one of the world’s most acclaimed linguists and authors is therefore very timely. The book consists of sixteen chapters, covering some key aspects of TEYL. It thus provides a comprehensive overview of the field.

The book begins by considering the question “Who are young learners?” As Nunan points out, in relation to language learners, the term “young learners” covers a large chronological age span from around 3 years of age to 15. He goes on to point out that learners exhibit very different learning characteristics at different developmental stages as they progress from birth to young adulthood, and these different characteristics need to be reflected in the type of instruction, materials and so on that are used with learners at these different stages.

Although the book is very practical in nature, it also covers theoretical aspects of TEYL as well as reviewing relevant research into the subject. What I particularly like about the book is its user-friendly nature. As we have come to expect from Nunan, the text is extremely clear and easy to read. Complex concepts are introduced in an accessible fashion. The layout of the book as well as the font, and chapter subheadings also help to make the book easy to read. Another feature of the book that I particularly like is the insertion of Reflect / Act boxes into the text. These get the reader actively engaged in the material contained in the book by stimulating the reader to contest ideas against their own experience, and to carry out small scale tasks such as completing Internet searches for additional information and making up sample activities.

The inclusion of many sample activities as well as classroom extracts also helps to bring the text to life. These provide very practical illustrations of the concepts described in the book, and will, I am sure, provide excellent models for teachers to follow.

This book is sure to become a valuable resource for all teachers: native English speaking teachers and non-native speaking teachers and those who are highly experienced as well as those who are less experienced. However, because of its clarity and practicality, I believe that it will be particularly valuable for less-experienced teachers who do not speak English as a first language.

By Dr. Lillian L. C. Wong, Chair, Research and Professional Development Committee Centre for Applied English Studies in University of Hong Kong