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Best Textbook you've used

 
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greedy_bones



Joined: 01 Jul 2007
Location: not quite sure anymore

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:58 pm    Post subject: Best Textbook you've used Reply with quote

Currently, I have three favorites.

SeeSaw: This series has a good combination of things to keep students interested while having a well thought out layout. I especially like the higher level ones because they have a story which progresses throughout the book.

Side by Side This series is a little dull, but it's great for older students. I like how they systematically go through English grammar and include irregular verbs in each exercise. I also like how they clearly demonstrate when to use which tense.

American start with English I like this series because they have good exercises, short stories, and pronunciation sections. This series is good because the exercises are good for improving the students' basics while the stories are good for both reading comprehension and discussion topics.

What textbooks do you guys prefer?
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Juregen



Joined: 30 May 2006

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Side by Side really needs some extra materials.

The learning curve goes to steep, or you have to slow it down with extra work.
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sobriquet



Joined: 16 Feb 2007
Location: Nakatomi Plaza

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

American Adventures

and

Adventures

OUP

Best teen book out there up to date and topical
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caniff



Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 'Market Leader' series is pretty good for Biz. Eng.
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yingwenlaoshi



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Can You Believe It?" for older elementary/middle school isn't bad.
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Teelo



Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Transcendentals of calculus.
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T-J



Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Juregen wrote:
Side by Side really needs some extra materials.

The learning curve goes to steep, or you have to slow it down with extra work.


Agreed.

I've always found SBS to be very effective for Korean learners. It blends the grammar based memorization / rote repetition that Koreans are "wired" for, while stressing conversation skills. It balances it all out with plenty of reading, writing, listening exercises, and discussion topics.
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Tobias



Joined: 02 Jun 2008

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:41 pm    Post subject: Da man Reply with quote

Anything by Freud works well. My students would love lying around on couches, as long as I provide the couches.
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Rteacher



Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Top Notch is the best for high school level and above - great CD-Rom in each book, very well done class CDs, plenty of Korea-related references ...

For elementary and middle school, I like the 3rd Edition of the Let's Go Series with attractive CD-Roms.

I did like using the Side by Side text books several years ago for some low-level adult classes, but the cassettes were way too slow-paced.
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morph33



Joined: 14 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i like the interchange series (most recent)....

top notch is alright, however i think they need to focus more on one topic per unit and then provide additional material for that topic...
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll also vouch for Let's Go for elementary school kids.

For adults, I thought that Pagoda's SLE series was very good.
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Oreovictim



Joined: 23 Aug 2006

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach from some of the Super Kids books. They're not bad. But when you get to Super Kids 5, they introduce a new character: Diego. My students laugh every time they hear his voice.

Last year, I used the Face to Face books. They were okay.
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saw6436



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon, ROK

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lets Go and English Time for Elem/Middle school.

Side by Side is a classic series. Still pretty good.

Exploring English is also a nice series.

For Adults I like Interchange and Gateways.

Free Talking classes I use Lets Argue.
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Beeyee



Joined: 29 May 2007

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the Best Friends series for Elementary kids. They introduce things at a good pace and the kids really dig them. They come with excellent teachers manuals too.
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some waygug-in



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best books for whom? It all depends on age/level and expectations of your students. What can be great for one class may turn out to be a bad choice for the next.

I like the books mentioned, but I also like to suppliment them with reading books like Easy True Stories, What a World, Reading Advantage etc.

Small Group Discussion Topics as well.

"Totally True" is the new series to replace"Can You believe it". It's pretty good for the right level students and it comes with a little vocab book in the back.
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