This month the OISE Library highlights second language education. The OISE Library supports research and study in second language education, languages and literacies, of which includes both the theory and practice of second language teaching at the University of Toronto. In supporting researchers and students focused on language education, the OISE Library website features a Language Education Research Guide which provides useful tools and the best resources for your research needs.
Here are some featured publications:
I Hate English by Ellen Levine 
I Hate English is part of OISE Library’s children’s literature collection. The story is about a young girl named Mei Mei who has moved to New York with her family from Hong Kong. The story begins with Mei Mei’s struggle to adjust to a new school and the English language. However, with the help of her English teacher Nancy, Mei Mei learns she can have the best of both worlds by learning to communicate in English and Chinese. Researchers and students whose focus is on second language education may use this book to help understand languages and children’s literacies. Teacher candidates might also use this book in the classroom to share experiences of students whose native or home language is other than English.
Practical Vocabulary Builder by Dorothy Gabel Liebowitz
Part of our Curriculum Resource collection, Practical Vocabulary Builder introduces word lists and vocabulary activities centered around helping second language students build vocabulary. This book provides teachers with worksheets and contains suggestions for practice and reinforcement in building practical vocabulary. Another feature of this book is the various games and activities intended to help teachers make learning new vocabulary fun and effective. This book would be a useful tool in understanding different teaching techniques that reinforce essential vocabulary in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Culture as the Core: Perspectives on Culture in Second Language Learning edited by Dale L. Lange and R. Michael Paige
This book is part of a volume in Research in Second Language Learning. This volume is comprised of integrating culture in the second language classroom. The first part of the book delves into culture as the core to interdisciplinary perspectives on culture teaching and learning in the second language curriculum. The second part of this volume comprises a collection of chapters that look into the integration of culture into the second language curriculum. This may be an interesting book to read for those interested in culture learning in language education settings.
Experiences of Second Language Teacher Education edited by Tony Wright and Mike Beaumont
Experiences of Second Language Teacher Education is based on the personal experiences of teacher educators working in different national and educational settings. The book aims to address the themes of change in teacher education, influence of local context of practice, the issue of interculturality, and the process of engaging with teachers and teacher educators. The book provides the perspectives of second language teacher education from Hong Kong, Swaziland, Greece, India, and many more countries. The authors of this book hope to initiate further conversation in how second language teacher education is influenced directly by many factors such as the political environment, broad social and cultural forces, and intellectual movements, methodological trends, and technological developments. Experiences of Second Language Teacher Education offers readers perspectives on the daily experience the practice that is valuable for further understanding of second language teacher education processes.
Collaborative Research in Second Language Education edited by Mike Beaumont and Teresa O’Brien 
This book explores four themes of research, professional development, collaboration, and different language education contexts. The issues covered in this book include: the role of language across curriculum, links between oral communication and literacy in bilingual learning, the relationship between communicative teaching and communicative testing, teacher development through distance learning programs, and the exploration of context of educational philosophies. This book would of interest to students and educators who would like to learn more about discourse analysis theory and conceptualization of the critical role of collaboration in moving from training to research in second language education.
For more featured publications, please visit the OISE Library Lobby Display, located on the ground floor of the OISE building.
