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Anyone using "Challenge to Speak" care to share?

 
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dakelei



Joined: 17 May 2009
Posts: 351
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:32 am    Post subject: Anyone using "Challenge to Speak" care to share? Reply with quote

I'm now beginning my sixth term at the middling normal university at which I'm employed. I've tried lots of different things to make my English Conversation classes "interesting" and "fun" or whatever. A few have worked very well, a few were just OK and quite a few, frankly, bombed. The school assigns the "Challenge to Speak" textbooks to the class but I've never actually used it because after a quick thumbing I decided it was boring and the conversations it contains sound stilted and unnatural. I've noticed that many students, however, faithfully bring the text to class every week and appear absorbed by it during the time period between when I arrive and when I actually begin class. I've therefore decided to attempt to use it this term. As a strategy it certainly can't be any worse than some of the others I've tried. If anyone reading this has used this textbook I'd appreciate any insight you might have as to how you used it and how it went over with the students. Thanks.
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Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

First thing I'd do is ask the administration/your FAO if there's a teacher's book. However, be prepared to be told that a teacher's book exists.... but the university doesn't have it (like in my case!).
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choudoufu



Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC

PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

challenge to speak -

teacher's book 1:

http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.3.w61605599.19.hRva7y&id=17817607025&

teacher's book 2:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.130.9bGRzp&id=19048115708

teacher's book 3:

http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.3.w61605599.42.wIfnQi&id=4738075130&
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xiguagua



Joined: 09 Oct 2011
Posts: 768

PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never had that book, but in many cases, students have books which we find boring to use. What I used to do in high school and junior classes was i'd use a topic, and modify or adapt some things in it to suit my style. That way, i'm not just reading the book in class, giving them new things, and if they want to practice by themselves, at least my material is similar to the book so they can work out of it themselves as homework.
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GreatApe



Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 582
Location: South of Heaven and East of Nowhere

PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used "Challenge to Speak" 1 and 2 when I was teaching English majors at a university in 2010-11. The university I worked for gave me the books, the students all had them and wanted their money's worth, so I taught from them.

I still have both books and use them to supplement my materials at the International school where I currently work, mostly for my upper-division students.

I like "Challenge to Speak" in as much as the books serve as useful Unit guides. In other words, I don't teach every single Unit from start to finish because some are better (and more interesting) than others, but I DO like to use the Unit Topics, the A & B Conversations, the reading sections and some of the "Fun to Speak" games / songs / challenges that they have.

Obviously, I haven't found one textbook that I find sufficient from A to Z in every area, so I almost always mix and match.

--GA
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