CUlture and language sequence
Unit I
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| What do you do in your free time? How did you spend your holidays? Is reading important? What sort of books do British / Russian people like to read? What is your favourite book? What are famous literary places in Britain/ Russia? How are the British/Russian writers honoured by the people? | Asking for information; expressing: agreement and disagreement, likes and dislikes; sharing opinions; giving arguments; asking for detail; expressing intention; giving reasons; interviewing | Literary Britain: famous places — Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath (the book museum), London (Westminster Abbey: Poets’ Corner), Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Alloway, Stockport, Marple, Nottingham, Cardiff, Cambridge, Oxford, Whitby, Walsall British writers: William Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Jerome K. Jerome, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, George Eliot, Mrs. Guskell, T. S. Eliot, Lewis Carroll, Winston Churchill Famous literary festivals: Burns’ celebration, Dickens festival | I. About: how children spent their holidays; what books the members of the family love reading; the guide’s story about literary Britain II. Listening skills listening for specific information; listening for detail | I. About: summer holidays activities; trips; favourite writers and books; literary places; museums; exhibitions; how the British / Russian value their literary giants II. Structures and vocabulary V-ing form; Passive Voice; revision of tenses; word-building; synonyms | I. About: children’s activities during summer holidays; people’s opinions about holidays, writers and books; quotations; literary places of Russia; Winston Churchill II. Reading and thinking skills reading for: specific information, the main idea, detail; interpreting a map and a picture; anticipating; previewing; predicting; learning to translate; making conclusions; deducing the meaning of words by dictionary use; understanding unstated ideas by similarities; summary writing; taking notes | About: literary routes of Russia; favourite activities during the holidays; a book report; an article for a school yearbook; a postcard about summer holidays | An article for Guinness Book of World Records; literary map of your region |
Unit 2
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| What musical centres of Britain do you know? What British music and musicians are known in the world? What music do you choose to listen to? How many sorts of music are there in the world? What music do we choose for different occasions? What famous composers do you know? What countries are considered to be musical? What are pros and cons of classical music? How to invite to a concert. What music and singers are popular with the youngsters? Can busking be a way of life? What do your parents think of the music you listen to? Famous rock operas. Can you play any musical instrument? How to become a pop star. | Expressing opinions; giving information; expressing likes and dislikes; comparing; asking for information; expressing agreement and disagreement; giving reasons; encouraging someone to do something; attracting attention; expressing wish | Musical Britain: Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten, Andrew Lloyd Webber; Promenade Concerts in Britain; The Beatles: the legend of the pop; “ Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera”; musical places of Britain; musical events of London; anthems of Britain and the USA; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO); top pop singers; HMV company; Billie Holiday, a famous show business figure | I. About: Promenade Concerts in Britain; songs from “The Sound of Music”; “ The Phantom of the Opera”; poems; Dmitriy Hvorostovskiy II. Listening skills listening for specific information; listening for detail | I. About: music you like and dislike; feelings that music arouse in us; famous composers; countries with strong musical traditions; attitude to classical music; Promenade Concerts; favourite pop singers and groups; parents’ opinions about pop music; styles of music; discussing concert programmes II. Grammar Structures and vocabulary New: V-ing after verbs and verbal phrases For revision: to be going to ...; V + object + (to) infinitive; ... is said to + infinitive; word-building (suffixes of adjectives); neither ... nor ... | I. About: famous composers; people’s opinions on music; concert programmes; posters; a tapemate; a poem; a libretto; names of composers II. Reading and thinking skills reading for specific information; reading for the main idea; reading for detail; getting information from maps and LCG; anticipating; understanding relations within the text III. Grammar reading skills For revision: Present and Past Indefinite; Active Voice/Passive Voice; using articles; phrasal verbs | A programme for a school concert; part II for the libretto of the “Phantom of the Opera”; topics for discussion with an interviewee; information for a tapemate; positive and negative opinions on modern music | Making a musical map of the area you live in; designing a poster and a CD cover for a pop singer, a tapemate; making a poster of a favourite musician |
Unit 3
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| What are the most popular leisure activities in Great Britain / Russia? Which channels are watched most / least in Great Britain / Russia? Are you a telly addict? What are the most popular programmes on British / Russian TV? Do you like soaps? What’s your favourite TV programme? What is wrong with watching the telly? What are good and bad features of television? What newspapers do they read in Britain? What do Russian newspapers contain? What magazines do teenagers read in Britain / Russia? What are the most popular products with British / Russian consumers? What helps you make a choice when you shop? What are British / Russian teenagers’ views on advertising? What is the best way of learning about the world? What are British / Russian TV viewing habits? | Talking about things in sequence; comparing and contrasting; showing interest and surprise; agreement/ disagreement; making a report; giving reasons; talking about something that has been said or heard (reported statements); making suggestions and responding to suggestions; explaining preferences; expressing viewpoints; asking and giving information; exchanging opinions | The most popular leisure activities in Britain; Britain’s