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“Thus spoke an English Teacher: Professional Development Reflections for English Teachers” written and recently published by Bruno Albuquerque, is a collection of chapters that do exactly what the author sets out to do from the start: spark reflection on a series of situations that permeate the lives of English teachers, mainly Brazilians like himself.
He starts with a disclaimer: “There’s no scientific rigor whatsoever on the pages that follow.” Though the content may not be scientific, it is possible to see throughout that Bruno is a committed educator whose intent is to make us think about frivolous, everyday activities from a different perspective and also question our own practices along the way. Some of these may even have been taking place for a long time, such as our possible difficulty in complimenting students’ successes while focusing too much on grammar. It is important to reiterate that he does this as a gentle nudge to invite us to join him in the reflection, not as an accusation. Each chapter ends with “Going Further” questions that complement each thought presented.
The chapters are a concoction of ideas, conversations and real-life experiences that are really relatable, such as his take on accent and cultural identity. As a Brazilian teacher myself, I feel many of the issues brought up in the book need to be discussed further in our community. In our reality, it is still a taboo to talk about a series of things that end up diminishing the work non-native teachers do and may even belittle our profession – another topic he approaches.
Overall, “Thus spoke an English teacher” is an easy read, filled with captivating conversations with philosophers, anecdotes that are thought-provoking and extend past the classroom by speaking directly to the person we are beyond the teacher and make us really question ourselves. Should we agree with all of it? That’s up to you, but the author himself invites you to disagree with him and keep the conversation going. If you are looking for a book to help you reflect on your practice, profession or career, this book is for you. It is available as an ebook and in print and you can buy it from the author’s website: brunoalbuqrq.my.canva.site/brunoalbuqrq