As an English teacher, teaching beginner’s English can be one of the most intimidating things you’ll ever do. Sure, it’s supposed to be easy, considering it’s a beginner class, but in reality it’s always much more difficult to teach the very roots of a language to students who either don’t speak any of it or who have very little past exposure. So when entering these uncharted territories, it’s always good to have a textbook serving as a map to help you navigate through the pitfalls and difficulties you may face. New Inside Out is a book attempting to do just that.
New Inside Out is supplemented with a CD-ROM , meant to be used as teachers and students circumnavigate through this textbook. The CD-ROM is a big part of the learning process here as each chapter opens with a listening segment which is directly related to exercises the student has to complete in the text. An example of this is chapter one which opens with a listening section focusing on asking people’s names, and the student has to fill in the blanks as they follow along with the listening. This is an excellent method to use in beginner’s English largely because the student immediately becomes accustomed to listening to native speakers. It helps the student to immerse right away into the concepts of accents, speaking speed, and proper use of English in speaking situations. The CD-ROM also comes into play when approaching the vocabulary portion of each chapter. Not only can the student read out the vocabulary in each unit, but they can also listen to how every word should be pronounced. And every exercise which follows after – whether it be grammar or vocabulary related – comes with an auditory section which must be used simultaneously. The CD-ROM is definitely an aspect of this particular textbook which makes the English learning process easy to do on your own as you’ll get a relatively well-rounded learning experience with listening, reading, and writing.
New Inside Out also strives to put emphasis on the visual aspect of language learning. This book loves to use illustrations in order to tell a story or to help the student understand words and concepts. Interestingly enough, New Inside Out tries to use images that it assumes everyone is familiar with – meaning you’ll see movie references, celebrity pictures, and photographs of famous locations (among other things). The only issue is that the text potentially comes across as out-of-date, especially to younger students; a contemporary teenager may not be very familiar with some of the movies and celebrities referenced. Otherwise, the visual style is clear and instructive.
"New Inside Out also strives to put emphasis on the visual aspect of language learning. This book loves to use illustrations in order to tell a story or to help the student understand words and concepts."
It’s important to note that although the text comes with a CD-ROM, there is still an emphasis on student-student interactions. Many exercises require students to communicate and practice with amongst one another. This is a definite con for those hoping to use this text on their own, but a big plus for classroom situations where pushing the students out of their shells and helping them to get comfortable with English is paramount.
It’s important for English teachers to cover all the bases in English learning and it’s great when a textbook helps to relieve the pressure of having to accomplish all this on your own. New Inside Out is excellent because it combines reading, writing, listening, and speaking all into one straightforward package. From the moment you start to right until you cross the finish line, this book will serve as a consistent guide to ensure that you don’t become lost in the intimidating world of teaching beginner’s English.
