F0r those teachers of English as a foreign language familiar with the grim text books which aim to present it through drill exercises in phonetics, intonation and stress-patterns, this recent contribution comes as a refreshing alternative for both the jaded experienced teacher and for the newcomer.

The authors, realising that 'language learning is hard work', justify their approach by suggesting that one of the most effective and flexible ways of teaching the language is by playing games. They acknowledge that the 'games approach' helps the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful: because emphasis is upon the 'quality of practice', it is recommended that the games should be as central to the teacher's repertoire, not treated merely as a 'wet/dry end of term' treat.

Though specifically aimed at teachers of EFL and modern languages the techniques described here could quite easily be adopted by those teaching the mother tongue (all teachers?), especially with slow learners. Equally, several examples, specifically 'Would You Make A Good Witness?'; 'Who Are You'; 'Faces and Characters'; 'What's in his pocket', readily lend themselves as a lively preliminary to character study, while others – 'Fantasy Stories', 'Alibis', 'Confabulation', 'Predicaments' – would be useful