review: practical english usage by michael swan

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan is the grammar bible. Well, one of them at least. I was able to use it significantly during my CELTA course and it helped me immensely. 

See, it is illogical to assume that a new TEFL teacher knows everything about the construction of the English language. There are so many things to memorize and learn about grammatical structures that it is pragmatic to have a reference book to assist with lesson planning and concept checking. Swan's book is one such reference. 

The book is does not waste any time in getting to the content. There is no fluff or needless filler. From beginning to end, this reference book is full of useful and well laid out information. After the two page introduction, there is a contents overview that acts as a table of contents, which complements the more thorough index at the end of the book. Swan then goes over language terminology, which is very helpful considering I forgot was a past participle was on day 2 of the course. *oops* The last bit before the reference section begins is a helpful list of 130 common mistakes that people make and the phonetic alphabet. This is a nice reference for lesson planning when looking at anticipated problems and solutions. 

The references are in alphabetical order, usually broken down into subsections if needed (i.e. complex grammatical structures that can be used in a variety of ways).  Most references include a brief statement of the rule(s) and a variety of practical examples. Many of the references for the verb forms include timelines as well. The references are easy to read and quick to find. The presentation is practical and efficient, making the information the focus and not the format. Swan also provides contrasting examples in many of his references to make a grammar point more clear. 

Overall, this book is fantastic. It is not necessarily designed for a non-native English speaker, at least not until they are upper intermediate. Though it does not go into deep detail, it is thorough enough to cover the practical points that would be taught in the TEFL classroom. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is pursuing a TEFL career: it would be an asset in any TEFL library. 

Rating: 5/5