| List of figures | p. x |
| Acknowledgements | p. xi |
| Preface | p. xiii |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Establishing a framework for the book | p. 14 |
| Selecting the research approach | p. 14 |
| Conducting a grounded theory study | p. 19 |
| Identifying a framework | p. 30 |
| Conclusion | p. 33 |
| Training to be a language teacher | p. 36 |
| The appeal of language teaching | p. 36 |
| The training experience | p. 39 |
| Awakenings | p. 48 |
| Early days in the workforce | p. 50 |
| Conclusion | p. 53 |
| Becoming a committed language teacher | p. 55 |
| Starting out | p. 55 |
| Professional development | p. 61 |
| Maturing as a language teacher | p. 67 |
| Ongoing development | p. 73 |
| Conclusion | p. 77 |
| Establishing the learning environment | p. 79 |
| What communicative classrooms are like | p. 79 |
| Creating informal classroom atmospheres | p. 81 |
| The vital first few lessons | p. 85 |
| Exercising authority | p. 97 |
| Conclusion | p. 100 |
| The diversity of the language classroom | p. 103 |
| Students: the raw material of any language class | p. 104 |
| Factors influencing student behaviour and performance | p. 105 |
| Tensions within the language classroom | p. 113 |
| Conclusion | p. 116 |
| Managing individuals | p. 119 |
| Coping with individuals | p. 119 |
| Tuning in to class behaviour | p. 126 |
| Handling students with care | p. 131 |
| Conclusion | p. 138 |
| Teaching flexibly | p. 140 |
| The reality behind the myth | p. 140 |
| Experience-based language teaching | p. 146 |
| To thine own self be true | p. 159 |
| Why flexibility does not lead to chaos | p. 163 |
| Conclusion | p. 164 |
| Vitalising the language class | p. 168 |
| Responsive language classes | p. 168 |
| The role of humour in the language classroom | p. 174 |
| Activity-based language practice | p. 181 |
| Bringing the pedagogy alive | p. 186 |
| Conclusion | p. 196 |
| Maintaining the classroom community | p. 199 |
| Language classes as learning communities | p. 199 |
| Group dynamics in the language classroom | p. 207 |
| Community maintenance techniques | p. 212 |
| Conclusion | p. 224 |
| Frustrations and rewards | p. 228 |
| The English language boom | p. 228 |
| Major causes of frustration for language teachers | p. 236 |
| The rewards of language teaching | p. 240 |
| Conclusion | p. 244 |
| What drives language teachers | p. 246 |
| Standing back: a note of caution on assumptions and beliefs | p. 246 |
| Assumptions and beliefs underpinning the communicative approach | p. 249 |
| Values shared by experienced language teachers | p. 262 |
| Conclusion | p. 267 |
| Towards a teacher-generated theory of classroom practice | p. 270 |
| Harmony and balance | p. 270 |
| A teacher-generated theory of classroom practice | p. 277 |
| Conclusion | p. 286 |
| References | p. 289 |
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