There’s the first week of actual teaching done. I started with the books this morning, to the great relief of all concerned. The “Induction Week” was in any event plucked out of the air by LM as a compromise to get us past T2’s lack of co-operation. But I’ve got the two class’s levels, and the books were all sitting there, so I got started this morning with some proper teaching.
It all went very well. HUDC students like to go through a text book methodically, and hate dotting about, changing books, or dealing with other materials. The first class, Brokeback Mountain, received their Upper Int International Express with relish. Lots of overt grammar teaching – they love that. The stray-hair-plucking cowboy, said that he thought the book was better than Cutting Edge. I don’t know what he based this opinion on, because he hadn’t looked beyond the first page. Then he asked if I knew Streamlined. Yes, I do. “I think Streamlined is much better than this book.” How do you know? You haven’t looked past the first page. “Streamlined is better than Cutting Edge.” Oh good... After a lengthy presentation of the book’s structure and methodology, we proceeded to actually begin work from it, on a tense review. At the end of the lesson, Cowboy #1 pronounced himself contented if we continue to use this book in this way. The entire class burst out laughing in astonishment.
The Addams Family are also going with International Express, but Intermediate. Yesterday’s shouter, Uncle Fester, pored through the book and its accompanying bit and pieces, there’s a “pocket book” which contains all the grammar rules, and I knew he’d love that. But he still managed to find something to grouse about. “This list of irregular verbs is incomplete, I think.” I said I didn’t think so, that there were about a hundred there. Somebody else asked how many irregular verbs there were in English. I have no idea, but said, about a hundred. “There are only 88 here,” said Fester.
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