Es ist gut! - German: the Michel Thomas Method for Schools

Es ist gut! - German: the Michel Thomas Method by Michel Thomas and Paul Howard

Summary:

The amazing success of the Michel Thomas method of learning a language is now available for schools. The package offers a comprehensive, accelerated learning course perfect as a grounding for those new to German. No other materials are needed: in fact, the use of other materials would detract from the effectiveness of the course. The author, Paul Howard, has been using the Michel Thomas method in school for some three years, with amazing, and quantifiable, results. Faithfully following the Michel Thomas recordings published by Hodder, Paul has created a teaching and learning programme that additionally uses ICT to support class work. Now teachers and students can experience the success and the confidence that this success generates, to master the structure of the language in a fraction of the time taken by traditional methods.

The Michel Thomas method, with its bilingual approach to teaching and interest in engaging with language and decoding meaning, is praised in the Dearing Report, whose authors report its 'considerable success and motivated learners' ('The Languages Review', DfES, March 2007).

The course is delivered in two ring binders (one for each Phase), two Teacher's CDRs, and two audio CDs with listening comprehension files, and is supported by two interactive CDRs for students to use at home or in the language laboratory. All the CDs and CDRs are networkable. The teaching is designed for complete beginners and is taught in English. The process appears informal, relaxed and unhurried, but progress is rapid. Learning is based on understanding, not memorisation. The excitement of learning motivates students to make much faster progress than with conventional courses. By the end of the second year of just one hour a week learning German using this method, pupils will have a solid grounding in the grammatical structures equivalent to the requirements of GCSE and beyond.

The course comprises: 2 ring binders (one for each of two phases of 25 and 20 lessons respectively) containing hard copies of: scheme of work, lesson plans, pupils' hand-outs, homework sheets, listening comprehension transcripts; CDR with PowerPoints and editable Word files of the scheme of work and all work and answer sheets; audio CD with listening comprehension exercises; 2 class sets of 20 interactive CDRs (one set for each of the two phases) containing audio-visual presentations of the lessons, work sheets (and help), interactive games, and listening comprehension. All these CDs and CDRs are networkable. The course also includes one copy of each of the published Michel Thomas Foundation and Advanced German courses (RRP £120).

• The Michel Thomas method - proven to work. The extraordinary sales of the consumer products (£20 million; 800,000 units in 6 years) prove the effectiveness of the method
• New approach - widely accepted that conventional methods are not working, despite 'improvements' over the years
• Complete course - no other materials necessary
• Fully integrated - everything the teacher needs, from homework sheets to detailed, 'scripted' lesson plans
• CD-ROM to aid students' progress at home or in the language laboratory - integrates ICT into MFL teaching
• Quantifiable results - test results show that the programme gets results, school, teacher, pupils, parents all happy and enthusiastic
• CILT - Dr Lid King (CILT's director) observed the Michel Thomas Method being taught in October 2006
• Dearing report - praise for the method (‘considerable success and motivated learners’)

About the Author(s): Paul Howard has been teaching modern foreign languages in the state and private sectors for ten years. He is a GCSE Coursework Moderator.

Readership: Key Stage 3