Coursebook vs authentic materials in higher level classes

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JamesB
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Coursebook vs authentic materials in higher level classes

Unread post by JamesB »

Hello

I am setting up an English school in Italy and can't make a decision as to whether to go the traditional route of having the students buy a coursebook or to use authentic materials as much as possible each lesson for levels B2 upwards (excluding exam classes). At the moment the 'staff' consist of myself and one other teacher so regulation of what materials are used is not a problem.

The idea is that students receive a printed syllabus in a 'welcome folder' before the course begins. All photocopies and relevant material can then be stored in this folder. The hope is that this will provide the reassuring 'spine' of the course and students will be able to see what they have already done and what is to follow.
I don't want to make students buy a coursebook that we will rarely use in class so a compromise doesn't seem to be an option.

I am tired of using one-size-fits-all coursebooks and want to provide as real a learning environment as possible.

Am I mad to attempt this? Any help and reference to relevant articles/books would be much appreciated.
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Josef Essberger
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Re: Coursebook vs authentic materials in higher level classe

Unread post by Josef Essberger »

With so much material available on the Internet these days plus traditional authentic material, I'd say you have a good chance of making a dogme go of it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_language_teaching
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :? " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood

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