Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi. Well, I posted this on the Texts Forum quite a long time ago. I didn't have any luck with answers so I decided to try again...
The question is: Suppose you have to use a specific coursebook. You can have photocopies and extra material if you wish but as you can understand, it costs a lot when you have 150-200 pupils so you must be quite inventive... What would you do or did you do in the case of a very dull coursebook? I've done quite a few things to cheer the classes up but I'd appreciate some suggestions. BTW, I'm talking about the series we use in Greece for classes C, D, E, F (children aged 8-12) approved for state schools by the Ministry of Education. It's just an ancient coursebook + activity book (i.e., exercises based on the material taught in each lesson plus some grammar exercises). There's no grammar book whatsoever.

Thanks,
Liana

Sounds like you have the perfect opportunity to design a new curriculum for Greece. How about meeting with other teachers and trying to promote new methods in teaching English and getting in touch with officials that have some power to do that? That said, all books have basically the same topics in them. If you develop the themes with more up-to-date ideas, you will be following the books but not doing deadly drill and kill exercises. You can tell the children that they are participating in developing a new and more interesting series and ask them what can they do to make it more relevant and modern for them. They not only learn what you are required to teach them but learn to be critical of texts, taking them apart and seeing where they fall down in helping them to learn. If you have access to computers they can research worksheets, games, crossword puzzles, etc. to compliment the themes.

Thanks for your answer. I really wouldn't know how to start if I tried to describe the ELT situation in my country. In one word, it's absurd. Meeting other teachers and getting in touch with "officials" would be my dream; in Sweden perhaps : ) We lived a dream though for the last 2 years as we were given the opportunity to choose ourselves the material for the 8-year-olds. Too good to last. It is said that next year the ministry's official publishing organisation will take over again with the usual ...astonishing books. You see, all schools in Greece have to use the same books approved only by the Ministry of Education. We don't have the right to buy books or influence the ministry's choice. And there's more and more... That can make one resourceful and inquisitive but can also lead to frustration and a nice "burnout".
I think that I will follow the usual way, prepare my own material, study, search the internet and above all, go through the horrible books again, very carefully, to see how the children and I can benefit from that stupid mess...
Thanks again!