TV channels; TV audience share (BBC1, BBC2, ITV (Ch3), Ch4, Sky One, Super-channel, S4C, Cable TV); the most popular programmes on British TV: “Family Matters”, “Blind Date”, “Miami Vice”, “Top of the Pops”, “Network 7”; TV viewing habits of British young people, TV programmes for children: “Wise Up” and others; the most popular British soaps; British radio stations; British newspapers (broadsheets and tabloids), regional, local and Sunday newspapers (The Evening Standard); the most popular magazines for teens: “Shout”, “Just Seventeen”, “Mizz”; the most popular magazines in Britain (“Radio Times”, “National Geographic”, “Reader’s Digest”, “What Car?)”; the most popular products with British young people; advertising on British TV, radio and in press; a TV schedule on an ordinary day in Britain; TV addicts of six countries compared; American magazines for teens: “Seventeen”, “Sassy”, “Teen”, “Sports Illustrated for Kids”; “The Times” newspaper copy on your birthday | I. About: the most popular leisure activities in Great Britain; TV audience share; British teenagers’ views on British TV; British soaps: “Eastenders”, “Neighbours”, “Home and Away”; British teenagers’ views on soaps; arguments for and against various TV programmes; Capital Radio disk jockeys’ interviews; reasons why people buy and read newspapers in Britain; the most popular products with British young consumers; British teenagers’ views on advertising; Neil Foxy’s (Capital Radio DJ) interview; the most popular magazines in Great Britain and their ratings; MTV; radio announcements; opinions on British TV; Jenny Henry’s interview; messages on the answering machine II. Listening skills listening for specific information, for detail, for the main idea | I. About: leisure activities in Britain and in Russia; interesting facts you’ve read about; British and Russian TV viewing habits, channels and programmes; your family / class favourite TV channels and programmes; radio station / programme; why people buy and read newspapers in Russia; local newspapers; magazines for teenagers in Russia; magazines you’d like to read; the most popular products you and your classmates buy; products you’d like to buy according to ads; best ways to learn about the world II. Grammar structures and vocabulary New: reported statements, reply questions For revision: word-building; Participle I, II; quantity words; time connectors; relative clauses | I. About: channels on British TV: BBC1, BBC2, ITV (Ch3), Ch4, Sky One channel, cable systems; the most popular TV programmes: “Family Matters”, “Blind Date”, “Miami Vice”, “Top of the Pops”, “Network 7”, and soaps: “Eastenders”, “Neighbours”, “Home and Away”; quality papers and tabloids; most popular magazines for teens: “Mizz”, “Just Seventeen”, “Jackie”, “Big”; print advertisements of various British products; good and bad features of advertising; British teenagers’ views on advertising; comic strips: “Calvin and Hobbes”; radio choices in Britain: Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Capital Radio, the BBC World Service; regional newspapers in Britain; a TV programme on an ordinary day in Britain II. Reading and thinking skills reading for: the main idea, specific information, detail; deducing meanings of words by: the context, analogy, word formation, synonyms, dictionary use; predicting; anticipating; previewing; interpreting a picture; understanding unstated ideas; learning to translate; understanding: the author’s intention, functions within the text, functions of the text, the author’s attitude; identifying the topic; recognizing propaganda techniques in advertising; reading aloud | I. About: leisure activities in Britain; the events in the world when you were born; keeping a TV diary (writing about what you watch every day); regional and local newspapers; your classmates’ favourite TV channels and programmes; your teacher’s and classmates’ likes and dislikes regarding TV watching; the most popular products with young Britons; a list of your classmates’ most popular products; products you’d like to buy according to ads | A perfect TV schedule for a perfect TV channel; an ad of your TV programme for children |
Unit 4
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| What habits are good and what are bad? What health habits have British people got? How do they keep fit? What is a balanced daily diet? What problems may teenagers have with their health? What is your attitude towards bad habits? What do you do to look great? What beauty products are popular with you? Do all people care about their health? How can different foods influence your health? | Making suggestions; convincing; giving arguments; complimenting; giving reasons; asking for focused explanation; giving more / other information; expressing probability | Changes in health habits in Britain; attitude towards smoking in Great Britain; measures taken against smoking; popular beauty products; famous companies (Body Shop, Berni, Cadbury, Kellogg’s); English food calendar; balanced daily diet components; history of a hot dog invention; British and Metric systems | I. About: eating habits of teenagers in Great Britain; calorie controlled diet; measures taken against smoking in Great Britain; pollution a hundred years ago; attitude of teenagers towards health; changes in appearance / health of people and what they have been doing for that; Body Shop company; how people ask for focused information; jokes about health habits II. Listening and thinking skills anticipating; listening for: specific information, detail, the main idea | I. About: good and bad habits; how bad habits affect our life; changes in health habits; popular products in Britain and Russia; attitude towards health; balanced diet; measures against smoking in Russia; how to use different products; influence of beauty products and food on the body II. Structures and vocabulary New: Present Perfect Continuous For revision: frequency adverbs and adverbials; comparison of adverbs and adjectives; questions; Second Condition; may / might; is likely to ...; imperative mood; reported speech (statements); reflexive pronouns | I. About: bad health habits, diets; influence of different beauty products on how people look like; facts and myths about health; popular ways of losing weight; history of a hot dog; history of Kellogg’s cereal, healthy foods while travelling; jokes about health habits; recipes; labels II. Reading and thinking skills anticipating; predicting; reading for: specific information, the main idea, detail; interpreting bar and pie charts and diagrams; interpreting a picture; understanding the organization of the text; understanding references; recognizing the text types; understanding the function of the text; distinguishing between a fact and a myth | A portrait of the average student in the class; an article about health habits in the class; a list of arguments against bad habits; facts about a link between pollution and health; explanations of labels, recipes; about popular foods in Russia; a diary; the funny endings of the jokes | Influence of food on the body; poster of a balanced sandwich |
