Educational policy is becoming more concerned with the need to ensure that people leave school or college fully literate. We need good oral communicators in the workplace, and being able to understand and respond to different kinds of language is vital in today's society.
Included here is a detailed and highly readable account of the ways in which language affects every aspect of study - it crosses all subject boundaries, yet it is commonly seen as the sole responsibility of the English teacher to manage this area of the curriculum.
The first section of the book looks at the ideology behind language, while the second section considers how schools and local authorities have tackled improving levels of literacy. The third section is concerned with practical advice on how to teach language most successfully, irrespective of subject. Latter sections focus on developing a critical eye, and supporting pupils who have particular needs.