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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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esl_prof
Joined: 30 Nov 2013
Posts: 2006
Location: peyi kote solèy frèt
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 Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Someone who reviews over 200 books on Amazon.com definitely has too much time on his hands, so I'm opting for eccentric (harmless?) crank. (You really should have set this up as a poll so that we could vote on it.)
That being said, having taught taught from numerous grammar books and reviewed dozens of others while serving on textbook committees, it's not hard to find them all wanting in one aspect or another. I've basically concluded that whenever you get two or three grammar instructors together, there's at least four or five opinions on how something should be taught.
Looking for grammar book that's not wanting? Author your own. It's much better use of one's time than reviewing everybody else's. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Poor fellow... Probably spent years TEFLing in Japan : ) |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Bad chemicals in the drinking water ? Rays being beamed into his brain by aliens ? |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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Basic, fatal flaw in all grammar books: they aren't written specifically for your students, in their specific situation, with their exact motivation and goals.
Might not be an absolutely 'fatal' flaw at lower levels, or in lower-stakes teaching contexts, but as the demands and stakes get higher, the flaw becomes more and more fatal. |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not sure if you guys quite bothered to read any of his reviews (can't say I really blame you LOL), but I'll save everyone the time and effort by quickly summarizing the 'found them all wanting in one particular aspect' part: he's basically vociferously opposed to Past Perfect, sees no "logical" reason for it, yadda yadda.
I don't know what it is about perfect aspect, but it does seem to bring out the loons! |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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I think most of us save our text analysis energy for actual students' work   |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| fluffyhamster wrote: |
I'm not sure if you guys quite bothered to read any of his reviews (can't say I really blame you LOL), but I'll save everyone the time and effort by quickly summarizing the 'found them all wanting in one particular aspect' part: he's basically vociferously opposed to Past Perfect, sees no "logical" reason for it, yadda yadda.
I don't know what it is about perfect aspect, but it does seem to bring out the loons! |
Yes, it seems that Past Simple needs no help and had never had : ) |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Welll, his "reviews" are sort of entertaining, in a wet miserable boring Sunday kind of way. You know, when you've marked all the good student stuff and there's nothing to keep you occupied apart from X Factor or BGT (Britain's Got Teachers) repeats. |
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 3:03 am Post subject: |
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| fluffyhamster wrote: |
| Welll, his "reviews" are sort of entertaining, in a wet miserable boring Sunday kind of way. You know, when you've marked all the good student stuff and there's nothing to keep you occupied apart from X Factor or BGT (Britain's Got Teachers) repeats. |
Sounds like he needs a girlfriend, or some friends to hang with, or a dog to walk and play with him. I subscribe to the Bill Bryson view of English language and grammar: as long as you've succeeded in getting your point across, everything is legitimate. Once a janitor at a school somewhere in Asia that I worked at relayed the message that my colleague "'Bill's" wife (who was a student in one of my classes) had called to say she would be absent that day. The school was so lame that it fell upon this humble floorsweep to answer the phone sometimes. So he says to me: "Your wife, Bill, No..." -with appropriate waving gesture. Wonderful! I got what he meant, and we all had a good laugh later, including the janitor when it was explained to him. At least the man was trying to speak English! |
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 3:33 am Post subject: |
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| Sashadroogie wrote: |
| Poor fellow... Probably spent years TEFLing in Japan : ) |
Hay I resemble that remark! 
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| fluffyhamster wrote: |
I'm not sure if you guys quite bothered to read any of his reviews (can't say I really blame you LOL), but I'll save everyone the time and effort by quickly summarizing the 'found them all wanting in one particular aspect' part: he's basically vociferously opposed to Past Perfect, sees no "logical" reason for it, yadda yadda.
I don't know what it is about perfect aspect, but it does seem to bring out the loons! |
You could say he had had enough of it! |
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