I've been reading a new book called Secondary Languages in Action, published by Hachette Learning. The authors are London-based teachers and consultants: Natascia Servini, David Shanks, Luma Hamed, and Julien Violette. I've had the pleasure of collaborating with David Shanks in the past, and more recently with Julien Violette.
Published in 2025, the book comprises five chapters and runs to 112 pages. It is good value at £15, or under £9 for the Kindle edition. There is low-cost e-book version.
Chapter 1, titled Debates and Perspectives, opens with a well-written and balanced overview of key issues in language teaching: communication versus accuracy, target language use, cognitive science, and the decolonisation of the curriculum—a topic of growing relevance. I particularly liked that the chapter begins with Dylan Wiliam's famous quotation: "Everything works somewhere; nothing works everywhere." It immediately sets the tone for an eclectic, open-minded approach. After outlining the DfE's 'three pillars' model, the authors suggest a more rounded 'five strands' model: vocabulary, grammar, phonics (pronunciation), communication, and culture. The chapter is light on references, clear and concise in style.
Chapter 2 examines curriculum design principles, some basics of cognitive science, the role of textbooks, and the perennial issue of primary-secondary transition. Backward planning is briefly discussed, with reference to Gianfranco Conti's 'universals' - high surrender-value grammar structures, lexical patterns and/or communicative functions. The cognitive science section claims that students can hold around seven new vocabulary items in short-term memory per lesson. This figure seems questionable and may reflect an oversimplified reading of the research, but the broader principle of careful planning and limiting input is sound. The chapter makes a compelling point about the risks of prioritising content coverage over mastery. A helpful table offers strategies for spaced learning, retrieval practice, managing cognitive load, and dual coding. The importance of scaffolding is well communicated.
The assessment section offers practical advice, including a welcome suggestion to avoid vocabulary tests. The primary-secondary transition issue remains unresolved, unsurprisingly, but the authors offer sensible guidance on maintaining contact and staying informed about feeder school curricula. They suggest that decisions about grouping by ability should lie with the school.
A section on culture provides practical suggestions for fostering intercultural understanding, such as using displays, celebrations, authentic materials, and projects. This is picked up again in Chapter 5.
While this chapter doesn't fully cohere thematically, it contains plenty of sensible and useful guidance.
Chapter 3, Inclusive Teaching, begins by acknowledging the many ways students vary, then underscores the importance of knowing and valuing each student as an individual. This may sound obvious, but it's a crucial reminder, especially for busy or inexperienced teachers. Differentiation strategies are outlined, including formative assessment, differentiation by task, support, and outcome. I appreciated the reference to skilled questioning. The authors offer useful tips for handling early finishers and ensuring full participation through techniques like cold-calling, wait time, and sensitive error correction.
Chapter 4, the longest and richest, focuses on lesson planning and classroom activities. Topics include how to use chunks and starters, introduce new vocabulary (using images, choral repetition, and questioning), and classic vocabulary games like Conti's Sentence Stealer and 'One dice, one pen.' Phonics receives some attention, with a blend of research references and practical advice. The section on 'Common misconceptions about language skills' could have been clearer, but the importance of controlled practice, skill integration, and modelling is effectively conveyed.
This chapter also explores the four skills in depth, along with translation and a strong section on digital technologies. The authors encourage teachers to go beyond comprehension-only listening tasks, and they outline a sequence for tackling listening comprehension. Speaking activities include those based on sentence builders in the Conti/EPI tradition, plus classics like Kim's Game and 'Repeat if correct.' Various question types are explained, as well as approaches to role plays. I didn’t see any mention of information gap tasks. Suggestions for exploiting written texts and planning writing tasks, with emphasis on modelling and scaffolding, are also included.
Chapter 5, Languages Beyond the Classroom, introduces the idea of a "hinterland", the cultural background and stories behind classroom texts and activities. This concept encourages exploration of themes relevant to students from diverse cultural backgrounds. While this may be particularly relevant in big city schools like those in London, it has value everywhere. The chapter also explains how to implement Project-Based Learning (PBL), beginning in Year 7, with examples based on traditional topics like healthy lifestyles, shopping, and celebrations, especially within Arabic cultural contexts. The chapter concludes with suggestions for raising the profile of languages in schools through assemblies, the European Day of Languages, spelling bees, competitions, and trips.
To sum up, this is a very useful book, especially for less experienced teachers. More experienced teachers and Heads of Department will also find helpful material, particularly on curriculum planning and promoting MFL within schools. The book is concise, grounded in extensive classroom experience, and generally well explained. While the influence of EPI (Conti) methodology is evident, it doesn’t dominate. The authors are clearly pragmatic and eclectic in their outlook. There is a consistent tone of positivity, collaboration, and inclusivity, with a strong emphasis on valuing all students and cultures. This would be a valuable addition to a departmental library, and a thoughtful gift for new teachers.
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