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jabe · Joined: 16 Oct 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Osaka Japan

Hey again all Very Happy

I have read all I could find in other forums concerning the usage of textbooks. From what I have gleaned, there a few who recommend the �New Headway� series, and others who advocate �Grammar Dimensions�, whilst the rest recommend a smattering of others, including �Side by Side� and �English File�.
For those out there who are teaching, or have taught, private lessons, what texts, if any, did you use, or do you recommend?
Any brilliant ones I should know about when teaching to Spanish learners in particular? I�m interested in all levels, and want to acquire some texts before I travel, so I can familiarize myself with them.

Additionally, what are the reference books that the Latin America board crew recommend? I bought �The English Verb,� based on melee�s and others thoughts, so I have one at this stage.

If you could only have two English grammar books with you on your travels, and you wanted them to be relatively light in weight, which would you choose?

Same question again, but this time regarding teaching books.

Thanks in advance,

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MixtecaMike · Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad

Grammar books. For reference, Michael Swan, the older editions are much thinner than the current ones. For a teaching book , either Raymond Murphy, the beginner (red) and intermediate (dark blue), or Betty Azar, also the beginners (red) and intermediate (black) ones. Murphy is a bit slimmer than Azar.

I love grammar almost as much as I love phonetics and phonology.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:59 pm Post subject:

"How English Works" is a good grammar resource, and not too heavy. It contains fairly understandable grammar explanations of common grammar questions, and a few exersizes for each one. The activities in the book are good models for teachers to use in creating their own.

Regards,
Justin

MELEE · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject:

I also like How to Teach Grammar, by one of my favorite ELT dudes, Scott Thornbury. For the record, I recommend this one to the Mexican teachers of English that I work with, most of whom do not have a strong enough command of English to read the English Verb. And while nothing has impacted the way I think about English more than the English Verb, How to Teach Grammar is much more practical.

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:21 pm Post subject:

I meant Michael Swan's book, with the bright yellow cover. Although I don't know the other one, so it might be fine, too.

Justin

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Thanks. Always on the lookout for recommended grammar books!

Cdaniels · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:19 am Post subject: Michael Swan

I have How English Works, with a bright yellow cover. There are two editions, one edition is a "teacher's edition" with answers to the exercises. There is another book by Swan called Practical English Usage (3rd Edition 2005) Its purple, an older edition is blue. I'm not sure if PEU has exercises, but I know it does enumerate differences between American and British English usage.
Michael Swan has also co-authored a number of books. Apparently a prolific author!

Outside of a dog, a book is probably man's best friend, and inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
-- Groucho Marx

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

I have quite a good, and small, grammar reference. "Rediscover Grammar With David Crystal." Published by Longman, it's a really good, consise but reasonably complete grammar. ISBN 0-582-00258-3. I have no idea where I got it though. I think a previous tenant left it in the apartment I moved into when I first got to China. But the author is British, but not annoyingly so (that is, much like Mike Swan, he acknowledges American English).

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

jabe · Joined: 16 Oct 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Osaka Japan

Awesome suggestions there guys. Thanks a bunch. Looking more and more like I'll get a copy of Swan. Also read somewhere that Collins CoBuild was good. Any opinions?

So what do you all do during you private lessons? Do you use any bought resources at all, or just your own original materials? If you use bought, what do you use?

Cheers,

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City