Korean Job Discussion Forums

nev · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Location: ch7t

New Parade starter book. What a bloody waste of time. Anybody else use this book? Its educational value is minimal, and that flatters it. It mildly diverts the kids while they cut things out and colour things in green, but the contents of this book could be taught in about 10% of the time. I WOULD do that myself but my Korean teachers would complain because each book should take 3 months.

I HATE New Parade starter and its authors, who should all be executed. It is a book that shames the world.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

In defense of the New Parade Starter edition, it does introduce valuable cutting, gluing, and coloring skills that will be incredibly useful in the next 6 levels of the series.

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

nev · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Location: ch7t

I've not had the joy of anything beyond the starters, which I'm now teaching my THIRD class with. I'm going to speak to the director and strongly recommend we never use this book again, should I also recommend against all the follow ups?

To be constructive, what would you advise as a replacement? We use Smile, Let's Go, Hip Hip Hooray and AGR. Would Smile 1 or Let's Go 1 be too advanced? I didn't mind Supertots but it may be a little patronising, as some of these kids are about 10 or 11 (Korean age). Mind you, New Parade hardly dazzles the intellect.

The tapes are a joke too. I've used them once. It seemed entirely dominated by a deep voiced American telling you what chapter you were on, or what damn book you were on.

I also have no teacher's guide, though I suspect it wouldn't transform my life.

I hate this book with a vengeance unsurpassed by anyone ever, about anything.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Yeah it sucks, so change the book

Toby · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Wedded Bliss

It is TERRIBLE.

Find a new book.

The Wake Up series are good for beginners, as is All Aboard and Here We Go.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

I hate all New Parade books but, you're right, SuperKids is the absolute worst.

Crois · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 2:08 am Post subject:

I like the New Parade Series. I get to colour stuff...

g-ese · Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Location: Busan

I actually like New Parade Series, but the later versions. After getting books that give you absolutely nothing to work with, except pictures and SIX (!) vocabulary words, this book actually gives me something to work with. We spell the words. Then I make EACH student read EACH sentence of everything, including the songs. Then we do the exercises in the book. It's working, they are actually learning how to read and beginning to make their own sentences. I don't know about the starter, but the later books are ok. One book I've had that is completely worthless is Balloons, a book with NO English at all in it. It is for little kids. Even the little kids think it is bullshit. It is coloring, cutting and tracing. No alphabet. God forbid we teach them how to read. I could have a lobotomy and two bottles of soju and write a better English book than that. I feel your pain.

prairieboy · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Location: The batcave.

I've used the New Parade series and can honestly say that I loath the series.

bibimbap · Joined: 14 Dec 2003

i've just started on this book. so far it's crap...

but a HELL of a lot better than the SPOTLIGHT series. when the revolution comes, the authors of the SPOTLIGHT series would be the FIRST against the wall. they'd put all of three questions on a page, which after the lesson was done would keep the kids occupied for a marathon two minutes.

i'd love to watch these textbook authors actually get out into a class-room and teach this pap!

join me now in song... (turn to p. 4 of New Parade 2 Class Book)

everyone join the NEW PARADE!

come together, say hello
say hello
say hello
it's so nice to meet you

go away and say goodbye
say goodbye
say goodbye
we'll meet again soon

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

lets go Starter for the little ones. Once they have phonics move on to Lets Go and English time.

BTW is there now way we can stop the publishers (or actually writers) and tell them how bad their books are?

margaret · Joined: 14 Oct 2003

I also used the Let's Go starter series to get them ready for the Let's Go series and found it excellent. I was in the unique position of being able to go to bookstores with one of the Korean teachers and research as much material as possible and found the Let's Go series the best.
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