Job Discussion Forums

[rcmslc]

Hello,

I think this is my first post to this site. So first I want to say it has been incredibly helpful! Thanks to all those who do the service of maintaining the site and addressing people's questions!

I will be taking the CELTA class in Mexico City in September and they have provided a recommended list of text books. They have copies for shared use at the school but I think it may be better to have my own copies, right? I'm wondering if people who've been through the course have recommendations on which texts would be most useful as I'd like to avoid buying them all! Here's the list: Aitkin, R- Teaching Tenses (Nelson), Bolitho, R & Tomlinson, B- Discover English- 2nd Edition (Macmillan), Leech, Cruikshank & Ivanic- An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage (Longman), Murphy, R- English Grammar in Use (CUP), Parrott, M- Grammar for English Teachers (CUP), Swan, M- Practical English Usage (OUP), Swan, M & Walter, C- How English Works (OUP) and Thornbury, S- How to Teach Grammar (Longman). Any feedback much appreciated! R

[Writer]

I recommend the Swan "Practical English Usage" book. I didn't want to carry a library with me while traveling! I use Swan's book all the time.

[notamiss]

I wasn�t going to say anything, because I don�t know any of the other books except Swan�s Practical English Usage, but I can heartily second that one.

It�s just what you need when an English learner asks �Why can you say X but not Y?� or �What�s the difference between A and B?� and, as an English native speaker all you can up with is �It just sounds right that way,� but when you look it up in Swan, you find a logical explanation that a non-native can grasp onto. It�s very complete and well-indexed; there�s hardly a question that might be asked that you won�t find the answer to in Swan.

[rcmslc]

Thanks to both of you for your responses. The Swan text is certainly standing out after both of you recommended it AND my library had it on the shelf. Interestingly, they also had the other Swan book but none of the other texts. Just paged through it so far but I hope to give it a better look soon. Thanks!