Bridging Theory and Practice in TESOL: A Critical Review of 100 TESOL Activities for Teachers on Teacher Professional Development in Multilingual Classrooms
Keywords:
TESOL, Teacher Professional Development, Multilingual Classrooms, Communicative Language Teaching, Task-Based Language Teaching , Critical Book ReviewAbstract
This study critically examines Shane Dixon’s 100 TESOL Activities for Teachers to assess its contribution to teacher professional development (PD) in multilingual classroom contexts. While the book offers one hundred practical, communicative, and adaptable activities for English language teaching, its theoretical underpinnings and relevance to contemporary multilingual pedagogy have received limited scholarly attention. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach in the form of a critical book review, the analysis is framed by applied linguistics theory, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), and principles of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Findings indicate that the book is a valuable practical resource for fostering interactive, student-centered learning in ESL/EFL contexts. However, it lacks a robust conceptual framework, structured guidance for professional reflection, and explicit strategies for addressing intercultural competence and linguistic diversity in multilingual settings. As such, its effectiveness for PD is maximized when used alongside targeted theoretical instruction and structured teacher training that deliberately integrate theory and practice. This review underscores the importance of critically adapting practitioner resources to ensure they align with the pedagogical demands of 21st-century multilingual education
References
Busse, V. (2015). Intercultural language teaching and learning. System, 49, 158–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.12.004
Farrel, S. C. T. (2015). Reflective Language Teaching: Practical Applications for TESOL Teachers (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Farrell, T. S. (2016). Anniversary article: The practices of encouraging TESOL teachers to engage in reflective practice: An appraisal of recent research contributions. Language Teaching Research, 20(2), 223–247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168815617335
Farrell, T. S. C., & Kennedy, B. (2019). Reflective practice framework for TESOL teachers: One teacher's reflective journey. Reflective Practice, 20(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2018.1539657
Freeman, D., & Johnson, K. E. (1998). Reconceptualizing the Knowledge-Base of Language Teacher Education. TESOL Quarterly, 32(3), 397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588114
Karim, A., Amin, F., Kabilan, M. K., Reshmin, L., & Amin, E. U. (2024). Pre-service TESOL teachers' professional-awareness building through reflecting on reflections of critical incidents. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00254-4
Newton, J. M., & Nation, I. S. P. (2021). Teaching ESL/EFL listening and speaking (Second edition). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge University Press.
Rod, E. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Spada, N., & Lightbown, P. M. (2022). In it Together: Teachers, Researchers, and Classroom SLA. The Modern Language Journal, 106(3), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12792
Sumartini, P. M. (2018). RESEARCH ON REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN TESOL. TESOL in Context, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.21153/tesol2018vol27no2art832
