Job Discussion Forums

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

unfortunately, i'm one of these teachers who still hasn't done CELTA or any formal training course - instead i went straight into teaching in china, and have survived by reading Scrivener, Harmer, and articles and bits of other books here and there. (of course, self-learning isn't an adequate substitute for the real training course...)

my college here in china want an introductory book for the green teachers they'll hire next year, who usually have no experience. i loved the Scrivener book; is it the best introductory book for new teachers? how about that CELTA book by Scott Thornbury? if you had to recommend one book, what would it be?

thanks. i will definitely do CELTA when i get chance and the spare 900 pounds. Embarassed

Kootvela · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania

Jeremy Harmer is my idol. I pray for his The Practice of English Language Teaching.

Also, here are some books that may be handy:

http://www.cambridge.org/elt/catalogue/catalogue.asp?cid=15

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

I agree with Kootvela about Harmer.

Another useful book to have with you is " 700 Classroom Activities" by David Seymour and Maria Popova (Macmillan).

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

ok great

there are cheap china-reprinted versions of harmer on sale here, and i've bought a few for the school. good to know that it's one of the best intro books out there.

Kootvela · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

yeah a colleague had a copy of 700 activities last summer in the uk, and it was quite a hit among all the staff. Wink

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

DISCLAIMER: I know this doesn't address the original question, but rather is in response to the title of this thread.

For people who might find themselves in a K-12 environment (anywhere in the world) without teaching certification, Wong & Wong's "The First Days of School" can be very helpful. It does focus a lot on the first few days of the school year and establishing patterns and expectations that should be in place for the entire school year, but the advice doesn't end after the first week. I can't think of a better resource for someone who is going to be teaching K-12.

johnslat · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:15 am Post subject:

Double Disclaimer: same as above

Wong and Wong is a great resource - but I think that it's more applicable and the techniques it espouses are more effective at the elementary, K-8 grades rather than high school.

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

Sonnet · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 235 Location: South of the river

You can't really go wrong with Harmer & Scrivener but, in my opinion, "Success in English Teaching" by Davies & Pearse (OUP) is far more useful - I've never found a more readable, clear introduction to EFL teaching. It's what I recommend to all the new teachers I hire, even those straight off a CELTA.

Oh, and it's available dirt-cheap in Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, too! Smile

rwpjobs · Joined: 06 Mar 2004 Posts: 64

"Another useful book to have with you is " 700 Classroom Activities" by David Seymour and Maria Popova (Macmillan)."

Yes! You simply do NOT require any other books any more. They are all now redundant.

alexcase · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 215 Location: Seoul

I find the Harmer (3rd edition) is a bit too detailed for beginner teachers nowadays, and I'd recommend his "How to teach English" first, and then "The Practice of..." later

TEFLtastic blog- www.tefl.net/alexcase

GEG · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 6

I find that many schools have bad grammar books. My bible is the black Azar 3rd edition, English Grammar book. The exact title escapes my feeble brain right now. Also, Michael Swan's Practical English Grammar 3rd edition is indispensible for me.

johnslat · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:16 am Post subject:

Azar rules.