Unit 5
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| What do you know about the education system in Great Britain and the USA? Where can you go after graduating from school? What can you do at 16 and 18? What are the most important items for you when you choose school? What professional field can you choose? What do you want to be? What is important in choosing a profession? What are well and low paid jobs in Britain and in Russia? How to earn your pocket money? What is a job interview? | Expressing: opinion, agreement, disagreement; giving reasons; summarizing; evaluating; asking about personal information; expressing lack of interest; advising someone to do something | About: system of education in Britain, Russia and the USA; a job interview; a job centre; “REM”; Michael Stipe; “New Kids on the Block”; “Public Enemy”; Ronald Reagan; Sylvester Stallone; Tina Turner; Madonna; Neil Tennant; “Pet Shop Boys”; Margaret Thatcher; Dustin Hoffman; Christopher Lambert; Jon Bon Jovi | I. About: the British educational system; a survey of British schoolchil-dren about their future careers; a job interview II. Listening skills listening for specific information; listening for detail | I. About: different types of schools, preschool institutions, and higher education in Britain, Russia and the USA; opportunities which pupils have at 16 and 18 in Britain and in Russia; what is most important when you choose school; what professional field suits you best; professions which are more suitable for women and for men; factors which are most important in choosing a career; well paid and low paid jobs in Britain and in Russia; how to earn pocket money; how to behave at a job interview II. Structures and vocabulary New: reported questions; reported requests and orders | I. About: what pupils can do after graduating from secondary school; schools in Britain; different professional fields and categories; a pilot of British Caledonian Airways: a quiz “What would you like to be”; pop stars’ ordinary jobs; how British teenagers earn their pocket money II. Reading and thinking skills reading for detail; reading for specific information; reading for the main idea; anticipating; understanding the type / function of the text; identifying the topic; predicting; understanding the meaning of words by context, synonyms; learning to translate; taking notes; summary writing; using reference materials; getting information from tables and statistics and maps | Questions about the education system in Great Britain; about yourself and your study; filling in an application for employment; about schools in Russia; a report about a career project | A career project |
Unit 6
| Topics, problems, situations | Functions | Cultural background knowledge | Listening | Speaking | Reading | Writing | Students’ project |
| In what countries is English spoken? Why is English such an important language? What will the role of English be in the 21st century? Why are you learning English? What is the best way to learn a foreign language? Who are British and Russian Nobel Prize winners? In what areas is Britain a world power? What are the most important Russian achievements? What attracts tourists to Britain? What are the main Russia’s attractions? What is your country proud of? Who “has spread the knowledge of English all over Europe”? Does Britain belong to the EC? | Asking for details; giving arguments; giving reasons; expressing agreement / disagreement; sharing the information; evaluating | The lingua franca; the United Nations; 10 widely spread languages of the world; American English and British English; British Nobel Prize winners; British inventors; the European Union; National Health Service; Britain’s exports and imports; National Museum of Photography; National Railway Museum; The Royal Marine Museum; Norwich; British famous writers and scientists; Britain in NATO; European security, American famous people; G. Washington, Т. Jefferson, P. Henry, R. Lee, A. Lincoln, В. Franklin, Whitney, S. Foster, W. Whitman | I. About: the official and working languages of the United Nations; opinions about Britain; an announcement of a tourist centre; a talk between an American and a Briton about American English and British English; a talk between students about their language learning experience II. Listening and thinking skills listening for specific information; listening for detail; listening for the main idea | I. About: English as a world language; why you are learning English; the best way to learn a language; famous people of Russia; exports and imports of Britain and Russia; things you bought last time; the main achievements of Britain and Russia; cultural differences and similarities of different countries; advantages and disadvantages of living in different countries II. Structures and vocabulary For revision: numerals; adjectives (nationality, language), adverbs (comparison), antonyms; word-building; adjective modifiers | I. About: English as a world language; British Nobel Prize winners; the origin of some words; Heinrich Schliemann; famous writers and average English men who popularized English; different views on Britain; “ I’m the United States”; Britain in the EC and NATO; Red Nose Day and Comic Relief Album events II. Reading and thinking skills reading for detail; reading for specific information; reading for the main idea; predicting; interpreting a map, an opinion poll, pictures; anticipating; using reference materials; taking notes; learning to translate; understanding the organization of the text; using a dictionary; identifying the topic; writing a summary | About: why you are learning English; words which were borrowed from the English language; a question with three possible answers for a quiz; world famous people and their inventions; local companies and their exports and contacts with Britain; differences and similarities of Russian and British cultures | “I’m Russia”; a poster about an invention |