Insights into English Teacher Book

Introduction

Nature of the course

Insights into English adopts a standards-based approach to the teaching of English-an approach which is in accordance with the principles and guidelines laid down in the curriculum for the teaching of English. It adheres to the view that sees the standards-based approach as an integral part within competency-based language education. It also endorses the principle that argues that the five areas1: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities (The 5 C’s) are essential to effective language learning and do not exist independently.

The Communication area is addressed through the use of ‘real-life’ situations, focusing on building the learner’s interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communication competencies; that is, students will use reading, writing, speaking about, and tuning to, a variety of topics for a variety of purposes. The focus throughout Insights into English is on communicative functions, vocabulary and grammar is geared towards enhancing their communicative skills.

The ‘culture’ area is addressed through raising their consciousness as to cultural similarities and differences with a view to helping them further develop their cross-cultural communication competency; that is, students will gain a knowledge and understanding that cultures are represented by the viewpoints, such as those by an Australian lady on women’s struggle for equality and freedom, behavioural practices, such as ways of complaining about services, and products of a particular country.

The ‘Connections’ area is catered for (i) through providing opportunities for students to gain information in English in areas where they have a keen interest in such as philosophy and mathematics and (ii) seeing and experiencing the interplay between English and other subjects.
The ‘Comparisons’ area is approached through having learners compare and contrast other cultural and linguistic aspects with their own; for example, proverbs in other cultures.

The ‘communities’ area’ is addressed through the inclusion of tasks that require that learners should extend the learning experiences gained in the English classroom to the ‘outside world’ either for research or information gathering and present their findings to their peers in class.
The 5C’s are exemplified in the Student’s Book through the following so as to decrease the use of metalingual language and, more importantly, to address them directly and personally:

1. Communication = Improve your Communication Skills
2. Cultures = Know Another Culture
3. Connections = Make Connections
4. Comparisons = Compare It
5. Communities = Extend your Learning Experiences

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