Some thoughts: After reading this book for a class, I'm definitely equipped with some helpful and constructive ideas about foreign language teaching now. I'm also convinced that applied linguistics is just as theoretical as theoretical linguistics. The acronym count in this book, while not a bad thing, is through the roof. PACE, TBLT, EB, TEFL, TESL, TESOL, ACTFL, AAL, and on and on. Applied linguistics builds from educational psychology, education, and theoretical linguistics, but seems to not want to admit it. Hmmm... You'll learn about different lesson planning methods, how to teach different types of communication, and what standards are helpful to hold your students to. A helpful book but not enough to warrant 5 stars.