Some teachers are comfortable relying on a coursebook. Others may sometimes feel as though they are 'slaves' to a coursebook that they themselves did not choose. What are some advantages and disadvantages of changing a coursebook lesson?
OR
As Harmer (p. 176) points out, "By far the most useful resources in the classroom are the students themselves." He gives some examples of learners-as-resources. Describe other possibilities for learner contribution.
OR
Share links to your favourite internet-based resources (e.g. readwritethink.org, with a brief description of each.
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***Yes, it is true that by just relying on coursebook sometimes the learners' find it boring because of its monotonous contents.Unlike when we use some other variety like injecting the new technology in our class,it may sounds good, challenging and interesting to both teachers and students.As we are now in the Net Generation, where in our students are advanced in everything because of high technology, we, teachers should also adapt this kind of learner environment but we must be very vigilant most specially the effect of this high technology to our young generations nowadays.
ReplyDeleteAmerica currently contains about 88 million members of the Net Generation. These "N-Geners" are kids who have been manipulating mouses since an early age. While past generations made do with the telephone and television, today's generation has access to those devices and super-realistic video games, the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging, online communities, and videos and music that can be downloaded over a computer.
Some critics are concerned that children of developing countries will be adversely affected by the technology invasion set to happen within their borders over the next several years. Much of the material on the Internet is oriented toward the Western values of North America and Europe. This can present a lopsided view of the world, one in which the values and traditions of other cultures become invisible.
Critics worry that as children from South America, Africa, and Asia get massive exposure to Western ideas and values, rifts may develop between them and their parents.
Despite the potential problems, some people take a middle ground, saying that the globalization that would be powered by the Internet is not the same thing as Americanization.
http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2000/10/100400_netgen.jhtml
Yesterday a class of my students learned a dialog about asking and giving directions from thier coursebook. Today what I did with them was I grouped them in pairs and got each group to creat a dialog between a stranger(asker) and a person who responds to it. At first, almost all of my students complained that the task was too difficult. But after reviewing what they had studied yesterday and being provided some useful expressions and lexicons they could use, they became confident and finished what they had to do.
ReplyDeleteAll I did(as a teacher) was to rearrange desks and chairs for the classroom to look like streets and buildings before the class started. At last, all the teams did role-plays with their own dialog and they seemed to enjoy them with even some actions. They had a fun time while they were developing their speaking abilities.
Hye Kyung Min Said
ReplyDeleteCall4u.net
Huge and Big Link for English teacher and Studetns
(I am sorry uppper post's internet link is wrong address.)
ReplyDeleteHere is my favourite internet-based resources
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/
This site is useful for Newspaper in Education.
Up to date information and good contents.
2. http://www.funtimenews.com/
Do you want to find a interesting and scientific information? This site can be one of the answer.
3. http://www.kidsclick.org/
This site is websearch for kids by libraians.
Here is easy and various contents for Kids.
If you need easy information for kids, just visit this site.
Because my students are generally beginner-level, I often deviate from the High School English textbook in order to give them a better chance of taking something away from the lesson. I try to stick to the theme of the lesson and incorporate as much of the book material as possible without it compromising the success of the lesson.
ReplyDeleteBut it depends on the book itself. I would prefer to have some guidance if possible. My career in teaching is not extensive enough to be a walking lesson plan or authority on the proper steps to SLA. And the truth is I can regurgitate a book on the subject without issue. Implementing the ideas to my comfort level is a much slower process. So I like the direction a book provides if it is suited to the ability-level of the learner.
Regardless of having the perfect book or the worst book, it is worth taking the time to investigate how information can be presented through your own style -- and a style that is tailored to the students. Maybe they work best in groups. Maybe they are motivated by role-playing. Textbooks often leave this up to the teacher. And, of course, content can be modified. To conclude, a teacher should be comfortable with teaching with or without the text as their primary resource.
Ah! One more thing: the disadvantages. If there are any it would be that something could be left out. Perhaps too much time is taken practicing one concept and not enough is given to others that are equally essential. In my experience there is no big stress in moving slowly through the lessons. If they take 2 days, well....the students will be 2x as confident. A teacher must prepare wisely and ensure that, by which ever method is chosen, all the material is covered.
