...anchors grammar teaching in the wider context of the learning goals that teachers have for their students... the book covers many aspects of a complicated subject in a readable and accessible way, and I can recommend it to anyone tasked with the job of teaching grammar in primary and secondary schools.
English Teaching Professional
The innovative Oxford Key Concepts for the Language Classroom series links research and practice, and focuses on learners aged five to eighteen. This book draws on work by the linguist Michael Halliday and argues for a functional approach to grammar. This does not follow a traditional list of grammatical structures. Instead, teachers start with a focus on meaning, then help students to explore the grammatical forms which make that meaning, such as connectors and referencing. A useful glossary explains relevant terms such as noticing, metalanguage and recasting - feedback which reformulates learner errors. The insights provided into a meaning-based approach to grammar should be of interest to all language teachers. The final chapter 'What we know now' is particularly helpful. This book is practical, challenging, and well argued.
EL Gazette November 2015
Focus on Grammar and Meaning illustrates the centrality of language in the life of classrooms. I recommend this excellent and engaging book not only to specialist second language teachers but to all teachers who want to learn more about how the language of their classrooms impacts on student learning.
Dr Pauline Gibbons, Associate Professor, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia