Sky 2 - Teacher's Book [antikvár]

Introduction General description 1 Who the course is for Sky is a four-part course for young learners of English aged from 9/10 to 13/14. There are two possible entry points: Sky Starter for complete beginners or for students with a minimal knowledge of English, and Sky One for false beginners. 2 What the course is about Sky Two features a typical British family living in Richmond, near London, and their friends. Together, they are seen in domestic, school and leisure settings. The real characters and the authentic photographs and situations provide an up-to-date realistic view of the UK today - its people, their lifestyles and their cultural background. Although the main focus is the UK, the leamers also get regular glimpses of life in the USA and other English-speaking countries. 3 How the students learn New language is presented through dialogue or text, and practised in a series of simple steps which include carefully graded listening, speaking, reading and writing activities, and a lively selection of games, songs and raps. From the beginning, students leam to commianicate information and ideas in realistic and amusing situations. 4 How the syllabus is constructed The language syllabus is a careful mix of grammar, vocabulary and communication. Grammatical structures are linked closely to everyday language use, whilst the topic areas relate to the students' own lives and experiences, and have been specially chosen to present a range of useful vocabulary. 5 How the material is organised Each lesson in the Students' Book is presented on a double-page spread in order to foster a sense of achievement and progress in the student. Clear signposting of each activity enables both teacher and student to identify the leaming focus at every stage of the lesson. For more details on the organisation of the Student's Book, see Course Components. Principles behind the course 1 Capturing young learners' attention We believe it is essential that young learners' contact with leaming English should be rewarding and fun. The first step towards this is to capture their attention as soon as they open their new textbook. Sky does this by: • using colourful, authentic location photography • introducing real characters with whom young leamers can identify • showing real life simations which children can immediately recognise and respond to • presenting lively, everyday language and expressions which they will want to leam 2 Making language learning active Young learners need to be actively involved in the language lesson. This not only makes leaming more effective but also makes it more enjoyable. In Sky, students are involved when they: • repeat and act dialogues • communicate and share information with others • solve reading and listening tasks • write in simple, real-life contexts • play language games • sing, rap, draw and role play 3 Keeping learning goals simple If leamers are to stay motivated and make progress, it is important to keep leaming goals simple. An over-heavy vocabulary load can be daunting, especially if the words are low frequency. Equally, too many new grammar points in one lesson can be confiising. Each lesson of Sky keeps leaming simple by: • focussing on a limited number of grammar points • presenting grammar in clear and prominent Look and learn boxes • revising the new language regularly through stories, exercises and puzzles • introducing a carefully regulated number of words • presenting key new words with pichires and sound 4 Keeping pace with the learners' development A language course for young learners is more effective if it keeps pace with the children's physical, cognitive and social development. In Sky, the leamers' physical development is mirrored in the main characters; their cognitive development is reflected in the subject matter and organisation of the texts and task types; and their social development - how they interact with peer groups and adults, and how confident they feel about themselves - is reflected in the methodology, in particular with the types of activities, projects and games suggested for language practice.