A Single Step to English Communication Teacher’s Book Thank you for choosing A Single Step to English Communication 3rd edition as your course book. I hope it will engage your learners in useful conversations, create a genuine sense of curiosity, and inspire them to use English out in the world. As a strong believer in re@lective teaching, I often ask myself, “What situations are my students most likely to use English?” Rather than speculate, I began asking students to choose the situations they anticipated they would need to speak English. Later in the semester, these situations became the topics for students’ @inal communication tests. Not surprisingly, students’ themes never quite matched the ideas prescribed by their teacher or what appeared in standard textbook material. Based on over @ifteen years of correcting and revising student generated communicative tasks, this is a book is for Japanese students. It focuses on their most common errors and uses pronunciation practice that students chose as most bene@icial for them. Teachers will immediately notice that restaurant ordering, foods, and shopping receive an ample amount of page space. Based on my students’ preferences, these are the most popular topics that students anticipate they will need and really want to communicate using English. Below is a guideline that details how I have used the textbook material for both the @irst annd second semester at Japanese universities. This guideline can easily be adapted to suit the needs for your learners. Please keep in mind that class levels and motivation for speci@ic activities will vary. For supplemental conversational material, go to our website and click on the top right button For Teachers to @ind activities for each unit. 1 Week 1 – Course Introduction, Student Needs Analysis, Class Rules Week 2 – Unit 1 – Personal Information & Introductions Week 3 – Unit 2 – My Interests ~ Thru page 18 – Group Work Week 4 – Unit 2 – From page 18 – Vocab. Building Week 5 – Unit 3 – Dining Out Week 6 – Unit 3 – Dining Out ~ From p. 28 – Audio #7 Week 7 – Review Units 1-3 Week 8 – Unit 4 – Part-Time Jobs Week 9 – Unit 4 – From page 44 – Pronunciation Skills Week 10 - Unit 5 – Music ~ Thru page 51 Week 11 - Unit 5 – Movies ~ From page 52 Week 12 - Unit 6 – Shopping Week 13 - Review Units 4-6 Week 14 – Unit 7 – Summer Time Week 15 - Final Communication or Written Test Preparation 2nd Semester Week 1 – Review & Unit 8 – What’s She Look Like? Thru page 76 Week 2 – Unit 8 – From page 76 Week 3 – Unit 9 – How Does It Taste? Thru page 87 Week 4 – Unit 9 – From page 88 ~ World Food Festivals Week 5 – Unit 10 – Long Time, No See & Halloween Week 6 – Review Units 8-10 Week 7 – Unit 11 – My Boss Is A Really Nice Guy Week 8 – Unit 12 – Ouch, That Hurts! ~ Thru page 109 Week 9 – Unit 12 – From page 110 Week 10 - Unit 13 – Hotel & Travel Tips Week 11 – Review Units 11-13 / Unit 14 ~ Fashion Advice ~ Thru page 126 Week 12 – Unit 14 ~ From page 126 ~ Jigsaw Drawing Week 13 – Unit 15 – The Holiday Season Week 14 – Unit 15 – From page 133 ~ Reviewing New Year’s Week 15 – Final Communication or Written Test Preparation 2 Unit 1 Personal Information Page 6 ~ Target: This activity introduces or reviews the use of irst and last names in English. Students are sometimes confused by names in English. One way to introduce the topic is to write your own name on the board. John Smith (yeah, I got real creative here!) Ask students which is the @irst and last name. Let them discuss it in pairs. Do you have a more advanced class? You can also introduce given name and surname here. Also, students may ask about middle name here. You can give your own example here. Additionally, one example I like to introduce is that some women either keep their last name after marrying or will change their middle name to their maiden name. Page 6 ~ How about you? Have students write down information that is true for them. Page 6 ~ The Memory game – best used for groups of 5-6 students The @irst thing to establish for this game is an order. I usually do this by students’ birthday. For example, if today is your birthday, you are number one in the group. Followed by number two, three, etc. Have students ask each other IN ENGLISH “When is your birthday?” Answer in a complete sentence, “My birthday is _ How about you? If necessary, write this question on the board. After each group has determined the order number, you should model the rules of the game with one group. Ask #1 in the model group to give her/ his information using the page 6 information. ie.. My name is___ I‘m from . 