Job Discussion Forums

[Monday]

I teach Oral English to university students of various levels. Sometimes the schools give me textbooks, but these are boring little books, with just some dialogs and rather odd English, but they don't appear useful for an Oral English class.

Is there any textbook you recommend?

[milkweedma]

Interchange and Passages (textbooks) worked for me. I just photocopied 2 pages for each class to get the ball rolling and we always had plenty to talk about due to the various topics in each chapter of those textbooks.

[kev7161]

I like those books mentioned above -- I believe they have 4-5 levels, all similar in format. They come with a student book and a workbook that corresponds. The teacher's book is detailed on how to teach every page and when to go to the workbook. Usually there is a CD that comes with so kids can practice their listening skills. Yellow-Red-Blue-Green-Passages is the order in which to use them.

The only thing I don't like about it, is that it's really dated. The American celebrities they refer to in one chapter (don't remember which level) include Bonnie Raitt and a VERY young Tom Cruise. The technology they picture is WAY outdated including a 1980s style desktop computer and I believe a walkman (of the cassette tape style). It's been a while since I've taught from this book, so it may have been updated by now, but I'm guessing not.

[Riviello]

I recommend just making your own book. It's what I do.

Basically, I use different handouts in class. Most are dialogues about a topic, such as Restaurant or Hotel. Others are questions related to the topic or just random, for exaample - "What would you do if you had a million dollars?"

I compile the handouts and give 1 copy to the class monitor and ask them to have each student copy it or at least 1 copy for 2 students.

Unfortunately, my current students aren't the best and most of them either don't come to class or, if they do, don't bring the "book". It doesn't matter, only 59 days to go.

Either way, I begin class by introducing the topic and elicit relevant vocabulary. I then "lecture" about the topic for a few minutes before asking 2 students to just read the dialogue in front off the class. I then explain the new vocabulary before asking the class to read the dialogue in pairs, twice. First your A and I'm B, then change roles. Then, have groups create their own dialogues about the topic to be presented to the class.

Afterwards, have the students discuss the related questions while you walk around the room. That's my basic method.

[TexasHighway]

milkweedma wrote:

[7969]

[Miajiayou]

Honestly, I don't even like following a good Oral English textbook. I don't think a lot of them are written for teachers who only see each class once a week. If you only have, say, 16 classes to fill, you're probably going to be doing a chapter per class, and skipping a lot within the chapter. I like breaking my class into "units" instead. Depending on the class, it would be something like:

1. English for tourists
2. English for the hospitality industry
3. Business English
4. Debate
5. Conflict resolution

They may look like they're not connected, but each one actually leads into the other. 3 classes on each unit, each is reviewed throughout the subsequent units, lots of role-play and student-led discussion, with one class leftover to show a movie when I have a China-death-cold or food poisoning or something. It is easier and more effective, imo, than using one of those overblown books.

[Non Sequitur]

Interchange isn't suitable.
The dialogues are too short.
If you have students coming to the front of the class to perform, it takes more time for them to move than recite.
Also, and pardon here to our American friends, the dialogues and general set up are far too US-centric.
In the red book one unlikely looking Chinese says 'My name is Charles but you can call me Chuck'.
Barf

[TexasHighway]

Non Sequitor wrote:

[Non Sequitur]

We're teaching English to Chinese in China as the international language.
It is not just another aspect of American hegemony.

[7969]

It may bother some teachers that the Interchange books are too US centric, but the students don't care. It's still English (and the US does have the most native English speakers of any country). But for those of you who think Interchange is too US centric, which variant of English should they favour?

[Banner41]

[Non Sequitur]

Don't favour any - just avoid blatant national variants of any kind.
I heard an American on a radio or TV a few months ago teaching the US colloquialism 'mess up' as if it was a real verb.
A language course from the US described as as 'learn no-nonsense American English' is another one.
Given that we had 8 years of Dubya, 'no nonsense' is a relative term.
Also lets keep in mind that the English our students will use is likely to be to others for whom English is a second language.
The issue of the country that has more native speakers misses the point of what we are doing.

[7969]

[Non Sequitur]

Let's get the whole thing student-centred and equip them for their lives and careers.
Chinglish, Spanglish, Franglish will always be part of ESL speaking, but let's give them as far as we can practical, neutral, unaccented and non-culturally biased language skills.
The student world of pop culture is only for a few years. Their lives in the wider world will involve communication not aping the US.
In 3 years in PRC only one student has guessed my country of origin because of the care I take to keep the bias out of it.
The waning importance of the US in the scheme of things is something we should keep in mind as well.