How to do "The set up"

• In each lesson, you´re given clear instructions for setting up each activity. Regardless, I´d like to highlight a few things.
  
  
  • Personalize it: Although example material is provided (when possible) for lessons in the appendices, I can´t stress enough how important it is for you to find your own versions of these materials which are adapted to the learners´ needs, level and interests. The lessons in this book are designed with the learner in mind, so it´s important that you, the teacher, do the same. In addition, it´s important that the material be as up-to-date as possible, something that´s not possible if you use materials published in a book (which is a big problem with coursebooks). This applies also to reading and listening texts. Only you know what´s best for your class. You´re welcome to copy and use any materials provided in this book, but nothing beats a personalized, adapted or updated text--written or recorded.
  • Ease: Despite having to troll the internet or keep your eyes open for materials in the street, no activity requires much more time than it takes to do a search, copy some text from a webpage, paste it onto a document and print it out. In some cases, you´re asked to modify the texts (such as in a jigsaw activity) but these modifications take very little time to do. In addition, the materials can be used again and again, provided the learner-profiles are similar from class to class or that the information does not become noticeably out of date.
  • Authentic material, not necessarily "realia": When I came up with the concept for these classes I began to realize how necessary it was to have objects and texts to look at, refer to and use for carrying out the speaking tasks. Some of the materials (such as advertising leaflets, menus, brochures, etc) don´t even have to be printed in English (What´s that you say? Not in English?) since the students can translate the words as they speak or write; the point is to have a point of reference--something real to make the class more real. And nowadays, with the internet (or your fantastic translation skills) we can provide learners with authentic materials in English too! So get used to picking up random brochures for holiday vacations and advertising leaflets for sales on LCD televisions; they could form the basis of your next class.
  • No materials: In many cases, where materials are "required" for the lesson, you could just "opt out" and instead rely upon your students´ imaginations and knowledge. With some modification, I´m sure most of these lessons could be done with no materials preperation. However, I honestly believe that by providing physical materials for the students to hold onto and look at is another part of what makes these lessons special. It stimulates the learners, provides valuable authentic language and adds that extra touch of reality which makes all the difference. So, unless you overslept the morning before class or don´t know how to use Google, do your best to bring the materials each lesson requires.