3 In my free time, I like to _________________________________, and I enjoy _______________________________. Then, ask #2 in that group to repeat back the information so the rest of the group can hear it. ie. Your name is You’re from (Note: If you try to go with She or He, students will probably make more grammatical errors…avoid mineields). In your free time, you like ___________, and you enjoy __________________. As you get to #3 in the group, explain that they must repeat the information for both #1 and @2, at this point, students will let out a collective semi-groan and realize why this game is called “The Memory Game.” Simple solution–point to your head and say–you must remember. Review the hint instructions that are listed on page 6 of the text. Depending on the time this activity takes, I often reverse the order after one round of this game (#6 becomes #1, #5 becomes #2, etc.). You can change the information for #2 and #3 to something like: 2) My favorite food is _ _. 3) In the future I would like to be __ _(job). Page 7 ~Vocabulary: Matching answers 1. D (inaka； 田舎) 2. E (kougai；郊外) 3. B (a mansion = an apartment, condominium or a lat (マンション) 4. C (ie；家). Note: This is also called a detached house 一軒家 ikkenya) 5. A (ryou；寮) After students complete the matching activity, point to the top image on page 7 and ask the class “what is it?” Wait for an answer. Then, ask this question. “Which number is it?” Elicit the class for answers. Con@irm that students know the correct answer. Write it on the board. It’s an 4 apartment. In British English, people call it a @lat. How about the image below the apartment? What is it? Again, elicit students for an answer. On the board, write It’s a mansion. • Note: The Japanese use of the word mansion seems to have come from French or British English which meant a luxurious apartment. Page 7 ~ Pair practice This activity helps students use the vocabulary in context. You can also have students practice one time and then introduce their partner to a group sitting near them. Page 7 ~ I don’t know Japanese students tend to overuse the expression “I don’t know.” This is a great opportunity to teach them another way to say this using “I’m not sure.” Pre-listening: Before playing the audio CD, write these questions on the board. Sorry, what did you say? / How do you spell that? * These questions will be used by students both in the middle of the conversation and at the end. Page 8 ~ Conversation: Listening skills Jessica: Hi Ashley. How’s it going? Ashley: Hi Jessica. Pretty good. Jessica: Cool. Oh by the way, this is my friend Emily. Ashley: Hi. Nice to meet you. Emily: Nice to meet you, too. So, do you (live, live) around here? 5 Ashley: Actually, I live about (14, 40) minutes from here. It’s sort of in the countryside. How about you? Stop the audio CD and have students check their answers with a partner. Point to the questions on the board: Sorry, what did you say? / How do you spell that? Remind students not to look at their partner’s book. Emily: I live (1) really close. My family and I live in a high-rise apartment. In fact, it’s just over there. Jessica: Sorry, but we really need to get going. (2) It was nice bumping into you. Ashley: Yeah, good seeing you, Jessica and it was nice meeting you, Emily. Emily: Yeah, hope to see you again. Jessica: Take care. See you. Ashley: Bye. Again, have students check their answers with a partner. Point to the questions on the board: Sorry, what did you say? / How do you spell that? Remind students not to look at their partner’s book. Page 9 ~ Comprehension check This section has two distinct goals. First, language acquisition requires a certain amount of @iguring things out from context, so this section helps students experience this process. Pair work helps provide levels of support. Also, feel free letting higher-level students assist pairs that do not understand some of the vocabulary. Remind students that they can 6 always answer by saying “I’m not sure.” Second, this section provides students with an opportunity to ask questions to the teacher. While I am comfortable being students’ resource early in the semester, it is better to teach students to work out more of the meaning as the school year progresses. Page 9 ~ Circle the expression – either a) or b) 1. How’s it going? a) How are you? 2. Pretty good.