Job Discussion Forums

[womblingfree]

Right, I just started teaching an ESOL Level 1 class, but it turns out that most of them are classic EFL students.

I'm going to get them to buy the Upper Intermediate Headway Student book, and I will get the Work book.

What I want to know is what is the difference between the Teachers book and the Teachers Resources book?

I don't want to buy the whole set!! I find the whole Headway publishing strategy a bit of a con as it is with its multiple publications for a single level. I'd much rather just cherry pick what I need.

[TokyoLiz]

Some distributors may be able to give you review copies of the material...

Also, you say it's expensive. You're not buying, are you? Your institution should.

When I used Headway, I often referred to the teacher's resource for inspiration and extension of lessons. It's useful, but hardly necessary.

HTH

[womblingfree]

[alexcase]

Your edition might be more new new new than the one I am thinking of, but as far as I remember from the old New Headway, the teachers' book is instructions for how to do the lessons etc as you might think, and the teachers' resource book is a group of photocopiable activities ala Reward Resource packs. Even other OUP courses like English File put them together, but I guess the authors of those courses didn't have enough business sense to buy themselves an estate somewhere in the Caribbean likes the Soarseses did...

[womblingfree]

[alexcase]

Not forgetting that despite their rampant anti-Americanism they somehow managed to write a whole American English version as well...

The Workbook is for students to use for homework- I wouldn't use it in class at all. I generally get the students to get this too (with answer key), but if you are not going to give much homework you could just give them a few exercises from the Student's book instead.

Although I rarely look at the Teachers' book nowadays, it does have a few things you will need like the "maze" activity that is introduced in the students' book. It also has photocopiable songs and, I seem to remember, progress tests.

The teachers' Resource book is just supplementary pairwork activities etc. If you already have plenty of supplementary stuff, like Communication Games or the Reward packs, I really wouldn't bother. I went through all the Headway Resource books a few years ago looking for good stuf for our general supplementary files and only bothered copying about 10% of it.

[flyer]

see englishtips.org for info

[womblingfree]

In the spirit of egalitarian socialist redistribution I bought a used copy of the upper-intermediate workbook and got the students book and accompanying CD's from the library.

The workbook will come in pretty useful for basic class handouts. The student book on the other hand, and like so much ELT fodder, seems to be designed for students that will never meet an English speaker who isn't:

A. An English butler

or...

B. Buzz Lightyear

Slightly better than the Aeon/Geos listening CD's where they seem to get a drunk Australian to do all the voices no matter where the characters are supposed to be from.

I got the NEW editions which I think have since been replaced by the THIRD editions. I wonder if they're any better?

The head of my department bases all his courses around this crud, although luckily I'm free to follow the syllabus with whatever material I want. I feel a bit sorry for these old EFL teachers who suddenly have to get to grips with CLT, ESOL and authentic materials. Not that sorry mind you, get with the program!

Funnily enough the best place to hear genuine communicative English from around the world in Japan is probably Gabba, simply because they hire so many non-native speakers. Terrible company to work for mind you, and I'm sure any positivity that emerges from their hiring and teaching policies is purely coincidental.

[markle]

[womblingfree]

[markle]

[quote="womblingfree"]