Page 7 - Ace TB1 Cubierta.indd

Ace! is a six-level course for children learning English from Primary 1 to Primary 6.

The course combines a high level grammar and vocabulary syllabus with fresh, modern visual appeal and all the rich, imaginative context of a true story-based course. The context for the Ace! course is The Ace School and the Ace! characters are all school pupils. In each cycle we experience the daily life and learning of a different age group of pupil characters. And just as the Ace! characters are given a chance to shine, pupils learning English with Ace! are also inspired to flourish.

The language and skills practice in Ace!, shaped in line with the requirements of the Cambridge English: Young Learners , Cambridge English: Key and Trinity examinations, have been carefully chosen and crafted to benefit all children in higher level learning contexts, whether they intend to sit external examinations or not. While the syllabus is fast-paced and comprehensive, lessons are carefully staged, the approach to practice and recycling of language is thorough, and the methodology is clear and supportive for teachers and children alike. The course empowers the children to achieve, and at the same time places importance on the fun and enjoyment of learning at primary school.

Ace! has an inviting, highly motivating concept and a wealth of story genres, which set the theme for each unit. The stories act as a springboard into meaningful presentation and practice of grammar and vocabulary, and extensive development of all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The course places strong emphasis on literacy, with the inclusion of a wide variety of text types and a regular phonics focus. In addition, importance is given to the development of the whole child, through the incorporation of Key Competence aims in the Ace! syllabus, as well as rich cultural input, the highlighting of values, and a cross-curricular lesson in every unit throughout the course. To bring the Ace! world to life, the course offers a complete, up-to-date suite of learning and teaching materials, including a comprehensive Teacher’s Resource Pack, an External Exams Practice CD-ROM, and course-specific digital components.

In Ace! 1, we follow the adventures of the characters Monty and Lola, who are both pupils at The Ace School. In the Starter Unit story, Monty and Lola discover that the book cupboard in their classroom is magic. They have only to enter the book cupboard and open a book to find themselves transported into a fascinating, fictional world. Each unit that follows begins with either Monty or Lola in a different fictional location. The location is determined by the book they opened in the cupboard, and they are always dressed accordingly. For example, Monty becomes an artist in unit 1 and Lola a doctor in unit 2. This concept can be brought to life in the classroom with the use of the book cupboard flashcard pocket. The flashcard of Monty or Lola in their everyday clothes is placed into the flashcard pocket on

As a story-based course, Ace! 1 has storytelling at the very core of its methodology.

The value of stories is widely recognized in Primary English Language Teaching. Children come to the primary classroom already equipped with an understanding of stories and the way they work. This familiarity with narrative conventions, as well as an expectation of the pleasure and enjoyment that stories bring, empowers them with confidence and motivation from the outset – an ideal starting point for pupils learning English at this level.

In addition, in a fast-paced course like Ace! 1, stories are the perfect vehicle for the presentation of new language structures, due to the meaningful, visually supportive and very immediate context they naturally provide. The emphasis on stories is also invaluable in the development of children’s literacy skills, as it furthers familiarity and understanding of the functions of text, as well as promoting a positive attitude to books and reading, which is key to academic success.

Stories are a way of immersing children in the target culture, which is a significant part of learning a foreign language and of considerable benefit to children preparing to sit external exams. They are also a useful framework for developing key competences, particularly raising awareness with regard to the target culture, as well as inter-curricular themes and citizenship.

In Ace! 1, the adventures of Monty and Lola constitute a story thread which runs throughout the level.

The unit stories represent the different story books Monty and Lola find and open in the book cupboard. The stories have a rich and varied range of contexts, characters and genres to appeal to the interests of every child in the class. The carefully staged methodology and impressive package of story materials in Ace! 1 make it possible to exploit each story’s full potential. The unit stories are told initially using the storycards. The teacher can choose to tell the story using the guide script on the storycards or using the Audio CD. The children then listen again, following the story in their Class Books. The children are then encouraged to reproduce the story dialogue by acting it out in groups or as a whole class, with the aim of developing oral fluency and confidence, as well as competence, in speaking English. As a follow up, animated versions of all the unit stories on the DVD bring an entertaining extra dimension to the storytelling experience and the children’s learning.