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BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Well, NOVA is finally getting rid of those 2 year old workbooks (no more discussions on the USSR and Caliphs being "fond" of their servants!) and getting new texts for teachers and students to use.

Several things are different;

1) The lessons is pretty much scripted now. No room for improvisation or chit chat in the "warm up".

2) Nova is now starting "how to pronounce" English units in the lessons. For example instead of sayin "over" we have to teach the students to say "o'vr" and instead of "all of them" it's "all of 'em". Instead of "here on" it's "heeron"!

We have to teach: "One ov'm" Shocked

The first point I don't mind that much, but the second is simply rediculous! We aren't teaching students how to speak English but how to do My Fair Lady impersonations. Shocked

What does everyone else think about this? Every one at my branch thinks the new "natural speaking" is a JOKE. But it is good to have modern texts.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

And I hope they are spelling `pronounciation` (sic) properly......

Karoons · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 10

It is so boring when people comment on others typos or spelling mistakes. Give it up. It`s not big or clever.

Anyway, about the text books. I`m definitely pleased that they`re changing them and the whole thing looks a lot better. Much more up-to- date and follows the current thinking on TEFL techniques. If we really are expected to follow the plans exactly it`ll get a bit dull. However, I`m sure that after the first month or so everyone will be able to put their own spin on things and adapt the book to their own teaching style.

Personally, I think the pronunciation thing is quite good - it`s more beneficial for building listening skills. I think the idea is to give the students a chance to hear how the key phrases are pronounced by the particular teacher teaching the lesson. That way you can read with natural speed and rhythm and they should have a better chance of understanding. Beneficial for all involved.

The whole thing sounds great for lower level students. I am a bit worried about them bringing in the same thing for higher levels though. We`ll just have to wait and see I guess.

worldwidealive · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 84

I don't think it is such a bad thing - it is so a student can hear how a native speaker pronounces something (of course in Nova's case, it is slanted to a North American, and maybe more American than Canadian, perspective, but that is another debate), not necessarily so they pronounce it this way - especially for a lower level student. As an American, I don't say "Do you want to go to the store?", but I do say, "Do ya wanna gota the store?."

The G-stringed Avenger · Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 4:52 am Post subject:

They're changing the books??! At bloody last! Those books were written in the 1970s and I constantly had to tell students the book was wrong, that we don't say things like that anymore. It was an embarassment. Even worse was the bosses told us not to say that the book was wrong. But hell, I was dating students and turning up to work still drunk so as if I was gonna care about that rule!

By the way, I'm not cynical!!! I just had a good time and didn't take it too seriously. After all, I'm not a trained or qualified teacher and it wasn't my career. As long as the students had fun and learned something, I was doing my job and the rest of it was of no concern to me.