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\"At several points in the haunting Dukla, Andrzej Stasiuk claims that what he is trying to do is 'write a book about light.' The result is a beautiful, lyrical series of evocations of a very specific locale at different times of the year, in different kinds of weather, and with different human landscapes. Dukla, in fact, is a real place: a small resort town not far from where Stasiuk now lives. Taking an usual form--a short essay, a novella, and then a series of brief portraits of local people or event--this book, though bordering on the metaphysical, the mystical, even the supernatural, never loses sight of the particular time, and above all place, in which it is rooted\"--Cover p. [4].

The Coming Spring (Przedwiosnie), Zeromski's last novel, tells the story of Cezary Baryka, a young Pole who finds himself in Baku, Azerbaijan, then a predominantly Armenian city, as the Russian Revolution breaks out. He becomes embroiled in the chaos caused by the revolution, and barely escapes with his life. Then, he and his father set off on a horrendous journey west to reach Poland. His father dies en route, but Cezary makes it to the newly independent Poland. Cezary sees the suffering of the poor, yet his experiences in the newly formed Soviet Union make him suspicious of socialist and communist solutions. He is an outsider among both the gentry and the working classes, and he cannot find where he belongs. Furthermore, he has unsuccessful and tragic love relations. The novel ends when, despite his profound misgivings, he takes up political action on behalf of the poor.

Cary Buzzelli and Bill Johnson reinvigorate the enduring question: What is the place of morality in the classroom? Departing from notions of a morality that can only be abstract and absolute, these authors ground their investigation in analyses of actual teacher-student interactions. This approach illuminates the ways in which language, power and culture impact \"the moral\" in teaching. Buzzelli and Johnson's study addresses a wide range of moral issues in various classroom contexts. Its practical and diverse examples make it a valuable resource for teachers and teacher development programs.

Birds have inspired people since the dawn of time. They are the notes behind Mozart's genius, the colours behind Audubon's art and ballet's swansong. In The Birds They Sang, Stanisław Łubienski sheds light on some of history's most meaningful bird and human interactions, from historical bird watchers in a German POW camp, to Billy and Kes in A Kestrel for a Knave. He muses on what exactly Hitchcock's birds had in mind and reveals the true story behind the real James Bond. Undiscouraged by damp, discomfort and a reed bunting's curse, Łubienski bears witness to the difficulties birds face today, as people fail to accommodate them in rapidly changing times.

This book offers a new perspective on language teaching by placing moral issues--that is, questions of values--at the core of what it is to be a teacher. The teacher-student relation is central to this view, rather than the concept of language teaching as merely a technical matter of managing students' acquisition of language. The message is that all language teaching involves an interplay of deeply held values, but in each teaching situation these values are played out in different ways. Johnston does not tell readers what to think, but only suggests what to think about. Values in English Language Teaching explores the complex and often contradictory moral landscape of the language classroom, gradually revealing how teaching is not a matter of clear-cut choices but of wrestling with dilemmas and making difficult decisions in situations often riven with conflict. It examines the underlying values that teachers hold as individuals and as members of their profession, and demonstrates how those values are played out in the real world of language classrooms. Matters addressed include connections between the moral and political dimensions in English language teaching, and between values and religious beliefs; relationship(s) between teacher identity and values; the meaning of professionalism and how it is associated with morality and values; the ways in which teacher development is a moral issue; and the marginality of English language teaching. All the examples are taken from real-life teaching situations--the complexity and messiness of these situations is always acknowledged, including both individual influences and broader social, cultural, and political forces at play in English language classrooms. By using actual situations as the starting point for analysis, Johnston offers a philosophy based in practice, and recognizes the primacy of lived experience as a basis for moral analysis. Examples come from teaching contexts around the world, including Brazil, Thailand, Poland, Japan, Central African Republic, Turkey, and Taiwan, as well as various settings in the United States. This book will change the way teachers see language classrooms--their own or those of others. It is a valuable resource for teachers of ESL and EFL and all those who work with them, especially teacher educators, researchers, and administrators. \"Johnston focuses on central questions of morality/values, then clarifies and exemplifies them through authentic narratives with which a broad range of TESOL professionals will be able to identify... In terms of the maturation of TESOL as a discipline and profession, I regard this as being at least as significant as the ‘critical approach’ movement... As an awareness-raiser, and as a link to broader issues, the book will work very well among teacher groups, in courses, and in the profession at large.\" Julian Edge, Aston University \"This book makes a great contribution to the field of ELT... The author is convincing in his argument that moral values are an extremely important part of teaching even when we are not necessarily aware that we are acting on them. The subject is one that is rarely discussed in our field, and thus this thoughtful discussion is very welcome... There were many points where my reaction was \"Yes, of course, we in our profession DEFINITELY need to be talking about THAT issue!’\" Stephanie Vandrick, University of San Francisco \"Bill Johnston is right when he says this book addresses core teaching issues that have been taken for granted for too long... Any teacher could profit from an examination of Johnston’s considerations and his approach to moral thinking in the classroom... It will be prove especially valuable for teachers who work with students whose backgrounds are very different from their own.\" Pia Moriarty, New Song Literacy Contents: Preface. The Teacher as Moral Agent. Morality in Classroom Interaction. Values and the Politics of English Language Teaching. The Morality of Testing and Assessment. Three Facets of Language Teacher Identity. Values in Teacher Development. Dilemmas and Foundations in English Language Teaching.

Although Witold Gombrowicz's unique, idiosyncratic writings include a three-volume Diary, this voluminous document offers few facts about his early life in Poland before his books were banned there and he went into voluntary exile. Polish Memories-a series of autobiographical sketches Gombrowicz composed for Radio Free Europe during his years in Argentina in the late 1950s-fills the gap in our knowledge.Written in a straightforward way without his famous linguistic inventions, the book presents an engaging account of Gombrowicz's childhood, youth, literary beginnings, and fellow writers in interwar Poland and reveals how these experiences and individuals shaped his seemingly outlandish concepts about the self, culture, art, and society. In addition, the book helps readers understand the numerous autobiographical allusions in his fiction and brings a new level of understanding and appreciation to his life and work.