Applied Linguistics Professor Tom Farrell recently had a busy seven-day stretch, with two books, along with one edited volume, all going to press under his name.

Farrell had no idea that the three manuscripts he submitted at various times over the past 15 months would all appear within a few days of one another.

Each of the three books explores a different angle of reflective practice and teaching, a subject to which Farrell has devoted himself for many years.

“I believe engaging in reflective practice can help us discover who we are when we teach and what influences our practices,” Farrell asserts. “If we do not, then we may be engaging in practices that are not in the best interests of our students’ development.”

Reflective practice in teaching encourages educators to examine their personal teaching style, exploring why they choose to use specific methods, and what those methods mean for them personally and for their students.

“The true beneficiaries of teachers engaging in reflective practice are our students,” Farrell says.

Research on Reflective Practice in TESOL, published by Routledge, provides a detailed analysis of recent research on encouraging reflective practices in TESOL, and outlines how this practice has been embraced within TESOL and how it continues to impact the field.

Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching, published by TESOL International publications, explores the relationship between language and society, especially as it relates to language teaching, and the importance of multilingualism, gender bias, identity development and teacher roles in shaping student perspectives of language.

The edited collection, Preservice Teacher Education, provides insight on the disparity between theory-focused courses and actual classroom practice in TESOL. It is also published by TESOL International publications.

Farrell has long been passionate about teaching and the role reflective practice plays in education. He has now published 34 books, and looks forward to continuing to work with people who inspire him.

“I am privileged to be able to write these books and travel the world and interact with so many wonderful TESOL teachers,” Farrell says. “I am in awe of what they do daily in their classrooms to help their students develop into the best they can be.”