I find textbooks much of a muchness and I prefer to use a mix of materials- there are so many things available online, etc. Headway's OK- teachers can be negative about it because it's so common and they get bored.

English Teacher
Hello. I have an adult private student who studied English awhile ago, but doesn't remember much. I was thinking of using a textbook with her to teach new concepts and review what she might already know. (And supplement with other outside resources, of course.) Does anyone have a recommendation for a textbook? I was doing some online research, and it seems that New Headway Elementary may be a good one. Any thoughts? And for those of you who have used textbooks in private classes before, how have you tailored the use of a textbook designed for a group class for an individual? Thanks so much!
I find textbooks much of a muchness and I prefer to use a mix of materials- there are so many things available online, etc. Headway's OK- teachers can be negative about it because it's so common and they get bored.
Why don't you focus more on texts, starting from easy ones and working your way up to more complicated texts. Read them together with her and point out new words, grammar usage, sentence structure, you'll be surprised how much stuff can be found in a good text, and the best part is -- it is real language that people use not just prescriptive grammar rules.Try to look for articles online, something that might interest her personally. I used to base my lessons on grammar books, but it doesn't always work with adults as they are not in school anymore and might prefer a different approach. Hope this help!
I think it can also help to consider her native language and culture, and get a variety of materials tailored for that audience.
Bookmarks