The coursebookThe coursebook

Programa Inglés Abre Programa Inglés Abre PuertasPuertas

Jornada RegionalJornada Regional

20082008

The missionThe mission

The coursebook is an The coursebook is an aid to students and aid to students and teachers in many ways. teachers in many ways. However, it is not there to However, it is not there to dictate a rigid, dictate a rigid, predetermined method by predetermined method by which the language shall which the language shall be taught and learned.be taught and learned.

Therefore,Therefore,

Teachers should feel free to Teachers should feel free to make changes where they make changes where they feel it to be necessary and in feel it to be necessary and in the students’ best interest.the students’ best interest.

Ultimately, it is the teacher , Ultimately, it is the teacher , informed by feedback from informed by feedback from students, who makes students, who makes decisions, aided when decisions, aided when appropriate, by the teacher’s appropriate, by the teacher’s guide.guide.

Decisions: macro? or Decisions: macro? or micro?micro?

Supplement- Supplement- add material add material published or your own.published or your own.

Omit – Omit – leave out some parts of leave out some parts of the material.the material.

Replace – Replace – change andchange and include include more suitable material for your more suitable material for your objectives. objectives.

Order – Order – change the change the progression of language items progression of language items to fit the needs of the students.to fit the needs of the students.

First: Coursebook First: Coursebook EvaluationEvaluation

Areas to check:Areas to check: Aims of the coursebookAims of the coursebook. Do they . Do they

coincide with the aims of the teaching coincide with the aims of the teaching programme and the needs of the students?programme and the needs of the students?

Organization:Organization: How is the content How is the content organized? (according to topics, skills, organized? (according to topics, skills, functions, structures)functions, structures)

Language Content:Language Content: Does the coursebook Does the coursebook cover vocabulary (development, cover vocabulary (development, collocations, etc.), main grammar items, collocations, etc.), main grammar items, pronunciation work,?pronunciation work,?

Coursebook EvaluationCoursebook Evaluation

Skills:Skills: Are all skills covered? Is there Are all skills covered? Is there material for integrated skills work?material for integrated skills work?

Topics:Topics: Sufficient, interesting , Sufficient, interesting , varied, adequate to age.varied, adequate to age.

Methodology:Methodology: What approach to What approach to language learning is used?language learning is used?

Teacher’s bookTeacher’s book: Is there adequate : Is there adequate guidance for teachers?guidance for teachers?

AdaptAdapt Knowing the interests, Knowing the interests,

strengths and weaknesses of your strengths and weaknesses of your students, be prepared to adapt students, be prepared to adapt the unit, activity, exercise by: the unit, activity, exercise by: omitting,omitting, changing changing supplementing supplementing or reorderingor reordering. .

Make sure you respond to the Make sure you respond to the interests of your students interests of your students adding authentic materials. adding authentic materials. (leaflets, ads, songs, slogans, (leaflets, ads, songs, slogans, menus, etc.)menus, etc.)

When to adaptWhen to adapt

Methodology – eg, an exercise may be Methodology – eg, an exercise may be too mechanical, too complicated, etc.too mechanical, too complicated, etc.

Language content –eg, too much Language content –eg, too much emphasis on grammar and less on emphasis on grammar and less on vocabulary.vocabulary.

Subject matter – eg, topics may not be Subject matter – eg, topics may not be interesting to the students, outdated or interesting to the students, outdated or not authentic.not authentic.

Balance of skills – eg, too much emphasis Balance of skills – eg, too much emphasis on the written language or not enough on the written language or not enough integration of the skills.integration of the skills.

When to adaptWhen to adapt

Progression and grading: the Progression and grading: the order of language items may need order of language items may need changing or the tasks may need to changing or the tasks may need to be more accesible to the students.be more accesible to the students.

Cultural content: some cultural Cultural content: some cultural references need to be changed or references need to be changed or omitted.omitted.

