| Okay, it's a cliché to say a book changed | | | | unimaginable and make sentence structure a |
| your life, but this book changed mine. It cut my | | | | source of entertainment with Sentence |
| prep time down to minutes. Using the activities in | | | | Contraction and Expansion. I've done all this, and |
| this book, I learned how to teach for two hours | | | | so can you. |
| using only half a page of notes. | | | | The book is divided into chapters on icebreakers, |
| The authors don't tell language teachers not to | | | | listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and |
| plan. They tell them not to over-prepare: making | | | | structure (grammar). Each chapter gives directions |
| up dictations and comprehension questions, | | | | for six to 22 low-prep activities. Indexes group |
| previewing vocabulary in readings. | | | | the activities by routines (brainstorm, chain, cloze, |
| Over-preparation can make teachers too | | | | etc.) and uses (class cohesion, preview, review, |
| controlling, too busy, and just too tired to function | | | | settling down). Although most activities are for |
| well in class. | | | | intermediate to advanced students, there are |
| Read this book and you won't fall into that trap | | | | about 30 suitable for beginners, and many others |
| again. Instead, learn to turn your announcements | | | | can be adapted for them. (The authors have also |
| into a listening activity. Get a class of reluctant | | | | published a book for beginning classes.) |
| beginners talking with Tell It Like It Isn't. Use any | | | | So quit staying up late the night before class to |
| set of directions to create an Acting-Out | | | | make up worksheets and circle vocabulary words. |
| Dictacomp -- an activity that combines TPR with | | | | As the back cover copy says, "When teachers |
| writing and also promotes cooperation. Do the | | | | teach less, students learn more! |