Before Joyce became famous as writer, he supported himself through his other language work: English-language teaching in Pola, Trieste, and Rome. The importance of James Joyce's teaching, however, has been underestimated until now. The very playfulness and unconventionality that made him a popular and successful teacher has led his pedagogy to be underrated, and the connections between his teaching and his writing have been largely neglected. James Joyce's Teaching Life and Methods reveals the importance in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake of pedagogy and the understanding of language Joyce gained teaching English as a Foreign Language in Berlitz schools and elsewhere.
"Elizabeth Switaj builds on biographical, conceptual, and critical work on Joyce and pedagogy in order to make exciting contributions to our understanding of the Joyce's major works. Switaj's focus - Joyce as teacher coupled with his knowledge of language learning and how these shaped his narrative and stylistic practices - serves to further claims about power, authority, and education. Well-researched with readings that are original and persuasive, this is a highly engaging and important study." - Janine Utell, Professor of English, Widener University, USA