Korean Job Discussion Forums

saint_moi · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 10:58 pm Post subject: Textbook Recomendations... ?

Hey, I have just finished "Let's Go 5" with one of my elementary groups, and I would like to move to another series with them that's on the same level or just below that. "Let's Go 5" is actually a little tough and impractical for them (they're all 11 yr. old boys) and I was hoping anyone here had loads of elementary experience and could recomend a nice textbook I could replace it with. I had a look and Longman Press' "High Five" series and that looked like a fresh change from the shi**y "Let's Go" style.

(I'm not about to debate to 'textbook' or not to 'textbook', it's the school's curriculum and that's that. I would just like to spend the next few months in reasonable textbook sanity with these boys. Ta)

Any advice ? Razz

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

personally i find the let's go books to be very good. If the students don't have a good understanding of it you might want to look at the reasons they didn't do well. The book is not the problem i would wager.
You might want to look at English time. Same publish company the layout is pretty good but doesn't have the good flash cards that the lets go series has.
Another series that is ok is the New Parade series.

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

I've been working with "Lets Go" for quite some time and like it, BUT alot of students find the jump from one level to the next a little difficult (or sometimes they just need more time at that level).

So use "English Time" in conjunction with it. After Lets go 5 go to E.T. 5.

It generally works well for me.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

After "Lets Go 5" head up to "Lets Go 6" The series has to be one of the best out there. I like the songs. Shocked

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

If they are not that confident with the material in Let's Go 5, I would agree that staying with a level 5 book is a good idea. I like English Time as well, but the problem is that the 2 series have a lot of different vocabulary and cover things in different ways, but then again, maybe that's a good thing.

If you can, perhaps what you need to do is review Let's Go 5 and also use the Grammar and listening book for extra practice. But this is Korea, they probably won't allow it.

Cheers

Eazy_E · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada

I think the concensus is that Let's Go is probably the best all-around textbook you can have. Plus it basically teaches for you, almost filling up a 50 minute class with the lesson, conversation, and workbook. A lazy teacher's best friend Embarassed

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One series to stay away from is Up and Away. It has a grammar-based syllabus that is too difficult for children to understand, ie. it explains English grammar in technical terms that a university student would have trouble understanding. Why?? Plus it has a very thin workbook and piss-all for games and activities to accompany the lesson.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

What Up and Away is good for............. reviewing basic grammar and sentence structure. Not the textbook, but I like to use the workbook with my supposed "higher level classes".

I just copy a few pages from a level 2, 3, or 4 workbook and give it as an additional handout in class. It never ceases to amaze me how many of the middle school kids still don't know this basic stuff.

You can also use the books to make card games. The pictures with question and answer sections make a great go fish game. Or the phonics book is useful to make a crazy card "phonics" game. Different word families become the categories in the card game.

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For adult conversation classes, I was looking at a book today that seemed interesting. It is called "conversation" , (sorry I forget the author) it is part of the resource books for teachers series put out by Oxford.
Some interesting ideas for different levels and ideas to add some variety to your classes. Some of the ideas are old news, but some are very good. I didn't have a chance to try the book though, it's just a suggestion.

Cheers

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I agree go to e-time five. You can make flash cards, also there are pre maid unit test which give you an early heads up about problem areas.

E-time 5 is a very hard book, I had a class that just finished lets go 5 that are having problems with it.
clg

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

Yes, I agree. I often find that the E.T. books seem closer to the next level in Lets Go that the corresponding number. So be fore warned.. English time will be tugher for them.. but will help them towards lets go 6.

BTW.. you all know English Time 6 is due to be released in the new year in Korea?