ReplyDeleteThe textbook is generally for all the students in Korea. As you know, those who are from urban districts are way better than students from rural areas. However, the textbook does not consider the different English skill in each school. Therefore, Teachers should rewrite and reorganize the textbook to enhance their students' understanding in consideration of teaching environment although it takes a long time to prepare handouts and PPT. Meanwhile, some students keep complaining about too many pages of handouts for the test. Those who are lowly motivated in learning English throw away the handouts after the class, too. Thus, it takes time for teachers to check whether all the students have brought the handouts. To conclude, in spite of long preparation period, reorganization of the text considered students' level book is essential in the English class.
ReplyDeleteShin Sook Bahn said...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Harmer's approach to use students as resources in the classroom. They can explain and practice using their own thoughts and experience through writing and talking. In my opinion, children learn best when there is reaction. For instance, using students as 'living clocks' is good to teach them how to practice what time it is. As for other possibilities for learner contribution students can incorporate their play life with learning such as making up the song verses with rhymes to teach them the sound of words.
Kyung Kyu Shin said...
ReplyDeleteInteractions with teacher and students are one of the most important factors to be a successful and effective language study and practice. In that sense I agree with Harmer's opinion. For instance, using internet websites for English teaching and practising such as readwritethink.org, and let children participate in those activities must have a very effective results for improving their English. Many teaching methods in teaching vocabulary and in teaching grammar can be other examples supporting Harmer's opinion (Harmer, 2007: 229-264).
I think today's English coursebook in Korea is good enough to be used as teacher's primary teaching and learning materials. A coursebook has been changed depending on National Curriculum's changes. Unlike old coursebooks that we had used in classes, a new coursebook was completely changed. First, a coursebook is arranged as student's English levels such as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Today most schools in Korea also organize English class as students' level, so new coursebooks can increase students' learning achievement. Second, new textbook has a lot of materials related with English four skills. It includes CD, Activity books, and Internet resources. For example, when we do a reading activity, we can use reading material in a coursebook and websites that are closely related with reading material. This can enhance their understanding about reading materials and encourage them to participate in class actively. However, topics that a coursebook covers are problems for the higher level of students. They don't have the opportunity to choose the kinds of texts that they want to read if they learn from the textbooks that are limited to a few topics. It means that we, teachers, have to prepare related teaching materials for students' needs and English level.
ReplyDeleteIf I ask to the teachers whether they perfectly satisfy with the course book or not, they will say no. Most of teachers want to change or add something on the book.
ReplyDeleteThere are differences how much they will change on it. I want to think about the advantages and disadvantages of it.
When we teach English that is language, we must focus on increasing the chance to use English. We can add activities on our own for this. The more various the activity, the better interactions happen.
Also, we can motivate the students through the change. Some feel bored and others have problems to understand because they have different level. We can make the book little more challenging.
We find obstacles. Teacher can be burdened. It takes much time and effort to change the book and make it better.
During the class, we could waste time. The students of the same grade are divided into two or three on which teachers co-work. That means we must teach in common that is content of text must be dealt. If we add more to the text, it spends much time. Especially when the teachers don't have much experience, if they can't controll class, students can be distracted.
Advising a course book have good and bad sides. What you must keep in mind is persisting the aim of lesson.
According to the Korean educational polocy, teachers have to select one among the limited textbooks and teach students with it. This makes it easy to evaluate the progress of students in whole country. It is also safe because almost all of the teachers in this country can teach almost same things to students regardless of their personal thoughts and their teaching abilities. However, the textbooks often make stuents get bored because they cannot fit in their own teaching environment. Students want more interesting, fun, and suitable materials.
ReplyDeleteThat's why teachers are always looking for the teaching materials besides textbooks. Still, I think schools need textbook as standard teaching material and teachers add extra fun things to it.
I think it depends on teachers how to prepare their class. As a teacher who can prepare creative and variety lesson, the courses are not enough to teach students. However as a teacher who does not have enough experience, the books are very helpful. I also think even skillful teacher can make the lesson interesting and challenging by preparing various handouts and materials. For example, the subjet is this is my family in the course book. The book just shows "this is sentence". Teachers arrange more handouts including what they look like or what they do. This makes more abundant lesson.
