Gerald
Kelly, author of How
to Teach Pronunciation, is currently working on the development
of the Longman
English Online pronunciation syllabus. Both a teacher
and a teacher trainer, he has worked in Spain (Valls, near
Tarragona, and Pontevedra).and the UK (London) He's taking
a PGCE at the moment (the UK state school teaching qualification)
and from June will be Senior Lecturer in ELT at the University
of Northumbria, Newcastle, UK.
What
is the key to a successful ELT book?
A methodology book has to be a good source of information
for teachers at different stages of their career, and ideally
have lots of useful classroom ideas, too. As for coursebooks,
I prefer those with a sense of humour, ones which don't
take themselves too seriously, and which are both teacher-friendly
and student-friendly.
What
are you most proud of in How to Teach Pronunciation?
The Learners' Reference Chart of English Sounds took a lot
of work...I designed the basic layout on my home PC. Doing
the book helped my PC skills no end! Overall, though, I
guess I'm most proud of getting to the end with my sanity
intact.
What
does your book give teachers that others don't?
A free CD!! And a nice orange cover. I also think it attempts
to show how pronunciation fits into to the wider picture
of teaching, rather than assuming that people will spend
hours just teaching pronunciation.
Are
you a technophile or a technophobe?
Definitely a -phile. I love gadgets. My latest is a handheld
computer. My wife thinks I'm a very sad individual. If you're
a technophile - get with it, daddy-o! Make your PC your
pal. Make your Mac your mate.
What
are your favourite websites?
www.guardian.co.uk,
www.bbc.co.uk
; both are great for all sorts of information, and I'm also
a news addict. Also www.evertonfc.com
for news on my favourite football team and www.nationalgeographic.com
for brainfood. I've got hundreds of pages in my 'favourites'
folder. I like absentmindedly surfing, to see where I end
up. I also read Spanish newspapers online, for a bit of
practice.
What
luxury would you take with you to a desert island?
A computer with an Internet connection. And a copy of 'Robinson
Crusoe'. And a boat.
What
is your all-time top tip for English teachers?
In class, do what you enjoy, and enjoy what you do. Oh,
and try and make sure the students like it, too.
Read
the transcript from the live
chat session with Gerald Kelly and Jeremy Harmer.
