A very unique Class..Please Advise me on a text book!!

[saram_]

Hi all.
I am looking for advice about one of my classes that I teach. Basically the class is a group of students who have all lived overseas for 3 years or even more. Now they are all back in Korea in a public elementary school and it seems my class is one of their few opps to practice their English.. There are 6 students in the class and that number is increasing from next month. There are two sets of siblings in the class too just to add that extra bit of info in..

I try to mix the class up as much as I can (teach them every day- 45mins) by doing lots of different things, reading and talking about interesting topics, writing/essays, activities, games etc..but its proving a big challenge to keep them interested or challenge them further.

I am in the process of looking for a new textbook for the new term which begins next week but am struggling to find a suitable book. Their English level is much higher than the average elementary school student and they also seem to be more mature (in some ways anyway, lol, They are certainly not angels)..

Ive been using Teen Talk but even that is first of all a little easy and secondly "not fun enough". I only use the book twice a week or so but I want to find a really suitable book that allows for interesting talk and is also challenging. Something with a little better structure than just the discussion books is what I think is best too. I came across a book this evening- Natural English-Intermediate level which is actually a book for older students but it seems to be good for their level. Anybody know or use this book. The thing is the book is a little heavy and the writing is a little small I was told..and so would be boring..

Can anybody recommend some good textbooks that may be useful or offer me some general advice on the class. They are a demanding lot and they leave me scratching my head a lot..

Please, relieve some of my stress..lol
Thank You..

D..

[Sally Olsen]

I suggest that you get 6 or more copies of different books and let each student have one. They can search the books for things that interest them and present that to the class as a lesson for the day. They have to give you the lesson plan (which can be a lesson for them for at least one class on how to make a lesson plan) and give you time to get photocopies and any material to support the lesson that they can't get themselves. Every book covers what you want to cover but this way they have some control of what they use and will get a great variety plus lessons in presenting, organizing and summarizing. If you can give them a teacher's copy, that will give them a better idea of how to present the materials and extra materials they can use.

It might be better to have them work in pairs, especially if siblings can do it together.

[shelleyvernon]

I agree with Sally Olsen about making students responsible for their own learning.

I would say too that any textbook can be made interesting depending on how you use it.

For example liven up a reading passage by giving a time-limit for the students to scan the passage and find things such as: four irregular verbs, an adverb starting with the letter S, and two proper nouns. Define your items according to what grammar or vocabulary you would like to focus on, or use it purely for revision and general practise.

Once students have done that tell them that they have a chance to look through the passage again, but this time afterwards you will call on them randomly to tell you what the passage is about.

So give them a fairly short time - JUST enough to read the passage through once. If you give them a long time then the activity loses part of it's challenge. Now all students turn their books over. Then choose a student to tell you what is in the first paragraph. This is often easier to do than subsequent paragraphs so pick a weaker student for that so that he/she has the best chance to do it well.

Then ask a different student to tell you what paragraph two is about - you can read out the first sentence as a prompt if necessary.

There are many more ideas like this in my book of games for teens and adults. You are welcome to receive the free samples by email from the page below:

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults.htm

Although the title of the book is for teens and adults the activities in it are right for your students as they have such a high level of English. There are plenty of fun games in there to appeal to them too.

Kind regards
Shelley