ReplyDeleteI would like to introduce some useful websites for your class.
ReplyDeleteFirst one is the "Puzzlemaker".
If you want to make your students take a vocabulary quiz, you could simply tell them some words and let them write down the answers.
However, if you use this website and make up some puzzles using vocabularies and let the students solve them, then they may become more interested in English. Almost all students like puzzles, and they will have fun while they learn new English vocabularies without noticing. Moreover, if you also share this website with your students and give some extra points to whoever makes up puzzles by themselves, they would be more motivated.
Second one is very useful for students to develop their reading comprehension. (http://www.starfall.com/).
You can use this website for the young kids. They can learn from alphabets to reading some fairy tales or even comics.
When the students find a difficult word that they don't know how to pronounce from their reading, they can hear the exact pronunciation by just clicking on the word.
I think that "Puzzle maker" will be very useful for 5-6th grade, and "Starfall" will be appropriate for 3-4th grade students in elementary school.
I have used coursebooks for many years like most Korean English teachers. But whenever I wanted to focus on some area, I had to use other reference books. Then I came to realize that I was approaching to changing coursebook(Figure 4, page 183). For non-native speaker as a teacher, it is natural to rely on coursebook. The advantages of changing a coursebook lesson are that students can’t be bored and they can contact various materials and activities. On the contrary, disadvantages are that students may be confused and unprepared for the lesson. Therefore I think teacher should let them know what they are doing next in advance and explain why they are doing this.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some advantages and disadvantages of changing a coursebook lesson?
ReplyDeleteSince I got a new job at the brand name institute (franchise),I've been teaching English with a course book .
The course books are composed of 6 books in each level and each curriculum is designed to study for a month.
Comparing to the previous teaching experiences at S.E.V where accepted a course book-free approach, I found many advantages of course book.
The most benefit is it gives strong structure and clear direction of my lesson.
In the book, there are 8 chapters and every chapter has a specific theme and goal.
The expressions which students learned before are getting extend as the level go higher.
So teacher and student feel secure of the lesson and also easilly find the improvement.
Secondly, there are many good teaching sourses in the coursebook such as teacher's guide book, homework book, CD, test sheets and so on.
They are so easilly accessible that teacher can save much time to prepare materials.
And students are able to review and do homework with the workbook, too.
Therefore, what the teacher only need to do is preparing the lesson plan and study how it works out together freely.
Despite of many advantages, there are also some disadvantages.
Firstly, students ought to spend a lot of money on book every month. (As I mentioned it before)
Although students are very excited about studying with new books every month, parents are burdend to pay for it.
Secondly, the book patterns are almost same so students get easilly sick and tire of them.
Thirdly, there is some risk if student or teacher dissatisfy the book. The institute where use the coursebook mainly might change the whole currifulum and lose some money they invested before.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of changing a coursebook lesson?
ReplyDeleteSince I got a new job at the brand name institute (franchise),I've been teaching English with a course book .
The course books are composed of 6 books in each level and each curriculum is designed to study for a month.
Comparing to the previous teaching experiences at S.E.V where accepted a course book-free approach, I found many advantages of course book.
The most benefit is it gives strong structure and clear direction of my lesson.
In the book, there are 8 chapters and every chapter has a specific theme and goal.
The expressions which students learned before are getting extend as the level go higher.
So teacher and student feel secure of the lesson and also easilly find the improvement.
Secondly, there are many good teaching sourses in the coursebook such as teacher's guide book, homework book, CD, test sheets and so on.
They are so easilly accessible that teacher can save much time to prepare materials.
And students are able to review and do homework with the workbook, too.
Therefore, what the teacher only need to do is preparing the lesson plan and study how it works out together freely.
Despite of many advantages, there are also some disadvantages.
Firstly, students ought to spend a lot of money on book every month. (As I mentioned it before)
Although students are very excited about studying with new books every month, parents are burdend to pay for it.
Secondly, the book patterns are almost same so students get easilly sick and tire of them.
Thirdly, there is some risk if student or teacher dissatisfy the book. The institute where use the coursebook mainly might change the whole currifulum and lose some money they invested before.
Therefore we as a teacher need to consider about both aspects when we use the coursebook.
