Mainstream ESL/EFL Textbooks - Reviews and/or teacher surveys

The head of the EP has told me that, sometime during this term, "the teaching committee" plans to review the suitability of the textbooks currently being used - New Headway and Enterprise series of textbooks - and he has requested my input.

New Headway seems okay. I don't particularly like Enterprise.

The last time I was in Thailand, I used New Interchange for many years and that, too, was okay.

One year in China I used Cutting Edge; again okay. The rest of my time in China I taught business subjects.

Anyway, I've been searching the internet, to no avail thus far, for non-publisher reviews of mainstream ESL / EFL textbooks. I was also hopeful of finding the results of a teacher survey on textbooks.

Does anyone have any links?

Thanks, in anticipation.

^ Just wait for the first smart alec to pipe up that they never use textbooks. Far too limiting, culturally imperialistic, each lesson is better individually tailored, blah blah blah. :grin:

Anyway, if the head of EP wants your opinion then why do you need to find surveys of other teachers opinions?

Just got a new book out of Oxford. Its called New English Files, best book I have come across in years. Excellent for integrated or LS classes at the upper intermediate level. For university or adults I would say.

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Originally Posted by Cyrille

^ Just wait for the first smart alec to pipe up that they never use textbooks. Far too limiting, culturally imperialistic, each lesson is better individually tailored, blah blah blah. :grin:

Anyway, if the head of EP wants your opinion then why do you need to find surveys of other teachers opinions?

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That will be me then. I don't use textbooks or work books because my students are still learning to read as is 90% of this country. Next year we'll give them a go if there are any out there.

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Anyway, if the head of EP wants your opinion then why do you need to find surveys of other teachers opinions?

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I don't really think that your question really warrants a response ..... but I'll be a sucker and take the bait.

I think only informed opinions are of any value. The information I possess about mainstream ESL / EFL textbooks is limited. I aim to acquire additional, independent (as in, independent from commercial interests) knowledge before I form an informed opinion.

Thank you, Aging One. I'll check it out.

I am with AO...check out the new Oxford Catalog. I've reviewed some of the offerings and have been pleased with the refocus of some series to a more international flavor.

I also think, Laowai, that if you told us specifically what levels/needs you have we could help more.

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Originally Posted by Cyrille

Just wait for the first smart alec to pipe up that they never use textbooks. Far too limiting, culturally imperialistic, each lesson is better individually tailored, blah blah blah.

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:wow:

uhhhh

thats my job homie.

hate textbooks.

with all the fancy photos, they are very very limited in content. you can literally use one book as a teachers guide, and do the exercises on the board.

textbooks are a waste. you can think of those exercises yourself.

"lets write 5 sentences about "The Football Match"

you cant think of that yourself?

ive seen and used a bunch of textbooks. theyre all the same. you feel like youre doing your students right when you veer off course form a textbook. and thats considered "doing it right"

so using them as fuel for fodder---why not just make your own damn fodder yourself.

it aint blah blah blah. i work hard at making materials. and its not a lot. you really dont cover much of a textbook in a lesson anyways.

5 sentences and 6 pictures of bicycles, hans solo, ronald mcdonald, and michael gorbachev. wow! that picture realyl makes me think! i think i'll fill in the blank now!

if youre in the EFL sweatshop, a textbook can save you a lot of time. in my context here- 17 hours a week, i need to create relevant material. and some of it may be from a textbook.

but the point is, following one lock step, is not required. and it aint being a rebel.

you can use the info in a textbook, adapt it relatively easily, with little effort. then, youve tailored your work for students, made it relevant, have the option of making it content specific, and can expend, or shorten any exercise that you want.

lets buy a honda civic, strip it down and put all new mercedes parts in it. the cost will be the parts PLUS labor.

if you know how to take a car apart and put it back together- cut out the friggin middlemanand do it yourself.

you need not fabricate yourself- all the info you need is out there already. cut and paste- mix and match. its all there for you.

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Originally Posted by stfranalum

:wow:

uhhhh

thats my job homie.

hate textbooks.

with all the fancy photos, they are very very limited in content. you can literally use one book as a teachers guide, and do the exercises on the board.

textbooks are a waste. you can think of those exercises yourself.

"lets write 5 sentences about "The Football Match"

you cant think of that yourself?

ive seen and used a bunch of textbooks. theyre all the same. you feel like youre doing your students right when you veer off course form a textbook. and thats considered "doing it right"

so using them as fuel for fodder---why not just make your own damn fodder yourself.

it aint blah blah blah. i work hard at making materials. and its not a lot. you really dont cover much of a textbook in a lesson anyways.

5 sentences and 6 pictures of bicycles, hans solo, ronald mcdonald, and michael gorbachev. wow! that picture realyl makes me think! i think i'll fill in the blank now!

if youre in the EFL sweatshop, a textbook can save you a lot of time. in my context here- 17 hours a week, i need to create relevant material. and some of it may be from a textbook.

but the point is, following one lock step, is not required. and it aint being a rebel.

you can use the info in a textbook, adapt it relatively easily, with little effort. then, youve tailored your work for students, made it relevant, have the option of making it content specific, and can expend, or shorten any exercise that you want.

lets buy a honda civic, strip it down and put all new mercedes parts in it. the cost will be the parts PLUS labor.

if you know how to take a car apart and put it back together- cut out the friggin middlemanand do it yourself.

you need not fabricate yourself- all the info you need is out there already. cut and paste- mix and match. its all there for you.

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totally agree Strant. Its only now i'm considering using a textbook as the kids have the reading ability. the work books that back up most textbooks here are not great in my experience but if the kids can read a textbook it will help them with structuring their writing. I'm asking my M1 and P6 which one they prefer and more to the point which one they will find more useful. good to dip into sometimes but as you say preperation and making it relevant to thailand does not have to take that long.

Using CanDo in my school, the CD uses british speakers and they speak way too fast!

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Originally Posted by tafy68

Using CanDo in my school, the CD uses british speakers and they speak way too fast!

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this is the book I'm looking at. Like the textbook though

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Originally Posted by Laowai

Anyway, I've been searching the internet, to no avail thus far, for non-publisher reviews of mainstream ESL / EFL textbooks. I was also hopeful of finding the results of a teacher survey on textbooks. Does anyone have any links?

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just trying get back on topic because i'd like to read the reviews as well.

English File (AO mentions New English File, maybe it´s the new edition) has always been good IMHO. When I worked in Spain, I used it a lot. It has a very good grammar review section which you can pcopy as a 7 page h/o (the IM book), and also illustrated supplements (foods, adjectives, cars and driving etc). Occasionally, the old Headway covered big grammar stuff (like present perfect simple) in better ways...so I would pick n´mix. I haven´t worked much with the new Headway............although I never knock Headway cos when I was a nipper, there wasn´t much else.

I hear that all freshies at Chula are now working with a yank-English (?) book called World Pass, following a change in management. Can NE1 recommend/comment on this book?


Eddy

I used the Chatterbox series for P2-P5 a few years ago and found it to be very user friendly! The only change I made was to use the P1 book for P2, etc... as the materials would have been too difficult otherwise.