Real Basics gives immigrants the tools they need to master beginning vocabulary and sentence structure.

SAMPLES FROM STUDENT WORKBOOK

Characters  •  Grammar Boxes  •  Pronunciation Boxes

Characters

 

These characters appear
throughout the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grammar Boxes

As new grammar is introduced, it appears in a box. The same page contains opportunities for students to put their understanding of grammar into practice. (see Preposition Practice below.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pronunciation Boxes

 

 

 

 

 

SAMPLES FROM TEACHER’S COMPANION

Many additional reproducible materials are available only in this Companion. There are also page by page explanations of ways to introduce Student Workbook lessons and other detailed teaching suggestions.

Full Page Visual  •  Paired Questions  •  Scrambled Sentences  •  Place the Furniture

Full Page Visual

 

Students can describe the picture with a partner or in a larger group. They can write sentences about it. This picture lends itself to the practice of prepositions of place, present continuous and restaurant vocabulary.

 

 

 

Paired Questions

A full page visual is projected in front of the class. Enough cards are copied from the templates in the Teacher’s Companion so that half of the class has ‘A’ cards and half has ‘B’. Students face each other and student A asks student B the first question on her card. Student B listens, looks at the projected picture (or a copy at their desk) and writes an answer on the first blank on his card.

When student A finishes the first 5 questions, it is student B’s turn. He asks question 6 and student A writes her answer. He then asks the remaining questions.

 

There are many ways to follow up. Students could volunteer to fill in answers at the board and have other students correct them. Students could also write their names on their cards and turn them in to the teacher. (She’ll then have a good idea of how well everyone is doing.)

Scrambled Sentences

This activity reinforces word order. These pages are designed to be duplicated onto heavy paper or card stock and then cut into cards. Several sets of each sentence should be made. They can be used term after term.

Two or three students work together on a sentence. They spread out all the cards, including the punctuation cards, and decide on their order. When they’re all satisfied, they copy the completed sentence on to a sheet of paper, noting the number of the sentence.

Then they mix the sentence up again and trade it in for a different one. If they get stumped, they ask the teacher for some guidance. When at least one group of students has finished all 10, they put the sentences on the board and the class decides if they need correction.

 

Place the Furniture

Each pair or triad of students has the empty room picture and a set of furniture cards cut from copies made from the templates in the Teacher’s Companion.

 

 

Students listen as the teacher gives instructions, “Please take the sofa. Put the sofa under the window.” The students confer and place the sofa in the spot they think the teacher has indicated. Gradually all the furniture is placed.

Follow up can be done in various ways, perhaps projecting a completed room or having different students describe where each item is. At another time, individual students can be ‘teachers’ and tell their classmates where to place the furniture.