Review article

Abstract

This is the first in an occasional series of review articles to be published in the Language Learning Journal. It is hoped that future issues of the journal will feature further analyses of publications which can be judged to make an important — or controversial — contribution to the debate about foreign language teaching, learning or policy making. Potential contributors are encouraged to contact the editors with expressions of interest.

A review article differs from a normal book review not only in length, but also in the fact that it attempts to engage critically and in some depth with the issues raised by the original publication. Due to lack of space, book reviews often restrict the reviewer to evaluating the usefulness and interest of a publication for its intended readership and to making judgements about the accuracy of the content and the extent to which the aims the authors have set for themselves are met, without being able to elaborate in any detail.

The publication discussed below would seem to merit a detailed analysis as it questions whether foreign languages should be taught in secondary schools and in so doing forces its readership to examine an issue which they might otherwise take for granted.