Job Discussion Forums

[Scaliger]

Is it a good idea to bring one�s own ESL books to Oman? I�m starting a job with one of the colleges in the Ministry of Higher Education, but I don�t have much information about the books (or other materials) to be used. I have a fair-sized collection of my own, but I don�t want to bring everything. Does anyone know what books might be worth bringing? And what types? �Student� books? �Teacher� books? Grammar? Methodology? Reading collections? �Game�-type collections? Pronunciation material? I even have some cassette tapes and videos that I�ve used before, although that sort of thing might be regarded as technologically antiquated.

[stabnkill]

Bring stuff geared toward beginner and low-intermediate students.

Bring stuff that has grammar exercises that you can photocopy or write on the board.

Bring stuff that is not culture-specific. Omani students do not have a lot of knowlege of other cultures and they are lost when they get reading passages or context that requires culture-based knowledge. Bring stuff that uses universal themes--family, marriage, being a parent, etc. For example, don't give them grammar questions that use as the context the job of a "mailman." There is no home delivery of mail here. There are no mailmen. Bring stuff they can relate to.

Bring activities that don't depend on well-behaved students, small classes, or a lot of moving around. I'm serious here. There are lots of activities you can do, but they have to be ones that involve pairs or small groups, have very easy directions, and are more task-based than communicative.

The single most used resource in Oman is probably Grammar in Use. If you have any Grammar in Use or Vocabulary in Use (basic) books, you may want to bring them. Black color Azar is good too, but widely available here.

Your students' English ability will probably be about ten levels lower than you expect it to be. Keep that in mind while packing.

There is a Borders Books in Muscat now, and Al Batra books in Qurum (Muscat) has a lot of teaching books.

A lot of places here still have cassette players...

Old-fashioned VCRs/videos are rare here. Bring DVDs if you want, but don't bother bringing any VHS cassettes.

Bring phonics and pronunciation stuff concentrating on individual letters and groups of letters.

Don't bring stuff for children. The students seem to get offended when you try to use it with them. Bring adult stuff or stuff that looks like it is for adults.

Hope this helps!

[Scaliger]

I don't have the Grammar in Use books. I might buy them. I do have several that are similar, though. One of my favorites is Grammar Spectrum (Oxford UP), three small volumes that I've had good luck with. With any text of that sort, it's rare for me to get through many pages with any one group of students --- there's always something that prevents continuity. But Grammar Spectrum has few enough pages that progress can be made in a reasonable time.

I've never liked the Azar series. They're clumsy to photocopy, since exercises and explanations are scattered everywhere. A much bigger problem with them, though, is that each exercise combines two or more grammar points, making a tour de force that might charm a professional linguist, but which does nothing for the student. I've always maintained that grammar should be a part of teaching, and also that English grammar is not utterly beyond human comprehension. Azar makes Thomas Aquinas look like a real page-turner.

Thanks for the tips, though. I'll go through my books and see what's worth cramming into a knapsack.

[kowhai]

A real one?- with a cafe & everything?
So I can buy guide books for Oman, in Oman?

[williamh]

yes - bookstore with cafe in muscat

yes - lots of guidebooks about oman for sale in oman

and you did check the weather report for muscat, right?

[While I was out]

Has Borders got any new EFL or teacher books recently? Last time I was there they'd had a clean out.

Is Al Batra the book shop up on the hill behind the British Council, or is that a different shop? book

In fact where do most people do their book shopping?

[Pikgitina]

REWARD resource packs...they're amazing! I'd guess that they're probably not on the shelves of Muscat's bookshops.

[thegoodprofessor]

Which city (town) will you be in? Yes plenty of books at borders in Muscat. Most schools have books but you may want your own.
Feel free to pm me.

[veiledsentiments]

When I moved around the Gulf teaching, I had a smallish box of my favorite materials and texts. It followed me around shipped by air freight.

VS

[Geronimo]

Hello Scaliger,

Your MoHE College is likely to offer a fairly good selection of texts. And the Al Manahil Resource Centre is on hand in Muscat to close the gaps...
http://www.almanahilbooks.com/contact.html

Have you come across the writing skills books written by Muscat-based Richard Harrison?

Geronimo

[gharwell1]

If you can bring digital copies..... your excess baggage allowance (do they still do that?) will not be eaten up. Find someplace like englishtips.org or someplace else that offers digital copies.