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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:08 pm Post subject: High School textbook |
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My co-teacher and I did our demonstration lesson this morning. The provincial education guy turned out to be a nice guy and spoke way above average English. He told us we don't have to use the school text book. (Several posters here have said their school allows them to use other materials.)
Soooo, our principal asked us if we had any suggestions for an alternative to the standard book. He still expects them to get reading and vocabulary, but appears to be open for a different English program.
I'm familiar with conversation books, which don't have enough reading material for our purposes.
Any suggestions out there? |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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What textbook series were you using? The High School English series with photos of what look like American university students on the front covers? |
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Veronica

Joined: 29 Aug 2005
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think that there is one good text book - you have to bastardize several to get what you want. A good one, which I have used, is Interchange 2 - if that is the blue one, and also Transitions. I recently bought some good specific discussion books - they are at home at the moment, but they too have very upto date stuff in them. They are in Kim and Johnson's in the 'talking' section, with long reading and then relevant questions. Probably better for high level.
Make your own dialogues and make them pertinent to them. 20 lines or so, with some new vocabulary and then some questions based around the theme of the dialogue. I have done academies, movies, haircuts, fashion and other similar things. Read them line by line and then dissect it as you go. They will then read together - like this:
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Going To Academies
Oliver: Hey. How��s it going? Why the long face?
Alice: I��m not happy because my Mum has just enrolled me into another academy.
Oliver: How many do you attend now?
Alice: I have to go to five per week. Three every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the other two are on Tuesday and Thursday.
Oliver: You lead a hectic lifestyle! How many hours is that per week?
Alice: Well. Let��s see. Monday 6 hours, Tuesday 4 hours, Wednesday 5 hours, Thursday 4 and Friday 6 again. So, total, 25 hours per week
Oliver: That��s a lot. Luckily, my Mum has a different line of thought. If my grades are good at school, then she��s happy if I study under my own steam.
Alice: But if your grades drop, then what?
Oliver: She signs me up for an academy specializing in the subject I didn��t do well in.
Alice: I wish my Mum thought the same way! I envy you not having to go to countless academies. Speaking of which, here��s my bus. Have a good night.
Oliver: Have fun. See you at school.
1) -My Mum is going to treat us because the exams have finished. We��re going to Pizza Hut. Do you want to come?
-I can��t. My Mum says I have to clean my room because it looks like a bombsite. Catch you next time.
1) Exam finished / pizza / clean room.
2) My birthday / party / go to academy.
3) Good results in test / skiing / sister��s graduation.
4) School finished / Jeju / visit Grandmother in hospital
5) New movie / free tickets / not 15 |
This is an example, that I use regularly, as it not only provokes conversation about academies, but you can then ask them how many they go to - ask them individually, and then how many hours per week and so on. This will take over one class, if your class sizes are 50 minutes like mine. You can tailor them to your school, your home country and your situation. Throw in vocabulary and you have, in my experience, quite a good lesson that they don't hate. They take some making, but when you have them, you can use them year on year, updating them as you go. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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What textbook series were you using? |
The only one I have is High School English (with a pic of university age students) on the cover. (white and gray horizontal stripes)
I was under the impression this was the government's book. Is this not true? |
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SuperHero

Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Why not use a commercial book with lots of listening and conversation exercises in addition to graded readers. This way you could assign readers based on students actual abilities. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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I use Interchange TWO, with video, workbook and other suplementary materials. Excellent book and the students dig it. |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
Quote: |
What textbook series were you using? |
The only one I have is High School English (with a pic of university age students) on the cover. (white and gray horizontal stripes)
I was under the impression this was the government's book. Is this not true? |
There are a number of HS texts that various schools use. Is yours the one with the girl on the moped and the guy on the bike? If so it's the first in a series.
Yeah, you'd think in a country like Korea there'd be a national text but apparently not. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: |
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I've been operating under a serious misconception. I'm not sure now where I got it, but I was 'certain' the book we are using was the one and only one the government required.
This information sure puts a whole new spin on things. Thanks guys.
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in addition to graded readers. This way you could assign readers based on students actual abilities. |
Has anyone used graded readers that they are happy with? I haven't seen any at all, but then I live in Swampville and we don't see a whole lot of anything down here. Graded readers are exactly what we have been talking about (my co-teacher is a brand new teacher and doesn't know what is available--I've been teaching adults, so am not familiar with what is available for high schools). The majority of our boys can't read at all. Some are not even comfortable with the alphabet. My co-teacher says they gave up trying in middle school. I'm sure she is right. The only shot we have is to drop back to a much lower level of reading book. So what's good out there? |
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Paji eh Wong

Joined: 03 Jun 2003
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:52 am Post subject: |
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I really liked Postcards for my mid teenage kids. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I've been operating under a serious misconception. I'm not sure now where I got it, but I was 'certain' the book we are using was the one and only one the government required.
This information sure puts a whole new spin on things. Thanks guys.
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The government issued book I'm not using but was supplied to all the students nonetheless is called
High School English COnversation
by (among others Kang Dong Kil) who happens to be an English teacher at my school. It has a cup of coffee on a saucer with a teaspoon graphic on the cover. |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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fidel wrote: |
Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I've been operating under a serious misconception. I'm not sure now where I got it, but I was 'certain' the book we are using was the one and only one the government required.
This information sure puts a whole new spin on things. Thanks guys.
|
The government issued book I'm not using but was supplied to all the students nonetheless is called
High School English COnversation
by (among others Kang Dong Kil) who happens to be an English teacher at my school. It has a cup of coffee on a saucer with a teaspoon graphic on the cover. |
Is that for vocational-tracked students? If so, what the government issues may differ from programme to programme. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
fidel wrote: |
Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I've been operating under a serious misconception. I'm not sure now where I got it, but I was 'certain' the book we are using was the one and only one the government required.
This information sure puts a whole new spin on things. Thanks guys.
|
The government issued book I'm not using but was supplied to all the students nonetheless is called
High School English COnversation
by (among others Kang Dong Kil) who happens to be an English teacher at my school. It has a cup of coffee on a saucer with a teaspoon graphic on the cover. |
Is that for vocational-tracked students? If so, what the government issues may differ from programme to programme. |
It's my understanding that there are a large number of textbooks schools can choose from. |
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UncleAlex
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:29 pm Post subject: High School Text Book? |
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For Listening and Speaking practice and a step-by-step grammatical
approach, I've been using the Side by Side series, Molinsky & Bliss.
Coupled with expansion activities based on the text material, the lessons
have been both simple and enjoyable for the students. One can use audio
and visual equipment with this series,too. I've heard a few teachers criticize
this conversational text, but it's a matter of devising a method of working
with it.  |
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