This is the book I've been waiting for. Building on the author's previous scholarship, this volume is an important contribution to the under-researched field of the history of language education in the UK. Much more than 'just' a history, this is a rich and insightful account of issues still very alive today, from assessment to arguments about effective pedagogy, and breaks new ground in its astute narrative of language advocacy. McLelland succeeds in being both erudite and highly enjoyable to read; the book is full of delightful gems as well as providing a valuable and comprehensive source of references to aid other researchers in the field. - Simon Coffey, Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages Education, King's College London
Nicola McLellands new book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in reading about or studying the history of language learning and teaching in Britain. It is packed with concise information on a wide range of languages, periods, contexts, and topics, some of which have not received much attention so far. Thus it provides a fascinating comprehensive overview and will without doubt stimulate further historical research. - Friederike Klippel, Chair of TEFL (until 2015), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
Congratulations to Nicola McLelland on this important accomplishment! Her book will be of great interest to foreign language scholars and professionals in Britain. More important, perhaps, is that Professor McLelland has provided an excellent model for how to craft similar histories of foreign language education in other national contexts and indeed from transnational perspectives. Language specialists have written their own, more limited histories of the profession, typically focusing on how languages have been taught. Professor McLellands book provides a much richer perspective by tracing which languages have been taught in Britain and why, the changing social contexts in which they have been taught, a nascent history of language assessment, and an engaging historical perspective on language education policy advocacy. In addition to its analytical breadth, the book expands its historical perspective beyond the nineteenth century. This allows Professor McLelland to draw more compelling conclusions about the nature of foreign language education and the challenges facing scholars, professionals, and students of it. - Jeff Bale, Associate Professor of Language and Literacies Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
