In my previous post, How to Teach English Without Using a Textbook, I discussed the possibility of NOT using a textbook in class.
Though I strongly encourage you to do this as it’s one way of “customizing” your lessons to suit your students’ specific needs, I wouldn’t recommend this to a beginner. I still think that there should be a balance between textbook usage and independently creating your lessons. Besides, some of your students would want to use a textbook written by authors they trust.
On that note, I’d like to recommend 5 books / materials that will surely help you hone your English skills and your students’ as well. I’ve used a lot of ESL and English books, and these 5 are my favorites.
1. How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer
Jeremy Harmer, one of the most respected educators / ESL experts in the world, gives us “How to Teach English,” a simple and easy-to-read book that will not only teach you how to teach English, but will also inspire you to go out there and make a difference. With the words carefully thought out, it’s easy to see that Jeremy Harmer wrote this book with passion and pride as an English teacher. Plus, he didn’t use technical terms that might confuse professionals without a degree in education. As I said, he kept it short, simple, and easy-to-understand.
What will you expect to learn from this book? You’ll learn how to teach the four basic skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), how to plan lessons, how to be a good teacher, how to manage teaching and learning, and many more.
Read my full review here.
After reading “How to Teach English,” find time to read “The Practice of English Language Teaching,” another amazing book from Jeremy Harmer.
2. Easy Pronunciation by Living Language
This is a great material to check your pronunciation mistakes and hone your skills, especially if you're a non-native English speaker. I’ve studied other pronunciation materials, books, and modules, but nothing matches the simplicity of this product. All you have to do is to spend some time listening to the recordings and repeating after the prompt.
What do you expect to find? I bought this product years ago from a local bookstore, and the box came with CDs and a small book. The book contains the drills, and it’s small and thin that you can take it anywhere with you so you can practice anytime.
If you want to offer pronunciation classes, “Easy Pronunciation” will really come in handy. You’ll have fun with your students.
3. English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy
If you think this “just another grammar book” with general explanations and boring texts, be glad to know that it’s not. The book gives you more than 140 grammar points with detailed explanations on where and how to use them. Plus, there are activities that will surely help students absorb the lessons.
One of the topics is the usage of “used to.” Typical grammar books don’t explain when to use this important phrase in detail. But in “English Grammar in Use,” there are 6 bulleted / numbered explanations. And oh, did you know that the article “the” has many uses? Thanks to Raymond Murphy, I now know all about them. Your students will ask you about this, so it’s best to be prepared.
4. Side by Side by Steven Molinsky and Bill Bliss
“Side by Side” is one of the most popular (if not the most) English books among South Koreans. If you flip through the pages, you’ll understand why. It’s simple, it’s colorful, and it has lots of activities -- not to mention that it targets all the basic English skills. From pronunciation exercises to reading activities, this book is complete.
Side by Side has 4 student books of varying levels. They come with CDs or recordings.
5. Grammar and Composition by Gary Forlini
I was hesitant to buy this book at first. When I scanned it, the pages weren’t glossy, and the sheets were grey. But I decided not to judge the book by its cover, so I bought its most advanced level. Guess what, I was impressed at the content. It has everything you need. From the explanations up to the activities, let me tell you that learning (or re-learning) grammar has never been fun with this book. Plus, if you think that you’ve mastered the English grammar well enough, think again. This book will widen your knowledge base.
By the way, “Grammar and Composition” has three books. But I strongly suggest that you buy the one for advanced students.
