Make your students fit for everyday communication

Refresh Now A2 provides your learners with language at their finger tips in multiple ways in every unit – to give them perfect support in their everyday communication. Read more …

Let’s have a look at that support in detail in Unit 3 Free time:

• On page 22 (1b), there’s Info, one of the recurring elements in the coursebook, which reminds students about the I enjoy …ing structure to use when talking about hobbies and interests.
• At the top of the following page (p. 23) there are some Helpful phrases for asking other people about their opinions.
• On the same page, there’s a Language to use box, clearly showing the range of structures when students enter into a more detailed discussion about their hobbies or interests.
• And at the bottom of page 23 there’s a short Grammar overview of present simple and present progressive with clear examples and a reference to the Focus on Grammar page of Unit 3 where students are provided with more detailed explanations and where they can practise the structure either in class or at home (there’s a key at the back of the coursebook).
• On page 24, there’s a Reminder to tell students that the present progressive can also be used for future arrangements.
• The Practice page in every unit (p. 25 in Unit 3) has a variety of exercises to go over and consolidate the language presented in the unit helping students at home with their active production of language.
• The last two Focus on pages, here in Unit 3 on Time and Work-life balance, both encourage more discussion or similar speaking activities and give useful input for everyday small talk situations.
• At the end of every unit there is a page of Words and phrases which help students to find the right words for their discussions – and, of course, extend and broaden their vocabulary.

All this language at your students’ finger tips helps them to learn more independently and assists them on their way to become confident, successful communicators.

So Refresh Now A2 is a brilliant way for students to activate and pep up their English.

Below you’ll find an extra ready-to-teach activity for the Focus on Work-life balance in Unit 3 which you could use right away. And look out in August for the Refresh Now A2 Teaching Notes which will have plenty of tips, tricks and information to maximize your teaching. There’s also plenty of extra classroom activities and online downloads offered in the Teaching Notes.

Extra activity: Work-life balance and my perfect day

• Tell students they are going to talk about their perfect day.
• Model the activity for students: On the board draw a circle and divide it (roughly) into a 24-hour clock. Add the activities you would like to do in a perfect day and tell your students. (I sleep for ten hours and then have a lazy breakfast for two hours …)
• Ask the students to draw a similar circle themselves and add the activities they would like to do in their perfect day.
• Students discuss their perfect day with a partner.