If we prefer relying on the coursebook, we need to make up for the disadvantage points. So it can be used for good.
"By the most useful resoureces in the classroom are the students themselves (Harmer,2007,p176)".
ReplyDeleteThis is a great declaration toward education.
Students are the core engine to produce intensive learining effects. Because human being have creativity which is distintive feature compared to other learning stuffs like computer, MP3, even books.
When one person's creativity combines with another person's creativity, they can make certain creative interations. Then they build up dynamic synergies to make language acqusition.
And human being likes human beings rather than machinaries. This genetic instint produce good reationships between them. So they rainforce a sense of belonging to maintain studnet's motivation.
What a cool students are in the L2 classroom!
"By the most useful resoureces in the classroom are the students themselves (Harmer,2007,p176)".
ReplyDeleteThis is a great declaration toward education.
Students are the core engine to produce intensive learining effects. Because human being have creativity which is distintive feature compared to other learning stuffs like computer, MP3, even books.
When one person's creativity combines with another person's creativity, they can make certain creative interations. Then they build up dynamic synergies to make language acqusition.
And human being likes human beings rather than machinaries. This genetic instint produce good reationships between them. So they rainforce a sense of belonging to maintain studnet's motivation.
What a cool students are in the L2 classroom!
What are some advantages and disadvantages of changing a coursebook lesson?
ReplyDeleteIn a general curriculum, course book helps teacher to teach more effectively. But there are some disadvantages if some teachers are only relying on one course book. The course book needs to be changed based on curriculum considering below advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
First of all, the changing a course book will be able to give a good freshness to students due to getting out of the groove of daily routine
Secondly, students can learn same lesson through meeting other methods based on same curriculum. It will help them to understand effectively.
Finally, each course book has strong points and weak points. Teacher needs to select the strong points among course books for teaching well if the course book is changing.
Disadvantages
Firstly, it is possible to get out of curriculum after changing the course book because each course book has a goal of teaching and learning.
Secondly, students can be confused to learn a changed course book some due to the course books are mixed.
Finally, it is hard to give some evaluation of lesson to students about leaning in total curriculum. The reason is why each course book has diffident evaluation and test method.
In brief, teacher should consider what good things or bad things are for students when changing the course book because there are advantages and disadvantages
* Describe other possibilities for learner contribution.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with that the most useful resources in the classroom are the students themselves. I want to add two other aspect about learner contribution to class.
First, students decide teaching styles. Classroom is a space that teaching and learning are happening together at the same time. Usually, teachers are teaching and students are learning. Then, who makes a decision the teaching style? I think it is up to the students because teachers want students come to an understanding. Therefore teachers choose teaching style according to students learning style. For example, a teacher would use more physical moving activities if most students are Bodily-Kinesthetic.
Second, students are important to establishing a close rapport. If the students are good friends, it is easier to develop relationships. A few days ago, I met three students at the first time. I was a little bit nervous before I meet them. However, we could have a good time because they already know each other very well. Like this experience, learners have a half responsibility to make a mood of class.
good coursebooks are carefully prepared to offer a coherent syllabus. coursebooks also provide material which students can look back at for revision and, at their best, their visual and topic appeal can have a powerfully engaging effect.In a way, the most important aspect of courebook use is for teachers to try to engage students with the content they are going to be dealing with.But,If the material is not substantial, teacher might add somthing to it.For example, a role-play after a reading text, or extra situation for language practice. In addition teacher re-order the activities within a lesson. and, teacher may wish to reduce a lesson by cutting out an exercise or an activity.
ReplyDeleteOn the oter hand, changing a coursebook lesson seems to be confused the students.It is important to remember that students need to be able to see a coherent pattern to what teachers are doing and understand their reasons for change.
In korea, govern rules educational system as long as especially required subject textbooks.So some teachers complain with strictly schedule of amounts and contents for yearly resigned texybook. Teachers well knowing students' interests and needs want to apply their new syllabus. If it is admitted, our educational condition will be probably very various and will be distinguished. As a result, quality of education will be high up. But overheated vying will be broughted up and unification of education will be broken. I think in our educational reality we have to take into consideration reshuffle of educational systems even though there are somethings to damage.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of advantages by using a coursebook. In a coursebook, there are
ReplyDeletevarious topics and goal. So to use a
coursebook is useful for some teachers
who don't have a lot of experience.
