To Begin the Lesson!
First, you should Login to access the Story Lesson Page. You can enjoy the lesson ONLINE or DOWNLOAD the lesson pack with PDF + MP4 + MP3. Follow the Active learning Method day 1-6.
Day 01: Video Story
What? Watch the Video Story 2-3 times and don’t worry if you cannot understand 100%. After you follow the Day by Day plan you will come back to the video and understand 100%. This is only Day 1 of the full lesson plan. The goal today is only to practice “Real Listening”. Watch the video BEFORE you read the text.
Why? This is Real Listening Practice with Real English from Real People. It’s the best way to prepare yourself to understand Real English conversations and situations. Relax and enjoy! It’s not always easy and every story is different, but that’s what makes it interesting! Just listen carefully and catch what you can.
How? You should watch the video BEFORE you read the story. This will give you Real Listening Practice. There is NO text in the real world. Try your best to understand what you can from the story. If you understand 30%, 50% or 80%, it’s all OK. Just relax and concentrate and listen carefully. Tomorrow you will READ the story text and then understand the story 100% by reading. Remember! Step by Step! You will come back to the video on Day 5 and you will be able to watch, listen and understand 100%.
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students complete the day’s Diary Questions.
Day 02: Read Story
DOWNLOAD the PDF with full lesson text.
What? Today you should READ the story text 2-3 times. This way you can take your time, pick up new words and phrases and fully understand the story. Watching the video was probably a challenge, now you can slow down and make sure you understand the story 100%.
Why? Reading and understanding a story is usually EASIER than listening and understanding. You can take your time, use a dictionary and try to understand every word. When you READ then you should only READ. When you Watch and Listen then you should only Watch and Listen. Step 1 is for Watching the story, Step 2 is for Reading the story, and Step 3 is for Listening to the story at slow speed.. Have fun!
How? Read the story through once and don’t worry about understanding all the words. Try to understand new words or phrases by the CONTEXT of the story. Next, slow down and read the story again, this time you should stop and check anything you don’t understand. Use a dictionary if necessary. After you have checked the meaning of all new vocabulary, read the story a final time. This time you should understand 100%
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students complete the day’s Diary Questions.
Day 03: Audio Lesson
What? Today is for Sonja’s Audio Lesson. In this lesson she will read the story at SLOW speed and pause for different learning activities, such as Q&A, explaining useful words, and easy discussions related to the story. Finally she will read the story again at NORMAL speed and then give her answer to the lesson question. This is fantastic listening practice!
Why? Now is time to FOCUS on listening and understanding the story 100%. Because the video story is at NORMAL speed, this audio lesson will give you a SLOW speed version which is EASIER to follow and understand. This Step by Step approach will let you understand the story 100%, first by reading, then by listening at slow speed, then by listening at normal speed, then by watching the video story. Take your time!
How? Sit back, relax and follow along with Sonja as she reads the story and discusses different points in the story. You can Listen, read along and follow with the Audio Guide. You can also listen ONLY. It’s up to you and your level and ability. For SPEAKING Practice, you should listen and REPEAT everything that Sonja says. Speak out loud and try to copy her rhythm and pronunciation. This will help you learn to sound like a native speaker. Good Luck!
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students complete the day’s Diary Questions.
Day 04: Master Phrase Videos
What? Today is for Brad’s Master Phrase Videos. In these two part video lessons, Brad will look at 5 Useful Master Phrases from the story and help you be able to use them in actual communication. He will also discuss important Grammar Points and give examples for that week’s new Phrasal Verbs. This is a great video series for deep learning and more listening practice.
Why? The best way to learn and remember new words and phrases is by actually using them. Each video story is full of common phrases and phrasal verbs that we use for everyday communication. This video series takes the MOST USEFUL, explains each one and gives examples of each. These video lessons will help you master these phrases and then be able to use them in a real situation.
How? Take today to watch part one and part two of the master phrase videos. You can use your master phrase PDF worksheets to write your own examples of each for best practice. Watch the videos, listen carefully and speak along with the examples of each phrase. These videos are great listening, speaking and grammar practice. Print out the PDF to remind you to USE one phrase every day.
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students complete the day’s Diary Questions. 5 questions each based on a different Master Phrase. Use the master phrase in your answer to the question.
Day 05: Time to Review
What? Today is for Review and Self Check! You can go back and repeat each lesson step as you like. You might want to do Steps 1-4 all together as one long lesson. Or, you can go back and repeat any step as necessary to fully understand. Finally, you should watch the video story and understand 100%. This is your main goal.
Why? After 4 days of intense learning it’s important to go back and review and also make sure you understood everything from the story. You have 2 GOALs for each lesson. Goal #1 is to watch, listen and understand the Video Story. Goal #2 is to be able to remember and use the Master Phrases from the story. To improve your listening and speaking ability are the most important with this course. Also, on the weekend you will practice expressing yourself by answering the lesson question.
How? Use these 4 Self Check Questions. For best practice you can repeat each step so you really understand everything from each lesson. Ask yourself the questions below and repeat steps as necessary to answer YES to each question. Good Luck!
Q: Can you watch the VIDEO STORY, listen and understand 100%?
Q: Can you read the STORY TEXT easily and understand the story 100%?
Q: Can you listen, follow and understand the AUDIO LESSON easily?
Q: Can you remember and USE the 5 MASTER PHRASES & PHRASAL VERBS from this lesson?
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students complete the day’s Diary Questions. 5 questions each based on a different Phrasal Verbs. Try to use the phrasal verbs in your answer to the question.
Day 06: Answer and Check Feedback
What? Now it’s time to answer the Lesson Question. Go to the website, login to the lesson page, and share your answer with us and the community. This is your chance to express your own ideas and experiences and you can also read and enjoy the answers from the teachers and the other learners. This is real community learning and communication.
Why? Steps 1-4 are all about you taking in new and different information. You watched the video story, read the story, listened to the audio lesson and watched the master phrase videos. Now it’s time for you to actually USE English to write and express your own ideas. This is the communication part of the lesson where you share and connect with us teachers and other learners.
How? Take your time and answer the question carefully. Try to give a detailed answer that includes your ideas, opinions, thoughts, and experiences. 50-100 words is a good length. Not too long and not too short. REMEMBER to try and use the master phrases and phrasal verbs in your writing. This is the best way to remember them for the future. Write your answer naturally like if you were speaking, that way it is real communication practice.
Check Teacher Feedback
What & Why? The final step of the weekly Active Learning Method is for you to check the Feedback posted by the teachers in the community. Each week, we will take common mistakes from the community writing and then we correct those mistakes to help your learning. This is a final and very important part of the lesson plan. Every time you try to communicate and express yourself in new ways, you will make mistakes; that’s OK! Because every time you make a mistake you can learn something new and improve your English. We will help you become a better English speaker…Step By Step.
REMEMBER! If you have any questions…just ask! We will be happy to help you anytime! SEE YA!
*Diary Writing and SKYPE Class Students send your completed Diary Questions to William for corrections. You writing will be returned with corrections, comments and tips to improve your writing, speaking and self expression. Skype class students will discuss their answers with me during our 35 minute Skype Class.
