Evaluating In Company Elementary Lesson Who's Calling?

Task 6.3: Evaluating In Company Elementary Lesson "Who's Calling?"

Name of course book:	In Company
Course book published by	Macmillan
Reviewed by:	Daniel Costello
Reviewed on:	February 26, 2011
Level the course book aimed at:	Elementary
Anticipated student profile e.g. age; business experience; nationality; position within company; line of business/other:	Age: 18-23 Business experience: Pre-experienced/part-time worker Nationality: Korean Position within company: Undergrad student/server Line of business/other: Part-time in restaurant/coffee shop or convenience store, parking attendant or assistant manager of bakery, etc.
Language areas, if any, explicitly covered e.g. grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation/other:	Grammar: reported speech said or told, say + tell or will generating conversation using said or told, generating will expressions both with extension practice writing. Vocabulary: gap fill vocabulary activity (12 items) words and phrases matching (6 items) fill in blanks and multiple choice. Pronunciation/other: Conversation listening to complete written summary, listening to identify spoken telephone numbers in English, listening to match conversations and summaries, four lexis activities; first matching sentence starters and finishers, second identifying feelings, third questions review and telephone expressions fourth.
Real-world focus and authenticity of topics, materials and activities:	Warm-up questions: Personalized opinions-based responses. First listening: Reasonable real-world job description. Vocabulary: Appears useful and realistic. Reading: Describes real world survey of telephone usage. Grammar: said versus told appears appropriate practice usage. Telephone dialogues: Appear realistic. Confirming questions activity: Practical. Grammar extensions: Optional completion depending on student skill. Final communication activity: Appears interesting and fun.
Suitability of course book for my present teaching situation*:	Quite suitable as the listening versus speaking component could be extended with more dialogue generation practice using exemplified vocabulary and grammar focus. Quite confident my elementary level learners would have few problems with these materials.
Predicted student* opinion:	Feel my students would enjoy variety of combined approaches in this lesson.
Strongest points:	Variety of practice approaches. Short listening activities.
Weakest points:	Perhaps not enough speaking practice opportunities?
My emotional response to this course book:	It appears credible, practical and mostly interesting. Quite familiar level as I teach beginners for half of each year.
Other criteria:	Criteria: Speaking practice extensions compatibility. Beginners also like lots of short speaking activities just not sure if this sample text lesson displays enough of them.
Criteria: Speaking practice extensions compatibility.	Extensions: Learners could return to first set of questions to generate a dialogue discussing these questions and then interchange with a variety of speaking partners and note variety of responses. Second listening could be springboard to students generating descriptions of their own part-time jobs. Telephone usage activity could be extended to allow learners to discuss statements they agree or disagree with. Grammar link could be used to generate real world sentences using said or told in classroom. Taking class listening: learners could exchange their own numbers through speaking activity in class. Dialogue listening could become partner generated dialogue template. Students could make short presentations to explain grammar points using learner generated samples.