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mondrian
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 658
Location: "was that beautiful coastal city in the NE of China"
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 Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject: Help with a new course |
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My Dean, in his infinite wisdom, has just given two of us FTs each 25 students, who are the "top students in the University", for a ten week course of intensive practice in communicative English (4 hours a week study).
He has given us the text book:
Family Album USA by Beckermann, published in 1990 AND the DVDs to go with it. It is an honour for us to have the multimedia lab to use and we should feel very priviliged teachers.
We start teaching in 10 days time.
I have glanced through the text and frankly it leaves a LOT to be desired. BTW I am English not American!
So.................. has anyone else here used this book, and what do they recommend I do...... other than have a public book burning ceremony?
I need help, not sympathy! |
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Shan-Shan
Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 1074
Location: electric pastures
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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The book I was asked to use this semester is mostly useless for speaking classes. What I've done is design lesson plans "around" the themes of various units in the text, occasionally borrowing vocabulary/grammar features to be used in form-focused lessons before more communicative activities ensue.
I could design the linguistic focus lessons without the text, but feel that occasional reference to "the book" is needed to help me look "real". After all, the other teachers at the school read from the book, and are called "educators" for doing so. |
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Yu
Joined: 06 Mar 2003
Posts: 1219
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| I hope you are getting paid for this "honor" |
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james s
Joined: 07 Feb 2007
Posts: 676
Location: Raincity
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by james s on Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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I've known better Chinese English teachers to use this text. Yes, it did give them access to the media room, it was an easy ride for all involved, and the kids enjoyed the class.
It may make you wince, but go with the flow, in this case at least! |
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mjlpsu
Joined: 03 Oct 2005
Posts: 128
Location: NJ to Shenzhen
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Does the multimedia lab have internet access? I sure hope it does. It'll make it much easier for you to find some resources for the students to use that are loosely connected to the book.
I definitely agree with Shan-Shan, work around the book. Use it as a loose guide and come up with other materials. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:44 am Post subject: |
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Four hours a week = intensive???
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Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:31 am Post subject: |
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Actually, I consider FAMILY ALBUM a grteat and enthralling piece; if you find it leaves "a lot to desire" you should tell what it is you consider to be amiss.
I consider it great because it puts a few negative biases our students hold upside down.
It also is really entertaining. I used it in a normal school and practially all the girls there loved it.
Now as for practical tips: refrain from using a bilingual version (there are monolingual ones and bilingual ones).
You could use the VCD alone and ask them to make up the dialogues or to guess at the dialogues. Then you can let them know what's been actually said.
Some of the language drills I consider obsolete or unuseful. What the student needs to learn he or she alone should find, or if they cannot find it their teacher could point them to the language gems such as colloquialisms. |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:59 am Post subject: |
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mjlpsu wrote:
I definitely agree with Shan-Shan, work around the book. Use it as a loose guide and come up with other materials. |
first of all, i am not so familiar with the book
now, i'd join both of ya on this one, although i'd clarify with the superior about the end of course plans/goals...say, if there's an end of course exam (that's out of the book or similar to it) for those lovely students, then your lessons should be geared towards that exam....if not, then suitable supplementary materials should do the job .. any flexibility does go with the goals as well as expectations
if supplementary materials are used, it's suggestable to go 50-50% at most....otherwise, students/superiors might wonder about your lessons
peace to chinese unis chmanagement
and
cheers and beers to their knowledge of what the chinese students need  |
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mondrian
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 658
Location: "was that beautiful coastal city in the NE of China"
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| Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 3:06 am Post subject: |
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| Steppenwolf wrote: |
Actually, I consider FAMILY ALBUM a grteat and enthralling piece; if you find it leaves "a lot to desire" you should tell what it is you consider to be amiss.
I consider it great because it puts a few negative biases our students hold upside down.
It also is really entertaining. I used it in a normal school and practially all the girls there loved it.
Now as for practical tips: refrain from using a bilingual version (there are monolingual ones and bilingual ones).
You could use the VCD alone and ask the | | |
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