i have a master´s degree in German (focus teaching it as a foreign language) and am currently in Germany teaching English- my mama language. i am stuck using the crap excercises that the schools provide me with and know that I can make better exercises, and explain the grammar much more clearly than the material i am given. my current dream (albeit since only this morning...) is to open my own english school here-everybody wants to know english here, there is way too much of it already in the media, but many people don´t know english still. I am at a little bit of a loss at how to approach this project. there are questions of things like copywrite laws and the use of pictures, say from a magazine. specifically, i am intersted to know the rule about the copywrite on a text (original in German) if i use my own translation of someone else´s text.
any suggestions about where to start?
also, please feel free to email me any specific tips for teaching content of my book(s).
thanks.

There exist international copyright laws and laws specific to countries. If you are talking about translating a whole book for publication and for profit, you have to have the permission of whoever holds that copyright; very likely both the author and the publisher. As for the teaching itself, much would depend on your students and the goal of the course. Are we talking children? adolescents? adults? Is this conversational English? business English? technical English?

Have you come across Betty Azar's books? I guess they could be improved on, but why reinvent the wheel? 'Understanding and Using English Grammar' is usually the book I turn to first for teaching grammar points. Betty isn't so fashionable here, however; her books don't follow the 'communicative' style.

i am not talking about translating an already existing book. i want to make my own in connection with a teaching english book of my own. i would use possibly texts i find in a magazine to some extent. i am aiming at adult education.

Yeah, do any of you guys ever read these posts before putting your 55 cents in? I know nothing about copyright laws in Germany - are you a resident, or just on a work visa, or something? If you aren't a resident, but a citizen of the US I think our copyright law would apply even in Germany: in short form, once you render something original into tangible form, it is automatically copyrighted and nothing more need be done.

So Go, girl, and maybe you can get it published by a German publisher - that would be fantastic! Our own Hassia, a Master of Textbooks!

Catty (Yah, hessia!)