Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jacl]

[Woland]

I used the first and second editions of Interchange at different jobs over the years. As I got to know it better and as I became more experienced as a teacher, I liked it more. It is, as some people here have noted, a really thin book and it seems like you could speed through it. I did that with it initially and didn't like the book because it felt to me like I serving thin gruel to my students.

As I used it more, though, I came to see that what was intended was a skeleton onto which I, as the teacher, could build a lot of stuff that matched my specific students. The teachers' book was helpful with extension activities, but I came up with more and more of my own. I saw the book as a basic supply of linguistic nutrition which I could use in putting together a varied and interesting diet for my students.

This whole process was one of becoming a better teacher for me; I learned to use the material more, rather than be used by it, and to make what I brought to the class to add to it more closely match my students and their interests. I think it worked better all around that way.

Hollywoodaction mentions David Nunan's books. I have great respect for Nunan's work in teacher education, but I found his Atlas textbook, when I used it here, to be overly structured after using Interchange and developing my extension skills. I liked a lot of the material, but there was just too much of it and it was difficult to reorder it or cut any out. My sense was that it was a book designed for teachers who weren't very confident of their skills, either in teaching or in English. I must also say that the tapes were the worst I ever had for any book - all these flat voices betraying no emotion or interest in what they were saying.

I think one of the big things to think about in judging any textbook is that no text written for an international sales market can be exactly right for any specific class. I would ask now, how much space does it give me as a teacher to build off what is presented for my students and how much help does it provide for me in doing that? In both of those regards, I like Interchange pretty well.

[Jeju Rocks]

Ah Interchange, brings back memories to when I was fresh in country and new at ESL. I worked at BCM way back then, and worked a spilt shift. Going to bed at about 2am, going to work at around 6am, I could barely open my eyes let along get my mouth working.
In those days I practiced the art of 'winging it'. Got to school minutes before class started, went into class opened the book to the new chapter and off to the races we went.
One day I opened the book and the chapter was on Gerunds. I looked at the students and they looked at me. I wasn't even sure on how to pronounce the word let alone what it meant. But I managed.
The first edition of Interchance 3, a green book I recall had one really whacked lesson. It was about some radio program and the tape had a guy yammering on and on about who knows what. It lasted about 10 minutes. Of coures I didn't prepare for the lesson so I was at a total loss. The students couldn't follow it, I don't think anyone could follow it.
I don't recall what happened after that, but I do know that that lesson was dropped from the second edition.
Interchange is an okay set of books, but I prefer to pick and choose lessons from several books and adapt them to what my students need.
Interchange seems to be aimed at International students studying in America. Along with other textbooks some lessons need heavy modification.

[ontheway]

New Interchange was the most boring set of books I have ever used. I used level one and two with adults and kids. Boring to teach. Worse for the students. Useless for learning, too. I would never use them again.

I even tried using New Interchange as part of a package of materials in class. The rest of the materials worked great. The class was dynamite after I completely dropped the N.I. books.

New Interchange could be useful in a hospital, however, as a cure for insomnia.

[Hollywoodaction]

[indytrucks]

Admittedly, Nunan is a force in ESL research and classroom methodology, but Richards is no slouch either. I don't mind the Interchange books ... they are completely communicative in nature, albeit a little dry from time to time. The newer editions are much better than the older ones. Like another poster in the thread mentioned, using the book as a framework for the classroom rather than a step-by-step bible is probably the best approach with the book (or most books for that matter).

[HapKi]

Its funny how this topic has come up. Just yesterday, three publishers from Oxford University Press came to our college to get our input on coursebook design.

Also, if you're looking for evaluation checklists for coursebooks, I'd point you towards McDonough and Shaw's. Cunningsworth also has a readable book on the subject called "Choosing a Coursebook."

BigBird- I wrote a similar paper for my Master's course, analyzing the High Impact coursebook.

[Thunndarr]

[Hollywoodaction]

[jay-shi]

[Hollywoodaction]

[indytrucks]

[TECO]

I've used many textbooks over the years and the one that's the easiest and most comprehensive to use is the 2005 INTERCHANGE.

A good all round textbook that is integrated, 4 skills and user-friendly for both instructor and student.

I wonder how rich Jack Richards is - Who says TEFL doesn't have any millionaires!