Teammates 3 Coursebook

TEAMMATES 3, which is the third book of the TEAMMATES series, aims to develop pupils’ knowledge of English to A2 level in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for languages.

The characters Anna, Diego, Lucy, Masako and Omar, who are featured throughout the book and are already familiar to pupils from the first two books in the series, all meet in person for the first time and spend four whole months together in Liverpool. Your pupils’ English will improve as they share our characters’ adventures and problems.

The Coursebook starts with the “What can you remember?” section, with tasks that help pupils remember what they learnt in previous years. It continues with four sets of three units (comprising twelve 8-page units in total), each of which has the following structure:

Online chat or dialogue

Thinking about...

Authentic text (Out and About)

Main reading text with comprehension questions

Vocabulary and Extra Vocabulary

Grammar

Speaking

Listening

Writing

Before each set of 3 units, there is a fun page with a song, a riddle, a joke and a fun activity that presents some of the new vocabulary. This page also presents the objectives of the three units that follow.

After each 3-unit set, there is a comic strip story which unfolds in episodes. This is a fun break that motivates students and creates the conditions for further discussion. A revision section and a self-assessment questionnaire follow. These encourage pupils to monitor their progress, take responsibility for their learning and become more aware of any problem areas they may have to work on.

Unit organisation

Online chat or dialogue: our characters describe their daily lives using authentic informal language through which the vocabulary and grammar phenomena of that particular unit will be taught. The comprehension questions and the illustrations are designed to prompt class discussion.

Thinking about: this section on the second page of each unit gives pupils some prompts, encouraging them to continue the discussion of the unit theme. (Το τμήμα αυτό δίνει στους μαθητές να συνεχίσουν και να εμβαθύνουν τη συζήτηση στην τάξη σχετικά με την ευρύτερη θεματική του κεφαλαίου μέσα από διαφορετικού τύπου δραστηριότητες (γραφήματα, ερωτηματολόγια, κουί, φωτογραφίες, κ.λπ.)

Out and About: This section features material such as adverts, posters, signs and labels that pupils would be likely to encounter if they visited an English-speaking country. Showing pupils that they can understand material such as this boosts their confidence and reminds them of some of the practical benefits of studying English.

Main reading text: the texts may be an online profile, an email, a blog post, a diary entry, a review, an extract from a travel guide, a story, etc. The reading text exposes pupils to useful vocabulary and a variety of writing styles. It is followed by reading comprehension tasks to consolidate pupils’ understanding.

Vocabulary: this section contains tasks that focus on the new vocabulary presented in each text of the unit. Further useful vocabulary linked to the theme of the unit is presented in the Extra! vocabulary boxes. The introduction of new vocabulary is carefully controlled and recycled throughout the course to reinforce pupils’ understanding of these lexical items.

Grammar: the unit grammar is presented in clear concise tables below the Extra! vocabulary in each unit. These grammar phenomena are explained in more detail in the Grammar Appendix at the back of the book. The grammar tasks have been designed to reinforce pupils’ understanding and increase their confidence in using all the grammar structures they need at this level. There are further grammar tasks in the Workbook and on the e-book.

Speaking: Pupils are given the opportunity to talk to the teacher, in pairs and in larger groups at various points throughout the units. The activities in the speaking sections are designed to encourage pupils to speak spontaneously, using the vocabulary and/or grammar that they have just learnt. These activities often take the form of a game so that pupils feel under less pressure, have fun and come to enjoy communicating in English. Each unit also has a pronunciation task, which gives pupils the opportunity to listen to and practise pronouncing words that contain sounds non-native speakers of English often have problems with.

Listening: The listening section in each unit contains a variety of types of listening activity which will improve pupils’ comprehension skills. The listening activities utilise the vocabulary and/or grammar presented in the unit and thus further consolidate pupils’ understanding.

Writing: The TEAMMATES series put a special emphasis on the development of student's writing skills. A whole page with writing activities in each unit provides pupils with the regular practice that they need. Plans, sample compositions and tasks are used to guide pupils through the writing activities, making sure that they have all the help they need and understand exactly what is expected of them. During the course, pupils produce a variety of types of writing, which further recycles and reinforces the language they have learnt.

At the back of the book, there is also a glossary that presents the words for every unit thematically (in alphabetical order), and a list of irregular verbs.