New Horizon - grade 3, unit 3 - Our Sister in Nepal

[Otaku]

This unit is entitled "Our Sister in Nepal". I thought I would point out an interesting observation...

On page 21, Mike is having a simple dialogue with Emi. Page 21 also contains a grammar point: I have just finished my work. There are two sentences in the dialogue that contain this grammar point, so naturally I would assume these were the most important sentences on the page.

The dialog goes like this
Mike: Look, Emi! Judy and I have just finished decorating the gate.
Emi: You did a good job.
Mike: Thanks. Have you finished your work yet?
Emi: No, not yet. Putting price tags on used things takes time.
Mike: We'll help you.

1. Mike makes a reference to Judy two times in the dialog, BUT Judy is nowhere to be seen in the picture on this page.
2. Mike says he just finished decorating a gate, BUT the only gate shown in the picture is not decorated.
3. It looks like the main focus of the picture has to do with Emi putting tags on clothes, BUT nothing Emi has to say in the dialog falls into the grammar point being taught. From a logistics perspective, I would think all pictures on a page where grammar is being taught would help enhance the grammar point.

Like I said before, this is merely an observation...and a chance to use a new smilie. The textbook makers logic is just way .

[Paul]

Isnt Judy on Page 20?

In my opinion due to the limited space and subject material I would venture a guess that even though Judy isnt a part of the picture itself on Page 21 she can be referenced or refered to by the dialogue on the previous page.

Is it necessary to actually show the "gate"? I would think that examples like these are good for students to learn to visualize and understand material without actually having to be shown a picture. And in my humble opinion I think it is a bit of a stretch to call the portion of the fence that is showing a gate. However that is purely my opinion and not meant as any criticism.

Dont know if you caught this or not but one of the grammar points is discussed by Emi when she makes the statement "Putting price tags on used things takes time." Put, time, takes time, are all a part of the grammar/vocabulary that are being taught as well. Granted they are not the main point. Sub-plot maybe?

[Otaku]

Nah, Judy is a black girl. I don't know who that girl is on page 20. She's not a regular character...unless that girl is supposed to be Emi.

I was trying to give the textbook makers the benefit of the doubt for showing a partial gate, but after you said "fence" I realized that you were right. So, the gate AND Judy are not in the picture. Visualization and understanding are good practice for the students but I hardly doubt the textbook makers thought this at the time they made the page.

[Paul]

You are right, my mistake about Judy Brown.

Oh and I think that the part about time 時間がかかる, jikan ga kakaru, is a review point from Bk 1 p.60

but I hardly doubt the textbook makers thought this at the time they made the page.

Which can be said for many things in these textbooks.

[Otaku]

-- pg 22, Q&A section: I'm not sure if this issue is specific to my JTE or a problem overall. Page 22 is titled "Reading for Communication". So, is the Q&A section meant to be answered via spoken or written English? My JTE had the students write their answers, which became a problem because the students wrote the answer to the second question as a fragment. The question is, "Why does she walk to a well every morning?" The students wrote, "To get water for her family." If answered via spoken English, this is okay. But how my JTE handled it, once again promoted incorrect English practice. I know what you're thinking, "Did you ask your JTE about this?" No, because she is very set in her ways of teaching.

-- Kathmandu: How do you pronounce this word? I and dictionary.com pronounce it "cat-man-due", but the 'th' in the word makes me question whether or not in Napoli it is pronounced "cath-man-due"? Also, dictionary.com offers an alternative spelling: Katmandu. This particular unit makes me question whether the English is an afterthought to teaching the students about the world? However, this isn't the first time I've thought English is put on the back-burner...

-- high vs. tall: How do you use each of these two words? For example, on page 25 there is a sentence: "But many people think Nepal is a cold country because it has many high mountains." Personally, I would say "tall mountains", which started me thinking what other people would say?

-- Otaku is a moron: So, as you all know, the teacher's manual has red and blue text printed directly onto the textbook. On page 25, Step 3, the red text is a bit hard to read. I read the last sentence as "In the hot, low areas there are many kinds of animals like elephant tigers and rhinoceroses. I didn't see that there was a comman in between 'elephant' and 'tiger'. To which, I leaned over to my JTE and asked what an 'elephant tiger' is? DOH! BTW, who can spell 'rhinoceros' without fist looking at the word? I can't...

[mangakk]

-- Kathmandu: How do you pronounce this word? I and dictionary.com pronounce it "cat-man-due", but the 'th' in the word makes me question whether or not in Napoli it is pronounced "cath-man-due"? Also, dictionary.com offers an alternative spelling: Katmandu.

-- high vs. tall: How do you use each of these two words? For example, on page 25 there is a sentence: "But many people think Nepal is a cold country because it has many high mountains." Personally, I would say "tall mountains", which started me thinking what other people would say?

-- Otaku is a moron: So, as you all know, the teacher's manual has red and blue text printed directly onto the textbook. On page 25, Step 3, the red text is a bit hard to read. I read the last sentence as "In the hot, low areas there are many kinds of animals like elephant tigers and rhinoceroses. I didn't see that there was a comman in between 'elephant' and 'tiger'. To which, I leaned over to my JTE and asked what an 'elephant tiger' is? DOH! BTW, who can spell 'rhinoceros' without fist looking at the word? I can't...

Kathmandu- If you want to follow the way the locals call it then the th is essential, but if you follow the dic it sounds different. BTW it's Nepali not Nepoli. ( guess that was a typo)

I too would prefer to use the word tall instead of high especially for mountains, but this is what wiki says. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest

Elephant tiger, I guess you missed the comma because the work Option is printed over it. I can see a small stroke that looks like a comma on the legs on the alphabet n.