Job Discussion Forums

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

As to the dialogues in New Interchange: A popular activity I did with those was "what happens next?" After we all read the dialogues together, and then they practiced with a partner, and then some came to the front of the class to try them out, I'd have students write 5 or 6 or 7 more lines of dialogue that related to the conversation we were practicing. I'd often have some really interesting and creative ones presented. A good activity to somewhat move beyond the book. If you want to make it even more, tell them it has to be funny or dramatic or scary or whatever, see what happens (most of the time it will end up being silly or funny regardless).

Banner41 · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 656 Location: Shanghai

I have used several books and although the Interchange can be a bit dated at times it is really a great set of books. They give you all kinds of activities outside of the normal work so if you are struggling because the conversations are too short, you might not be using the book properly. I did cringe at sections called hip-hop fashions but, my students actually loved them. It was the most active I had seen them on just about any topic outside Lady Gaga and NBA basketball (interestingly both American creations good or bad). If you want to lean it more towards European culture or whatever, you have plenty of opportunity to do so with the numerous role play activities offered in it. Again, they are a great set of books but as with any tool if you use it wrong, you will not get out of it everything that you may want to. I am American but I do try to teach European spellings and words as they come up so they are not confused. I do not sigh and roll my eyes and hate on everything European or Australian when those questions do come up, that would just be childish. Never saw it as an us v. them thing so this is very fascinating indeed.
/Cheers! (see we are flexible!)

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

Good for you, Kev and Banner! I think you are both making good use of the text. You rule the book and not vice versa! A text is simply one of many tools that can be used effectively. If it offends someone that an Asian guy in the dialogue is named Chuck then change his name to Wang Feng. (Personally, I think it is more ethno-centric to presume that only white people are entitled to use traditional western nicknames.) My students and I change and expand on things in the book all the time! The last thing I want to do is stand in front of the class and have the class recite dialogues after me. That is what the Chinese teachers do. As far as Hollywood movies, the NBA, contemporary music, and other aspects of western pop culture, I find my students are much more knowledgeable and interested in some of those areas than I am! But it is their class so we talk about what interests them and what is useful to them.

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

Right now I'm teaching 'Passages 5' to a junior level Oral English class. I think it is really funny how they have the exact same two people (man and woman) do every listening sample in the book, but in each unit they give them different names, as if they are actually different people. But for the most part I think the book is a good way to facilitate discussion and a lot of the topics are things the kids find interesting.

As for the blatant 'Americanism' of the book, I find this an absurd complaint, probably stemming from a general hatred of the US or jealousy of our greatness. For one thing, 'mess up' is a very common expression and if someone didn't know what it meant I would conclude their English isn't very good. You argue that learning American English to better understand American pop culture isn't important for international communication, yet wherever I have traveled I've found many people who enjoy our media products and were eager to converse with me about them. American pop culture is consumed all over the world and being able to understand it and talk with others about it is an excellent way to communicate and connect across cultures, which ostensibly is the greater purpose of second language learning.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

Thanks MisterButtkins

You earned your 5 cents Smile

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7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

It seems both sad and absurd for students to not know or have any curiosity about their teacher's native country. On day one, my students ask me where I am from and want to know everything about my hometown. They, in turn, are proud to tell me about life in their hometowns. Of course, English should be taught in a cultural context, not in a vacuum. I enjoy teaching my students the rich cultural heritage of Texas. And in that spirt, I want to wish everyone a happy Cinco de Mayo.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I would be interested in getting a job teaching the 'History and Culture of Texas'.
Any pointers to the job ads for that type of role?
All I see are multiple roles for Oral English teachers. Sigh..

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

slareth · Joined: 29 Jun 2010 Posts: 82 Location: Shandong

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

One book I used didn't seem to have visualised the actual dialogue being acted out.
Scenario:
Two Chinese at the airport to meet an arriving guest from overseas.
The Chinese exchange a couple of lines but once the guest arrives the conversation is totally between the senior Chinese and the guest.
The other student just stands there looking stoopid.
If you're writing your own dialogues see them as speaking exercises first and then put the 'plot' in to support the main goal.