Refresh your learners’ knowledge at A2 level

Look forward to getting more from your A2 learners with the brand new Refresh Now A2.

With its practical and easy-to-use structure, Refresh Now A2 will offer teachers and learners a flexible way to effective learning at A2 level. Refresh Now A2 will be launched in June 2015 (and Refresh Now B1 will be out in December 2015). Can’t wait? Then have a sneak preview of Refresh Now A2 and take a detailed look at the online livebook. Just click here and go to ‘Im Buch blättern’. - And try our extra activities below.

Let us introduce you to Refresh Now A2 … The Refresh Now A2 coursebook guarantees easy progress by using the following features:

• Flexibility! A flexible concept that allows teachers to decide how much of each unit to use in the classroom: The first three pages of each Unit provide 90 minutes of teaching time to refresh and revise grammar and vocabulary, with an additional one page, Practice, for selfstudy; the following three pages of each unit - the Focus on Grammar and two other Focus on … pages, can be used either in the classroom or at home. Each Unit ends with a Words and phrases page for selfstudy. And of course, the words and phrases are all on a CD, so students can aid their learning by reading and listening to these important expressions. This flexibility means that for one-semester courses, there is material for twelve 90-minute lessons, plus the equivalent for homestudy and for two-semester courses there is sufficient material for twenty-four 90-minute lessons. In both cases, there are also two pages for selfstudy.

• Reliability! The Units in Refresh Now A2 contain all the well-known Network Now qualities:
• clearly-presented language learning aims using a range of real situations;
• a lively mix of communicative activities starting off with Let’s begin (see Unit 2 Work on page 14, What would be the worst job for you?);
• helpful tips in Language to use boxes (see the Language to use box when talking about yourself on page 7), Reminder boxes on useful grammar points (see the Reminder box for using any on page 7) and Helpful phrases boxes with useful phrases for everyday situations (see page 7 for some Helpful phrases for misunderstandings);
• opportunities for learners to express their own opinions (see page 23 Would you buy upcycled furniture or upcycled clothes? Why (not)?);
• communicative How to do it exercises (see page 23 Talking about your hobbies);
• a Round up activity which consolidates all the Unit’s learning aims (see, for example, page 16);
• a final section on each Practice page, About you, which reinforces learning in a personalised way. Have a look at page 9 for About you ... to complete an online form with personal information.
   
• Variety! The three Focus on … on pages 5, 6 and 7 in each Unit function as revision and consolidation of the language from the first half of the Unit. Focus on grammar is followed by two stimulating magazine style pages focusing on interesting aspects of the Unit’s topic: take a look at page 19, Job interviews, and page 20, The grey workforce.

And here are six reasons to be excited about Refresh Now A2:

• One size fits all! It doesn’t matter whether you want to teach a one- or two-semester course or whether your students are returning to English or have levelled off – Refresh Now A2 is flexible to suit your needs and the needs of your students.
• Situations first! All the material in the book is based on real-life situations, so students are exposed to the language they will need to communicate.
• Top texts and topics! Up-to-date topics and themes – the sort of thing students want to read about.
• Easy success! An easy-to-follow structure and appropriate exercises guarantee quick, motivated learning.
• Language at your fingertips! Helpful phrases and tips are clearly identified in each Unit.
• It’s your course! Personalisation - students are given plenty of opportunity to express their opinions, talk about their experiences and communicate their own needs.

And here’s a seventh reason: It’s in the stars! On the Words and phrases pages you’ll see some points which are introduced with a five-pointed star. The stars draw attention to particular differences between English and German, for example:

• spelling: Adresse and address (page 13)
• tenses: I am was born in 1970. (page 13)
• false friends: Chef - boss, Koch - chef/cook (page 21)
• the use of the definite article: I like playing the piano. (page 29)
   

Extra activities
Use the star system from Refresh Now A2. The stars are used to draw attention to particular differences between English and German.On the board write short sentences or phrases with a gap for the correct word, for example:

• My _______ is 10, High Street, Townsend. (address)
• Or give some simple German sentences to translate into English, for example:
  Ich spiele Gitarre. (I play the guitar.)

> Teaching tip "Pep up your students’ interest in reading"