How to Teach Using Go for it! An Introduction

Each unit of the Go for it! textbook has the following: Language goals that are listed in the Teachers’ Book at the beginning of the unit. It includes new language or target language, e.g., vocabulary words and grammatical structures. After you have taught the unit, students should be able to use all of the new language. It also lists recycled language, which are words and grammar that students have already learned, but will practice in the unit.

Additional materials The beginning of each section in the Teachers’ Book lists additional materials that you may want to bring to class when doing certain activities. They are usually inexpensive materials that you may have at home, but might not have in the classroom. Skills Each activity also tells you what skills students will improve. Ideas to begin the Section Sometimes a section will begin with ideas of how you can introduce the section.

Pairwork and Activities will often say they are for pairwork or groupwork. For pairwork activities, students will work with one other student. As the pairs work, you can walk around the classroom to help them. When the pairs have finished, you may want to ask some pairs to perform their conversations for the class. Groupwork For groupwork activities, you can decide how big each group should be, depending on the activity. After the groups have finished, you may want to ask one member of each group to tell the entire class what his or her group talked about.

SECTION A New Language Section A of each unit introduces the new language to the students. Speech Bubbles It uses pictures and conversations in speech bubbles, which makes it easier for the students to understand. Different types of new language are introduced simply in small parts. Accuracy Section A focuses on accuracy, so the activities are very structured and many have only one correct answer. New Word!

Grammar Focus At the bottom of the second page of Section A, there is always a Grammar Focus box. This box shows the new grammatical structures that students will learn in the unit. It usually puts it in a table to make it very clear and easy to understand. Game or Activity The last activity of Section A, on the bottom of the third page, is always a game or other activity for the whole class. The game is designed to allow all students to enjoy using the new language.

SECTION B New Language or Language Review Section B sometimes introduces more new language. It also asks students to combine all of the new language together. Additionally, students will combine new language with recycled language. Fluency Section B focuses on fluency, so activities are not as structured as in Section A. The Pairwork and Groupwork activities let students talk to each other freely, so there is often no one correct answer.

SELF CHECK SECTION Key vocabulary The first part of the Self Check Section lists the key vocabulary. Students should know all of the words. Vocab-Builder Some of the textbooks ask students to make a list of new words they have learned in their notebook or the back of the textbook. The second seventh grade textbook calls it a Vocab-Builder. Making a list will help students remember the new words better. Even if the textbook does not ask students to make a list, you may want to ask them to make one anyway.

Other activities The other activities help students practice writing using the new language. Just for Fun! The Self Check Section ends with a Just for Fun! cartoon that uses the new language. The Teachers’ Book gives some questions that you might ask the students after reading the cartoon to encourage them to talk about it using the new language.

NOTES Grammar Note Sometimes there will be a Grammar Note to you in the Teachers’ Book. The Grammar Note may help students better understand the grammatical structures taught in the Grammar Focus box, or it may help them understand how to use some of the new vocabulary.

Pronunciation Note Sometimes there is a Pronunciation Note. The Pronunciation Note may give a pronunciation rule, show you sounds that your students may have trouble with, or show you how words in spoken English are pronounced differently from the way they are spelled.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES Throughout the Teachers’ Book, there are Optional Activities. These activities ask students to continue to use the new language, often in more challenging ways. You may be able to assign these activities to more advanced students who finish other activities quickly.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES At the end of the Self Check Section in the Teachers’ Book, there are Follow-up Activities. These activities are sometimes a continuation of an activity in the unit, and sometimes activities that are designed to help students enjoy using new vocabulary even more.

REVIEW OF UNITS Every six units, there is a review of the units that have just been completed. It helps students to remember new language and practice using it. Some activities are designed to help students practice new language from one unit, and others help them practice using language from several different units together.

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS At the end of the Teachers’ Book, there is a section written in Chinese with teaching suggestions that lists additional activities that you can use with each unit.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING At the end of the Teachers’ Book, there is a section that contains additional information about each unit that may be interesting to you or your students. You can have your students read it, if you think they can understand it, or you can read it and present the information to them in a way that they can understand.