A trip down coursebook lane

I have a soft spot for coursebooks. Not only because I admire all the work that is put into the research, development and publication, but also because my foundation of English knowledge and skills was built from coursebooks. And I’ve kept some of the ones I used as a student.

As a teenage student, few things would excite me more than starting a new level in the English course and getting my hands on a brand new coursebook. I was particularly drawn to this one because of the purple clouds and lightning (see picture below). It was thrilling! Mind you, the internet wasn’t as widely available, so the coursebook was my personal window into the English language.

I gained so much knowledge of the world, of different places and cultures. I read about athletes, scientists and artists. I listened to radio programmes, lectures, jokes, and even poetry! I learned words like effortless and phrases like eat humble pie.

Nowadays I don’t use coursebooks as much as I used to when I started teaching, but when I need some inspiration to plan a lesson, it’s usually my first port of call. And even if I end up going in a completely different direction, it’s worth browsing my small collection just for the bittersweet nostalgia.

What about you? Did you use coursebooks as a student?

If you’re a teacher, do you use coursebooks?

Leave a comment below and let me know.