Overview and objective
Let us look at chapter 4 of Pathways in closer detail, so that we can see exactly how lessons are taught. Chapter 4, “A Thirsty World,” focuses on the topic of water.
The textbook uses this chapter to have students improve their listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills. Within this chapter, they also learn how to add common suffixes to verbs to create nouns and how stress on different syllables sound.
At the chapter’s end, students should be able to identify common suffix patterns, use them to form nouns from other verbs outside of the chapter, and predict which syllable is stressed.
The exercises
Looking at an exercise in vocabulary, the textbook, remaining focused on the topic at hand, poses true-or-false statements about water using verbs that can be changed into nouns.
They are then tested with the definition of each word. Students are expected to use the context of the true-or-false statements to come to the definition.
The textbook then teaches students how to take those verbs and turn them into nouns by introducing common suffixes, such as -tion and -ment. After learning about suffixes and how to form them, students are taught about change in stress as a result of suffixation. For example, students are asked to read aloud educate and education to note the difference in stress.
What are its strengths?
This kind of progressive teaching structure is very effective because it allows for collective learning. Students are taught multiple English skills that add on to each other. Doing so not only shows students the practicality of the skills, it also aids in recollection of these skills.
It makes less sense to teach suffixes and stress as individual topics because they can overlap but also have individual uses, and it’s clear that stress comes after suffixation. By combining these skills in a progressive way, as Pathways does, students are able to learn skills that can be used individually.
What should you consider?
Be sure, however, to ask students to utilize their L1 knowledge to think about the L2. For example, when approaching suffixation, instructors could ask students how that happens in their L1, if it happens at all.
This self-analysis of the differences or similarities in the L1’s and L2’s morphologies will aid in the transfer of one language to another. If another grammatical skill comes to mind that will act as a progression of the previous skills, that might also be worth an addition.
Assessment
Overall, Pathways is a creative way of teaching different English skills that relate to one another. The mix of topics will help to keep students engaged and the structure of the exercises will make sure they build on top of what they learn.
Feel free to revise any exercises to make up for areas that are lacking or to add more material. It is a good choice for instructors looking for a textbook that can take away the stale and familiar atmosphere of a traditional L2 classroom.