Short Cuts: An Interactive English Course, Book 1

Short Cuts is a three-level series for teaching English to young adult and adult students. Each level of the program contains the following components: a student text a teacher's manipulative kit (available in posters) an optional teacher's audio program an optional student audio tape a teacher's manual One of the most unique features of Short Cuts is its use of manipulatives, or cut-ups. The use of these manipulatives: addresses a variety of learning styles: visual, aural, and kinesthetic; provides immediate feedback for both teacher and student; focuses students' attention on accomplishing specific tasks during an extended receptive period; encourages the use of English for the negotiation of meaning through student interaction; provides opportunities for student-centered cooperative learning. Perhaps the best reasons for using manipulatives are that they are fun, they create student interest, and they work! Using them is a little like playing a computer game, and it's a lot more fun to do that than to sit passively and listen to the teacher. A Complete Course At each level, the Short Cuts student text features a balanced presentation of reading, writing, listening, and speaking materials to allow your students to develop all language skills - without having to buy a separate workbook! Each student text provides between 100-130 hours of language instruction. While Short Cuts was designed to correlate to the California Model Standards of Adult Education, the series correlates to most other standards as well. Further information about placement is found in the preface to each student text. Each of the three books in the Short Cuts program is divided into ten thematic chapters. Each student text also includes worksheets (and manipulatives) for each chapter, audio tapescripts, and a complete conjugated list of all verbs found in the book. Other highlights of each student text include: lively chapter themes and situations that encourage classroom communication; clear and colorful illustrations to aid comprehension; self-study review pages for each chapter so students can check their own progress; an innovative visual presentation of grammar, along with practice exercises, and more! Flexible supplements to meet your classroom needs All the supplemental materials included in the Short Cuts program work together to help you provide a truly communicative learning experience for your students. We encourage you to mix and match these supplements to fit your particular teaching style and classroom configurations. Teacher's Manipulative Kit - Poster Version Teacher's Manipulative Kit - Transparency Version These kits correspond directly to the student worksheets found in each text. The poster kit comes with a set of adhesive manipulatives; the transparency version comes in color acetate form. You can use either kit in many different ways - model specific language activities, introduce new vocabulary, create information gaps - the list is endless. Optional Teacher's Audio Cassette Program Optional Student Audio Tape The Teacher's Audio Cassette consists of two separate audio tapes. The first tape contains recorded versions of all the dialogues found in the Listen sections of each lesson of the book. The second tape is the same tape as the Optional Student Audio Tape; it features passages from the self-review sections of the book. Since all tapescripts are printed in the student text, both audio programs are optional - you decide when and how to use them! Teacher's Manual Written by the author, the Teacher's Manual contains a wealth of helpful ideas and suggestions for using all of the materials in the Short Cuts program - including detailed lesson plans for each chapter! Ideal for low-beginning ESL students.

Chapter 1-School

BE in the present tense

Affirmative statements

Contractions

Questions with WHERE

Sentences with subject(+) BE (+)

Prepositional phrase

understand and use school vocabulary

give and understand directions

Ask for the location of a person or place

Understand and use the numbers 1-100

Ask for clarification

Pauses, hesitations and false starts in listening

Chapter 2-A Kitchen

BE in the present tense

Questions

Singular and plural count nouns

pronouns

Understand and use vocabulary related to cooking and eating

Make a polite request

Make an offer of help

express simple needs

Express thanks

Present continuous tense

imperative form

varieties of register (formal, less formal answers)

Chapter 3-Time

BE in the present tense

Negative statements

Questions about time

Intensifiers (very late)

Understand and use time vocabulary

Ask for and give the time

Describe location

Apologize for a situation

Present continuous tense

Frequency adverbs

Simple present tense of additional verbs

Chapter 4-A Restaurant

Count/noncount nouns

Questions with HOW MUCH

Understand and sue vocabulary related to eating and Restaurant

Ask for and give prices

Ask about the condition of something

make a request using I'D LIKE

Clarify prices

Comparitives and Superlatives

Chapter 5-Your Neighborhood

THERE IS/THERE ARE

questions

Understand and use neighborhood vocabulary

Ask about and understand simple descriptions of location

Describe one's own neighborhood

Get someone's attention

Simple present questions with DO

I'D LIKE to express wishes about the future

Chapter 6- At Work, At Home, and on Vacation

Present continuous tense

Imperatives for giving instructions

Understand and use work, home and vacation vocabulary

Ask for and give instructions about where to put things

Ask for and describe the location of self and others

Answer a request for help

Tag questions

chapter 7-The Supermarket

simple present tense with DO

Questions

Negative statements

Understand and use vocabulary related to shopping and groceries

Ask for and understand the location of something in a store

Tell if an item is expensive or cheap

Check on someone's feelings

Other expressions of emotion

Chapter8-Your Body

Present Tense with DOES

Questions

Negative statements

Understand and use health and body vocabulary

Ask about and report common medical problems

Introduce yourself

call in sick

Past tense of BE

Past tense of additional verbs

Chapter 9-The Family

Possessive Adjectives

The possessive 'S

Understand and use family Vocabulary

Ask and answer questions about the family

Introduce someone to another person

Present tense

Past tense of additional verbs

Chapter 10-A Daily Schedule

Frequency adverbs

Understand and use vocabulary related to daily schedules

Describe a typical schedule

Ask for additional information when an answer is negative

Past tense of additional verbs