Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 161-174.

1. Linguists and language: some basic principles
1.1. A science of language -- 1.2. Language-using animals -- 1.3. Acquiring a language -- 1.4. Individuals and language -- 1.5. Signals, symbols and emotions -- 1.6. Languages and worldviews -- 1.7. The medium and the message -- 1.8. Sounds and surfaces -- 1.9. Verbal and non-verbal communication -- 1.10. Languages 'fuzzy at the edges' -- 1.11. Equal potential among languages -- 1.12. Flux -- 1.13. Diversity -- 1.14. The politics of language -- 1.15. Making models of language -- 1.16. Conservation versus innovation -- 1.17. Language, mind and brain -- 1.18. Language in its contexts -- 1.19. Success and failure in communicating -- 1.20. An outline history of modern languages

2. Twenty-five centuries of grammar: an examination of our cultural conditioning
2.1.The ancient world -- 2.2. Grammar and sorcery -- 2.3. Two views of reality -- 2.4. The invention of grammar -- 2.5. From Greece to Rome -- 2.6. The paradigm -- 2.7. The European vernaculars and their classical heritage -- 2.8. Form and function -- 2.9. The chain-choice relationship -- 2.10. One grammar or many grammars? -- 2.11. Primary and secondary grammar

3. The gift of tongues? - A review of language teaching in its sociocultural setting
3.1. Choice and our language(s) -- 3.2. Survival and success in language -- 3.3. A model for the language classroom -- 3.4. A language teacher's attitudes -- 3.5. Home language and target language -- 3.6. The monastery and the marketplace -- 3.7. Methods and approaches -- 3.8. Conservatives and radicals in the classroom -- 3.9. Being correct and making mistakes -- 3.10. Testing language skills -- 3.11. Shaping a language course

APPENDICES -- Appendix 1: Using A Foundation Course For Language Teachers in teacher-training courses -- Appendix 2: Basic review questions -- Appendix 3: Topics for project work

"This book provides a foundation on which teachers can build their own practical philosophy of language teaching. It is intended as a basic course for teachers in training, and as a reference book for experienced teachers. Part One deals with the relationship between language teaching and linguistics. Part Two is concerned with the nature of grammar and its place in language courses. Part Three contains a discussion of the pressures exerted on language teachers by: the community in which they work, the educational system, and the constant debate about methodology. The book is supplemented by appendices, notes and a bibliography, which provide suggestions for using the book in courses and ideas for possible follow-up and further reading." (Book Cover)