Job Discussion Forums

[ChicagoCubMike]

Owing to the fact that no one ever seems to post in the Texts forum, I'll ask this here. My new school uses the "Side by Side" series exlusively, for all levels. I have my own opinions about the books, but what does everyone else think? Is this a good series? A good methodological approach? Do your students seem to learn using the series? My fear is that my students will end up parroting out of the book but not internalizing anything.

The reason I ask is because I've been given the option of using another book or approach as long as I cover the same material at the same time as I would using SbS. Before I go the backwoods-of-Burma approach and work the whole term competely without a text, what would I gain, if anything from using SbS, that is versus another, better text or no text at all?

[Ben Round de Bloc]

The last time I used "Side by Side" was years ago. It was the basic text series for young learners at a language school where I once taught. As I recall, parts of it seemed to work okay but with lots of supplemental materials and activities added. This is something you might consider in your situation.

I recently helped some teachers give oral exams in a government English program that uses "Side by Side" exclusively for its lower levels. It was kind of scary. I definitely understand your concern about the "parroting effect." Whenever I asked a question and a student responded with that blank, deer-in-the-headlights look, the teacher would prompt him/her with the first few words of the "canned answer," which was then usually rattled off with little or no comprehension of either the question or the answer.

[ChicagoCubMike]

After a week in the classroom, we've used SbS four or five times. The exercises are good speaking practice I guess. But I can see how careful you have to be to avoid having students just read off of the page. I think my fear has been that this series tries to be a be-all resource where, as long as you slavishly follow the models and plans in the Teacher's Guide, the methodology will work as planned. I'm finding that as long as you're creative, you can work SbS into an overarching lesson plan that my students, at least, are finding more interesting than the classes they've taken at my school that didn't deviate at all from SbS. At least, so several of them have told me.

[guest of Japan]

Side By Side trick: Photo copy the activity into multiple copies. Lable the two copies A and B respectively. White out opposing information on each copy. Give them to students to do as information exchange activities. This will work very well with large classes.