English in Urban Classrooms is a ground-breaking text that spans a range of issues central to school English today. It extends not only to the spoken and written language of classrooms, but also to other modes of representation and communication that are important in English teaching. This includes image, gesture, gaze, movement and spatial organisation.

The team of experienced and expert authors collectively examine how English is shaped by policy, institutions and the social relations of the classroom. By connecting issues of policy and social context, the book provides a detailed account of factors such as:

• the characteristics of urban multi-cultural schools


• teacher formation and tradition


• the ethos of school English departments


• the institutional changes that have shaped school English in urban classrooms


• students' experiences of learning.

This book offers a fascinating and enlightening read, not only to those involved in English teaching, but also to educational researchers, policymakers, linguists and those interested in semiotics and multi-modality.