Job Discussion Forums

[laflaca]

What are people's experiences with various textbooks/age groups for absolute beginners?

I've been using Headway Beginner for an absolute beginner (adult), and it seemed to be going fine until we hit Chapter 4. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get some vocabulary/fluency in there, in addition to grammar and listening.

[jr1965]

I'm curious...what happened in Unit 4 that slowed you/your students down? Was it that the previous 3 units hadn't presented enough vocab?

I worked with absolute adult beginners in the past (primarily Korean and Spanish speakers), and had to create many of my own materials. Tell me more about the ages of the students in your class and I'll pass along some of the things that worked well.

JR

[Moore]

Having taught level zeros quite often, I�ve found that coursebooks tend to zip onwards really quite quickly. I think it�s good to use them a bit later on, and start off by using Essential Grammar in Use (don�t forget to use the additional exercises in the back, and the smaller Supplementary exercises book that they also publish) for grammar. Vocabulary-wise, Elementary Grammar in Use is excellent (I really don�t wish to particularly promote Cambridge materials here, they just happen to be good for this level). As the other poster suggested, your own materials and games and activities you can glean from the web will add some light relief/fun/practice.

[Moore]

Oops, I meant "Elementary VOCABULARY in Use" for the vocabulary bit....

[laflaca]

Right - I have nothing against Headway in general (I've noticed a lot of people on other forums saying it's just trash). My students are twentysomethings. I think the problem is the leap from your standard starter bits (your name, your nationality, your job) to a broad vocabulary base. By the end of Chapter 4, we're introduced to two verbs (be and have), in affirmative, negative, and question forms, as well as possessives, contractions of possessives, and subject pronouns, as well as the odd preposition tossed in. May seem like "duh, we need all this stuff to speak properly" but it's gotten to the point where my students are highly anxious about speaking because they know that there is a "proper way" and that they've been taught it (so to not use it perfectly appears to be a grave error on their part.) (I do not encourage this type of thinking!)

My main problem, actually, and maybe this is my own damn fault, is trying to maintain a monolingual classroom, yet having no introduction to the absolute basic English classroom words: write, listen, read, talk, understand, know, remember, bathroom. We took one class to go through those and I think it's helped.

I know the argument is that these words should be learned from context, but I think it's been very difficult for my students to make the connection from spoken to written instructions. English is, after all, quite a strange language when it comes to spelling! And for Spanish students, who are used to rules being very regular (or at least regularly irregular) it seems quite bewildering.

I guess my question is: how do we go from a more strict, stringent teaching of English to one that encourages fluency, self-confidence, and utility?

[laflaca]

ai! and of course I meant to say thanks for all the great tips for coursebooks :wink: I'll see if we have those in our library...

[Moore]

You can also try getting them to borrow/buy graded reading books - they go down to a very low level, and they are available on not completely childish subjects/plots: these give a sense of progression.
Also, a good trick is to grab the phrasebook you bought for yourself for coming to Spain, and use that in reverse: they are by definition useful but simple real-world phrases, gathered into topic groups.