If you'd like to see a specific section of the FAQ's please click on one of the links below.

Snapshot, Word Power, Conversation, Grammar Focus, Fluency Exercises (Pair Work, Group Work, Role Play), Listening, Writing, Reading, Interchange Activities

Snapshot

Q: What is a Snapshot for?
A: These exercises contain interesting, real-world information that introduces the topic of a unit or cycle. They also build receptive and productive vocabulary. Follow-up questions encourage discussion of the Snapshot material and personalize the topic.

Q: How long does it take to teach a Snapshot?
A: It takes about 10 to 20 minutes to teach a Snapshot.

Word Power

Q: How should we review vocabulary learned in the Word Power Unit?
A: There are several ways to review vocabulary learned in the Word Power Unit:

• Use exercises in the Workbook
• Use the Unit Summary at the back of the book.
• Begin a class with a five-minute review

Q: Is the vocabulary in Word Power for productive use?
A: Yes, absolutely. Students will be using these words again and again throughout the unit.

Q: How many additional words should be taught?
A: Try to gauge your students' level of readiness for new vocabulary by paying attention to their use of current vocabulary. As a rule of thumb, it is better to teach a small amount of new vocabulary and make sure your students learn it well, than to teach many new vocabulary words that your students might not be able to grasp.
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Conversation

Q: Why is the conversation before Grammar Focus?
A: The conversation introduces new grammatical structures in context. In this way, students understand the meaning of the passage before they begin to study the new grammar items.

Q: How can I prevent students from "reading" the conversation while practising?
A: There are several techniques:

• Look Up and Say Technique: A student looks at the line of the dialog that she or she needs to say next, and then looks up and says the line while maintaining eye contact with a partner. This encourages students to avoid a "reading-like" pronunciation and intonation when practising Conversation exercises together.
• Seat students across from one another.

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Grammar Focus

Q: Where can I find more controlled grammar practice exercises for my students?
A: There are four different places to find more controlled grammar exercises:

• Workbook
• Writing Activities
• Lab Cassette
• Video Activity Book

Q: Why aren't grammar rules written down in the grammar boxes?
A: Rules are generally written on the teacher's page in order to give the teacher the freedom and the flexibility to teach rules either inductively or deductively.

Q: How important is accuracy at this stage?
A: Accuracy is very important that this stage. Students need to understand the grammar rule in order to deal effectively with Fluency Exercises.
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Fluency Activities (also known as Pair Work; Group Work; Role Play)

Q: How can we get students to speak up more?
A: There are several different ways:

• Try to limit error correction; it is better to give occasional but focused feedback on one thing at a time than to overwhelm a student with too much information.
• Encourage students to think of extra questions before the exercise begins.

Q: What is the teacher's role in a fluency activity?
A: The teacher gives clear instructions, models the exercise, and then provides students with time to complete the activity on their own.

Q: Are the models in the pronunciation exercises written in North American English?
A: The models are written in North American English. However, New Interchange reflects the fact that English is the major language of international communication, and is not limited to any one country, region, or culture.
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Listening

Q: How much should we expect the students to understand?
A: Students do not have to understand everything that appears on the audio program, but they should have general comprehension of the situation and know key vocabulary that is essential for the task.

Q: How many times should we play the audio program?
A: Play the audio program until students are able to complete the task you have outlined for them.

Q: How can we help students to better understand Listening exercises?
A: When teaching listening, it is important to remind students that in most listening situations the aim is not to remember the specific words or phrases used but to extract the main ideas or information. When presenting an exercise, it is also important to prepare students for the task through pre-listening activities. These include asking questions about the topic, asking students to make predictions, and making use of the context provided by the pictures and the situation.
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Writing

Q: Do we have to do the writing activity in class?
A: The best time to do a writing activity is in class. However, if time is an issue, have students begin writing activities in class and complete the activities at home. The work should then be followed up in class, so that students can benefit from peer feedback.

Q: How can I stop my students from copying the model?
A: Have students close their books.
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Reading

Q: Should students read aloud?
A: Students should not read aloud, for the following reasons:

• It is confusing for students to concentrate on two skills, i.e., speaking and reading, at the same time.
• Students who read aloud may be providing other students with an inaccurate model of pronunciation.
• Reading aloud is not a commonly-used real-life skill.
• While one student is reading out loud, other students sometimes lose focus.
• Reading aloud sometimes leads students to concentrate on individual words and lose sight of the passage as a whole.

Q: Shouldn't we use the reading passages to test pronunciation?
A: We do not recommend using the readings to test pronunciation; there are many other opportunities in the book to test pronunciation.

Q: Should students be given a time limit?
A: Yes, a time limit can help students complete their work more effectively.
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Interchange Activities

Q: How do I teach Interchange Activities?
A: Here are some suggestions:

• Where necessary and appropriate for the task, divide the class into pairs or groups and assign the students their roles (A, B, C, etc.) and their corresponding page numbers.
• Model the activity with one or more students. Encourage students to be creative and to have fun; ask questions and solicit student involvement.
• During these activities, students should focus on communication, not grammar. Also, they should not refer back to the unit once they have begun an activity.
• As students do the task, go around the class and give help as needed. In this way, you will allow students to work independently.
• Where appropriate, call on pairs or groups to do the activity in front of the class. Elicit and give some helpful feedback on each performance.
• Optional: Use an audio tape recorder or video camera to record the students' performances. Then play them back to the class and discuss their merits.

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