Image: poor layout, low quality Image: poor layout, low quality visuals, etc.visuals, etc.

Mineduc coursebooksMineduc coursebooks They focus on the development of skills, They focus on the development of skills,

with an emphasis on reading and with an emphasis on reading and listening.listening.

However, the may lack:However, the may lack: 1. the pre and/or while and/or post 1. the pre and/or while and/or post

stages of stages of Reading and Listening.Reading and Listening. 2. an adequate amount of activities in 2. an adequate amount of activities in

thethe different stages.different stages.

Mineduc CoursebooksMineduc Coursebooks

3. Integrated activities in the post 3. Integrated activities in the post stage. stage.

Listening/Speaking/Writing Listening/Speaking/Writing

Reading /Speaking/WritingReading /Speaking/Writing

4. The presence of exercises related 4. The presence of exercises related to:to:

vocabulary,vocabulary, grammar, grammar, pronunciation, etc.pronunciation, etc.

What needs to be doneWhat needs to be done

Revise quickly the unit and check Revise quickly the unit and check what´s missing. For example:what´s missing. For example:

If all the stages are included to If all the stages are included to teach the receptive skills. Pre- While teach the receptive skills. Pre- While and Post.and Post.

Are there enough speaking Are there enough speaking exercises? (good models, guidance, exercises? (good models, guidance, personally relevant content)personally relevant content)

Are models given for writing?Are models given for writing?

What needs to be doneWhat needs to be done

Do Vocabulary work – Topic, Do Vocabulary work – Topic, meaning and form. Are there meaning and form. Are there enough exercises?enough exercises?

* Work with word sets and maps* Work with word sets and maps

** Guessing fron contextGuessing fron context * Collocations* Collocations

* Learning word roots and affixes * Learning word roots and affixes * Applying mnemonic techniques* Applying mnemonic techniques

What needs to be doneWhat needs to be done Do Grammar Work in context. Use the Do Grammar Work in context. Use the

text astext as

the basis to reflect on grammar “in the basis to reflect on grammar “in use”.use”.

- Awareness- Awareness

- Practice (guided semi-guided - Practice (guided semi-guided meaningful)meaningful)

- Reflection- Reflection

- Production- Production Do Pronunciation workDo Pronunciation work

Useful TipsUseful Tips

Personalize drills to make them Personalize drills to make them relevantrelevant

Introduce authentic contentIntroduce authentic content Transform text into discourse Transform text into discourse

(meaning and(meaning and

purpose)purpose) Make dialogues communicativeMake dialogues communicative Work with cue cards.Work with cue cards.

Important steps:Important steps:

Read the Teacher’s Guide and Read the Teacher’s Guide and examine the coursebook thoroughly. examine the coursebook thoroughly. The book can take on a new role, as The book can take on a new role, as an an “ideas bank”“ideas bank” stimulating the stimulating the teacher`s creative potential. teacher`s creative potential.

The perfect coursebook does not The perfect coursebook does not exist. It is the teacher´s exist. It is the teacher´s responsibility to adapt it according to responsibility to adapt it according to the needs. (student/teacher)the needs. (student/teacher)

Teacher`s role:Teacher`s role:

Guide or Facilitator Guide or Facilitator MonitorMonitor The coursebook as an aid.The coursebook as an aid. The teacher should guide the The teacher should guide the

students through the learning students through the learning process and monitor their process and monitor their progress, teaching the students progress, teaching the students how to use the coursebook to how to use the coursebook to promote independence.promote independence.

Aim:Aim:

Teachers are expected to take on Teachers are expected to take on the role of a monitor and the role of a monitor and facilitator rather than instructor. facilitator rather than instructor. The aim is to promote learner The aim is to promote learner independence from the teacher. independence from the teacher. This involves adopting a This involves adopting a problem-solving approach which problem-solving approach which encourages students to find their encourages students to find their own way through problems, with own way through problems, with the support of the teacher, where the support of the teacher, where necessary.necessary.