Every time I go on holiday I usually spend at least one -
child free – day in Edinburgh. And every
time, without fail, I end up whiling away a couple of hours in Blackwells on the city's the South Bridge.
Blackwells is a
truly fine book shop, and with all its nooks and crannies has an intimacy that
eludes other larger retailers. This visit, I balanced a pile of ELT books on the
arm of a comfortable sofa, and perused my selection while spring rain pounded the windows and turned passing shoppers in the streets below into a cheerful blur.
I was looking for inspiration, as I am currently writing a chapter
for an elementary level ESOL course book of my own. Ever since I started teaching
(back in 1998) I have been pretty much a one-book woman. As a shy young novice teacher, the Headway series swept me off my feet with
its instructive and helpful Teacher’s book and flashy graphics. Later on that
same year, I was too often embarrassed by its bad cover versions of great songs
and its royal family obsession and finally dumped it in order to go solo.
Over the years, I had many a flirtation with younger,
trendier models, but there was always something missing. Imagine my delight when,
on joining the ESOL team here in Shetland, I found out that their course book
of choice was, indeed, Headway. What
is it I love so much about this book? As I scanned the competition in Blackwells, I thought I knew the answer.
Compared with so many other student books, the layout is wonderfully clear. So
many rival publications are just too cluttered and confusing. Or are they? Is my admiration of Headway’s
structure and layout just another old habit?
So, what has this helped me to decide about the course
book I am planning? Like Headway, it will have nice graphics and uncluttered pages.
It will also have units of four or five pages rather than two. But – (and this
is a big but Mr and Mrs Soars…) there will be no fawning texts on hard working royals. No Madonna (or any other
a-list star, for that matter) reading comprehension exercises, and - this, I swear - no more Beatles classics
murdered forever for the sake of a five minute gap fill.
