Come out from behind the textbook and teach!

The story so far……

Nowadays, even though I pragmatically use course books I would have to admit I have lost faith in the all powerful course book and agree wholeheartedly with the words of Scott Thornbury (2000) “My belief is that it is high time Dogme-type principles were applied to the classroom. While EFL may seem to have little in common with Hollywood, it is certainly true that EFL teaching has never been so copiously resourced. Along with the quantity (I hesitate to use the word variety) of course books in print, there is an embarrassment of complementary riches in the form of videos, CD-ROMs, photocopiable resource packs, pull-out word lists, and even web-sites, not to mention the standard workbook, teacher’s book, and classroom and home study cassettes. Then there is the vast battery of supplementary materials available, as well as the authentic material easily downloadable from the Internet or illegally photocopied from more conventional sources. There are the best-selling self-study grammar books, personal vocabulary organisers, phrasal verb dictionaries, concordancing software packages – you name it. But where is the story? Where is the inner life of the student in all this? Where is real communication? More often as not, it is buried under an avalanche of photocopies, visual aids, transparencies, MTV clips and Cuisenaire rods. Somewhere in there we lost the plot.”

Throw Off the Textbook Shackles!

The vast majority of teachers and learners in my opinion and experience hide behind or are lost in the myriad of course books and materials and as Thornbury points out have ‘lost the (teaching) plot.’. For effective and real teaching and learning to take place we need fewer materials not more.

However, most teachers and learners are not prepared or do not have the experience to throw off their course books shackles so we have to work with the situation as it is.[j1]

Materials Operator

Prabhu (1987) describes course books as fully-specified materials: they are pre-constructed, and as such ensure a certain amount of uniformity in what takes place in different classrooms with different teachers and students, which serves the interests of accountability, but also makes them non-negotiable, and can prevent the teacher from identifying with classroom events by turning them into a transmitter of content. Very little decision-making is usually assigned to the teachers, apart from determining the overall goals of the language learning programme. After a few years of teaching Headway I realised I was passing on the content and subsequent world view dictated by Liz and John when my own topics, experiences and interests and those of my students would have been more appropriate. In effect I was a ‘materials operator.’

Do more photocopies mean that students will learn more?

Most leaners attend English classes to speak and communicate.

Hiding Behind the Textbook

There is a certain socialization of teachers and learners caused by the routines of classroom life and the straightjacket that textbooks can sometimes be.

Instead of really communicating learners become ‘expert guessers’ in multiple choice and mix and match exercises.

The objective in class becomes ‘finish the exercise or unit’ rather than talking.

We ‘do a listening’ when we should be listening to each other in class.

Textbooks very often serve all the language up on a plate for the learners leaving the as passive observers in class.

Textbooks add to the ‘right or wrong’ syndrome in class which can affect a learner’s confidence.

 

From the real world to the classroom

Teacher’s Talking Star

Draw a six pointed star on the board and write, NAME, NUMBER, PLACE, DATE, COLOURS AND SYMBOLS.

Write a word in each catergory which has a connection with you. (Don’t think too much!) Get the learners to ask you questions about what you wrote.

Repeat the process with the learners. When they are finsihed get them to swap stars with a partner and ask questions. You could finish the activity by getting learners to report back on anything interesting they have found out.

The activity can be adapted to all levels and other subjects can be used. E.g Grammar items: PAST, FUTURE etc.

Speed Dating / English

Use this for new groups and / or first classes or when new students join a class. Tell the learners about speed dating. Give them five minutes to find out as much as they can about each other.

I usually leave the classroom during the activity to change the dynamic. When I come back the students tell me what they have learned and I ask follow-up questions.

Every Mystery Object Tell a Story

Tell the learners you have an object on your person and they have to guess what it is. In more advanced classes you can stick to Yes / No questions. Lower levels will need more clues. Repeat the process with the learners.

Using tape Recorders

Record short conversations and dialogues in class. Get the learners to notice their own mistakes.

Photos / Emails / Jokes / Adverts

Our in-boxes are full of interesting things we can use in class. Do an oral gap fill with the latest President Bush joke. Hand round photos and funny adverts. Encourage the learners to bring in materials.

Photo on the Whiteboard

Stick a controversial or funny photo on the whiteboard and get the learners to come up and write vocabulary. Start a discussion. Write a dialogue. Take the activity where the learners want to take it.

‘Questions I want to be asked’

‘Subjects I really (don’t) want to talk about.’

The textbook usually sets the agenda on the subjects which are discussed in class. Why not find out what the learners really want to discuss. You may be surprised!

Finally…….always have a pair of scissors handy

Time is limited in class. Most learners come to class to talk. If you think a text will take too long to read and eat into talking time: CUT IT UP! A jigsaw reading always gets people communicating.

---