To Eglish Teachers

[kociamama]

How do you manage to combat the boredom of the coursebooks? What additional
materials do you use to activate your students and to make English lessons
meaningful?
Do you sometimes give in to the temptation of promoting some ideas?
(especially those which raise controversy?)
Do you promote debates on, for instance, gay marriages, religious tolerance,
vegetarianism at public schools? (what is the feedback?)

Curious KOciamama (however I bear in mind that curiosity killed the cat)

[Gość: sisi]

I avoid boring coursebooks as a rule.
If the books are compulsory I avoid the boring parts or try to make them funny
or interesting.
Contrary to what many authors of 'repetytorium tematyczno-leksykalne' think
students are not so quick at joining a controversial debate unless it concerns
them.
Gay marriages? (laughs

[kociamama]

I shun boring coursebooks as well, but still all of them include some parts
which students don't get carried away with enthusiasm about. In particular if
they have studied the language for a couple of years, and have already
discussed all the standard topics: food, clothes, travels, etc.

Later,
Kociamama.

[Gość: chris.b]

with so many 'controversial' issues around (Net, magazines, TV)it became kind of boring. I hardly ever use such topics, especially after I heard a couple of times 'oh, no, not AGAIN'. I use 'normal' topics which sometimes turn into heated discussion - but that again is hard to foresee, what is good for one group, doesn't intrest the other...

[Gość: steph]

My teaching experience is somewhat dated now and undoubtfully there is an
abundance of new methods and initatives in place to make lessons gripping for
those who want to learn. One trick which never used to fail me in arousing
class excitement was arriving to school with a selection of British tabloids
and provoking an exchange of opinions on celebrities of the time, the latest in
pop music, films etc. When it comes to healthy gossip everyone finds something
to say, someone to slag off or an idol to promote. As all the news was fairly
topical, discussions felt relevant to participants. By the way, I hated my job
but have been told since, that many a student of mine has been encouraged by my
lessons to such an extend, that many of them are now UK residents.

[Gość: sisi]

The tabloids got them
;-)