Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about «Conversations in Class, 3rd Edition»
1) What makes this textbook unique?
2) What sorts of teaching contexts is this book appropriate for?
3) How long does it take to cover one unit?
4) How much of the textbook can I cover in one university semester?
5) What does the website have to offer?
6) What kind of English is featured in this book?
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Conversations in Class
1) What makes this textbook unique?
1. Each unit revolves around a topic of daily life. Students can quickly get to the stage of talking about their lives, which is something they can really enjoy.
2. Each lesson is centered on a few basic questionanswer structures, called Model Sentences.These are presented in a simple and visual way so that students can infer grammar patterns at a glance. Variation vocabulary allows students to then create many meaningful sentences. This combination of simplicity and flexibility is what brings about something rare in Japanese EFL classrooms:students actually having and enjoying interactive conversations in real time.
3. Simple yet powerful pragmatic strategies are introduced and practiced. These help students avoid making the kinds of mistakes which typically hinder conversation, such as long silences, overly short answers, and an over reliance on questions.
2) What sorts of teaching contexts is this book appropriate for?
Genuine low-intermediate students, such as those commonly found in Freshman English courses at university, are the main target audience, but the book can also be used with high school students or adult learners. The content is targeted towards the A1~A2 levels on the CEFR scale1 but can be used with a wider range, from pre-A1 up to B2, making this book ideal for mixed-level classes. For lower level students, the content represents an achievable aspirational goal, while higher level students will use it as a starting point and focus more on mastering the pragmatic elements. This book seeks to build upon six or more years of EFL instruction and transform English from a subject to be learned into a skill to be used for making life better and more interesting.
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3) How long does it take to cover one unit?
Each unit consists of three parts, and each part takes about 60 minutes to complete depending on your teaching style, class size, and level of the students. If you teach one part per class, you should have some time left over for review and/or expansion activities.
4) How much of the textbook can I cover in one university semester?
The book has been designed with a typical 15-week semester in mind. At a rate of three classes per unit, you will be able to cover four units per term and have a few classes left over for review, testing, or anything else you would like to do. Please refer to the following Model Syllabus for more details.
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5) What does the website have to offer?
At cic-multimedia.com, students can access all of the audio tracks, photocopiable worksheets, practice key vocabulary via online interactive flash cards, and download full transcripts of all the Grammar & Usage Notes and Sounding Natural Notes.
The teachers’ section of the site also provides additional support, lesson activities, and downloadable resources.
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6) What kind of English is featured in this book?
The book features primarily American English, but the listening practice dialogs have been recorded three times, with American, British, and Australian accents, to raise awareness of subtle differences in how English is spoken in these three countries.
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Do you have any other questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact us!
