Making the most of a coursebook

Course Summary

Many teachers are obliged to base their lessons upon course books. These books may vary in both quality and relevance to the learners' needs. This practical course will offer you a wide variety of effective, creative and energising activities and strategies for exploiting your course book. The course also aims to enable you to further motivate your students and to enjoy your teaching to the maximum.

Programme of the training activities

• Adapting exercises to the needs of your students and your teaching situation
• Identifying what needs to be added.
• Ideas for supplementing course book materials.
• Establishing valid criteria for rejecting and replacing exercises and content.
• Analysing the contents of a balanced lesson.
• Amending exercises more so that they become more authentic
• Exploiting dialogues imaginatively and effectively.
• Exploiting reading and listening texts thoroughly and creatively.
• Using the course book judiciously and appropriately as a homework resource.

Expected results
As a result of attending this course, the participants will be more critical, confident users of a course book and will know how to supplement the materials they use.

Is this the right course for me?

• Yes - if you use a course book and want to use it more creatively, enjoyably and effectively.
• Yes - if you are looking for some new and revitalising activities and strategies to enliven your teaching.
• Yes - if you want to look at course books with "new eyes" and greater "positive regard"

Note: Participants must bring a course book that they currently use to provide the basis for course content.

If this is not the right course for you, please view a Course Information Sheet on:

• Creative Methodology for the Classroom if you want to participate in a more general methodology course.
• Methodology and Language for Secondary Teaching if you want a more general methodology course for this particular age group.

Programme of the training activities day by day:
Please note this is an example of a daily programme. Course content may often be usefully adapted to incorporate the needs of each specific group.

Week 1

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM 9.30-10.30 Group Bonding Choosing a course book Review of course books Working with listening tasks Working with grammar 11.00-12.30 Needs analysis and goal setting The course book and the syllabus Working with dialogues Recycling vocabulary Supplementing the course book 1 PM 14.00-15.30 Why use a course book? The course book from the learner’s perspective Working with texts Adapting the material Week review and feedbac

Week 2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM 9.30-10.30 Supplementing the course book 2 Skills and outcomes Assigning homework that’s meaningful Making the language in course books more authentic Group project 11.00-12.30 What’s a balanced lesson Principles of an effective task Teaching the students vs. teaching the book What could go wrong? Feedback on group project PM 14.00-15.30 Challenging the students Working with the workbook Catering to various needs The teacher’s book Final feedback and farewell

Recommended Reading: Please note it is not necessary to buy these books or bring them to the course with you

• "Humanising Your Course Book" M. Rinvolucri (DELTA) 2002

• "Dialogue Activities" N. Bilborough (CUP) 2007

• "Choosing Your Coursebook" A. Cunningsworth (Macmillan) 1995

• "The Standby Book" ed. S. Lindstromberg (CUP) 1997

Type of the certification awarded in the language of the training:
Attendance certificate detailing topics covered and course content.