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      © Oxford University Press 1995

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      First published 1995

      2014 2013 2012

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      ISBN: 978 0 19 437087 5

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      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      The right of Clement Laroy to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank the PE teacher who more than thirty years ago pointed out to me that learning is not exclusively a rational process.

      Heartfelt thanks to all my students from all over the world who, over many years, have made me think, provided feedback, and tried out the ideas and exercises in this book. Without their criticism and their trust, this book would not have been written. In particular, I wish to thank my students in the Congo, as well as Vinh Định, Quôc-Nhân, Myriam, Véronique, Renato, Nathalie, and Sonia.

      I need to express my deep gratitude to David Cranmer: his friendship, coaching, and encouragements have been crucial.

      The following friends and colleagues have helped in various ways – often unknown to them: Joan Agosta (USA/France), colleagues and friends from the Athénée Warocquez in Morlanwelz (Belgium), Jean Auquier (Belgium), Ruth Baratz (Israel), Joseph Cocchio (Belgium), Elena De Ru (Holland), Edouard Desmed (Belgium), Bernard Dufeu (France/Germany), Seth Lindstromberg (USA/UK), John Morgan (UK), Mario Rinvolucri (UK), and Marco Saerens (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium).

      I owe a lot to my wife and children; their patience and their uninhibited criticism have helped me to go further and to probe more deeply.

      Finally, a special word of thanks to the team from Oxford University Press. Grateful thanks to Alan Maley for his support and his valuable advice and suggestions, to Anne Conybeare for her encouragement to write this book, and to Julia Sallabank for her thorough and sympathetic editing.

      The publishers and author would like to thank the following for their kind permission to use extracts from copyright material. There are instances where we have been unable to trace or contact the copyright holder before our printing deadline. We apologize for this apparent negligence. If notified the publisher will be pleased to rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity.

      L. L. Szkutnik and Veda Publishers for ‘Where are we?’ from Thinking in English (Szkutnik 1994: 35) and L. L. Szkutnik for ‘The English Language’ from Lyrics in English (Szkutnik 1993: 16).

      Routledge Publishers for permission to adapt an extract from Knots by R. D. Laing (Tavistock, 1970) copyright © The R. D. Laing Trust 1970.

      The following rhymes from The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book by Iona and Peter Opie (1955), by permission of Oxford University Press: ‘London Bridge’ (1955: 76), ‘Bow-wow, says the dog’ (1955: 23), and ‘Tommy Trot, a man of law’ (1955: 98).

      For my parents