Advances in second language teaching methodology, including new emphases on communicative language teaching and learner-centeredness, have significantly changed the roles teachers play in the classroom, making ever greater demands upon their classroom management skills. For Nunan and Lamb, "management" refers to the planning and creation of a positive pedagogical environment which facilitates learning. They focus on the kinds of professional decisions teachers must make to ensure that learning takes place effectively. The ultimate aim of the book is to help teachers and teachers-in-preparation become "self-directed" by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to take effective control of the teaching and learning processes in their classrooms. The Self-directed Teacher prepares teachers to make independent decisions in key areas such as lesson planning, teacher talk, group work, error correction, resource management, and evaluation. The text uses a task-based approach, and the material presented is well supported by theory and research.