For Alan Maley, working with teachers’ voices is ‘a natural extension’ of interest in ‘what makes learners and teachers tick’. He regards the human voice as the most subtle of all instruments and is amazed at ‘our failure’ to help teachers to develop and protect their most valuable asset.

This book is published in the Teacher Development Series, which includes Children Learning English and The ELT Manager’s Handbook. After work for the British Council on at least three continents and a distinguished period as Director-General of the Bell Educational Trust in Cambridge Alan Maley’s time is now divided between universities in Singapore and Bangkok. His experience of teacher training, language learning management and book authorship is second to none in fields relating to the acquisition of English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL).

Characteristically he has recognised the need for a book such as this, a gap in the market, if you will. The voice is an asset of even greater importance to the language teacher than to others in the profession. The Language Teacher’s Voice is intended for teachers of EFL and ESL, teachers of other foreign/second languages and teachers of first languages, in particular English in the UK. Significantly however, the author adds: “It will also be of interest to teachers of any subject …” The gap is seen to exist in areas other than those of language teaching.

Expressed aims are to raise awareness of the importance of the voice in professional and personal contexts; to impart practical skills; to provide self-help and class activities; to offer information on use of the voice ‘for sustaining physical, psychological and spiritual well-being’. The layout is excellent, so that individual readers can easily find what they may be looking for and the ingredients for class or group activities are clearly displayed. The bibliography is helpfully divided into sections, from books with a voice-training focus to those on therapeutic/spiritual dimensions and those related to ELT pronunciation teaching. A list of useful addresses is headed by those of the BVA and the Voice Care Network.