And there are many teaching materials in a coursebook such as cd, guide book, worksheet.
So many teachers can reduce their time
that should prepare for their class and
many students can have their homework everytime. Based on a coursebook, many teachers can prepare any other interesting and exciting materials related to topic of that day.
Then most students will be able to have
their interest in studying the subject.
Despite of many advantages, there are
also some disadvantages.
Almost all the coursebook has the same pattern. So the students are able to feel bored easily. After finishing a class, the students
doesn't know their lesson goal exactly
what they learned last time or this time.
I can agree with the thought that some teachers think they are a slaves of course book, I think that following course book is better, because without book, the teacher can lost the way and the balance. But for creative, it is great that teachers escape the course book. It is often offer the better thing than book, like experiences, stories, and parables.
ReplyDeleteI have a example, when I teach my student in the church, no one has more priority than teaching the bible, as bible teach. In the bible class bible scripture is holding and no one can change or ignore. But for learner, like Jesus used many parables, stories for them, I use some stories, and my experiences, for understanding for them to easy.
Surely it is stupid behavior that throw away the course book, but in base of the course book, the teacher use another thing some creative, and focus on the book through the other things, the teachers can provide more living thing.
I think that the teacher who slave of the course book, never dream the revolution.
I can agree with the thought that some teachers think they are a slaves of course book. But I think that following course book is better, because without book, the teacher can lost the way and the balance of the lesson. But for creative, it is great that teachers escape the course book. It is often offer the better thing than book, like experiences, stories, and parables.
ReplyDeleteI have a example, when I teach my student in the church, no one has more priority than teaching the bible, as bible teach. In the bible class, bible scripture is holding and no one can change or ignore the scripture. But for learner, like Jesus used many parables, stories for them, I use some stories, and my experiences, for understanding for them to easy.
Surely it is stupid behavior that throw away the course book, but in base of the course book, the teacher use another thing some creative, and focus on the book through the other things, the teachers can provide more living thing.
I think that the teacher who slave of the course book, for never dream the revolution.
I can say not all but most of teachers feel comfortable relying on a coursebook rather than using other materials besides textbook. I've heard that a coursebook was made to make essence of curriculum so the maker of a coursebook first analize objectives and then find appropriate contents to get to the objectives. If the contents of a coursebook are made like this, using it will be enough to earn the objectives. I think that this was valid in the past but now it's not. Frankly speaking, in Korea a coursebook is totally changed when the curriculum is changed so it usually takes quite time to be changed. Because of this we often find a kind of gap between contents of a coursebook and reality. To get rid of it teachers have to manipulate the coursebooks. There are so many sorts of materials around us even easier to reach and use them than the past. So we can find more realistic and authentic things from internet. I think it's not a good idea to use only a coursebook ignoring other more authentic things. If teachers really do care of whether students obtain the objectives of the curriculum or not they can make the coursebook in different ways and think a courbook as one possible example.
ReplyDeleteI can say not all but most of teachers feel comfortable relying on a coursebook rather than using other materials besides textbook. I've heard that a coursebook was made to make essence of curriculum so the maker of a coursebook first analize objectives and then find appropriate contents to get to the objectives. If the contents of a coursebook are made like this, using it will be enough to earn the objectives. I think that this was valid in the past but now it's not. Frankly speaking, in Korea a coursebook is totally changed when the curriculum is changed so it usually takes quite time to be changed. Because of this we often find a kind of gap between contents of a coursebook and reality. To get rid of it teachers have to manipulate the coursebooks. There are so many sorts of materials around us even easier to reach and use them than the past. So we can find more realistic and authentic things from internet. I think it's not a good idea to use only a coursebook ignoring other more authentic things. If teachers really do care of whether students obtain the objectives of the curriculum or not they can make the coursebook in different ways and think a courbook as one possible example.
ReplyDeleteThere are many problems that arise with changing a course book lesson. Also, there are many advantages. The main advantage is that it gives you freedom to teach new students at different levels. The main disadvantage is that the schools and staff do not like to change, and this will give teachers a headache if they want to try and change.
ReplyDelete