A note from the author
I’m reading a book called The Element by Ken Robinson.
On a table nearby, a few teenagers are chatting with their
friends
... [Show More] after a long day at school. ‘Our task is to educate (our
students’) whole being so they can face the future,’ I read.
‘We may not see the future, but they will and our job is to
help them make something of it.’ I look at the kids and think:
‘That’s quite a big task!’
It’s a challenge we all face, whether we’re teachers, parents,
educational writers or youth workers. Our short-term
objectives may be different: we may help teenagers or
young adults pass school-leaving exams, understand maths
formulae, or take part in community projects. But ultimately
our long-term objectives are the same: to help young
people develop a passion for and curiosity about life, to give
them confidence in their own ideas, to help them become
open-minded, global citizens.
When I started writing insight I immediately understood
that the course was trying to satisfy these two objectives:
a rigorous syllabus would help students develop their
language skills, but it also had its eye on long-term
objectives, too.
Today’s students are very sophisticated. They have an
amazing ability to multitask, and they often have a broad
knowledge of other cultures and countries. They also have a
point of view, and in insight we value that and seek it out –
we also challenge it. We constantly ask students to question,
evaluate and make cross-cultural comparisons: What do you
think? Do you agree? What would you do? Speaking helps
develop their confidence as language learners, but it also
develops confidence in their own opinions and beliefs.
In insight we’ve added a special ingredient, too: in many
texts and topics there is a fact or point of view students
may not have come across before, something surprising or
thought-provoking, something they may want to tell their
friends in a café after school. The aim of this extra ingredient
is to inspire curiosity, and a passion to discover and learn. It
might help them think about an issue in a different way, and
make a lesson more memorable.
That’s what insight is all about. It strives to create the right
conditions for students to grow, learn and develop their
ideas and experience. To become lifelong learners. ‘You
cannot predict the outcome of human development,’ adds
Ken Robinson, wisely. ‘All you can do is like a farmer create
the conditions under which it will begin to flourish.’
Jayne Wildman
5
To encourage autonomous and lifelong learning
insight prepares students for further study and life outside
the classroom environment by developing their skills for
lifelong learning and encouraging autonomous learning.
Strategy boxes in every unit offer step-by-step guides on
how to improve core skills. Students apply the strategy
immediately in a series of exercises to allow them to see how
the strategy can benefit them. The strategies are relevant to
students’ studies now and in the future, so they will be able
to use the same strategy again and again.
Writing preparation covers extensive practice and
development of key skills, such as brainstorming, planning,
checking, paraphrasing, avoiding repetition, etc. These skills
will also help students beyond the classroom environment.
The use of authentic texts builds students’ confidence
by showing them that they can tackle these kinds of
texts outside the classroom, in real-life situations. The
accompanying activities teach students how to think
critically – question ideas, analyse, rationalize, synthesize and
make reasoned judgements – skills that students will need in
all areas of their lives, especially in higher education and the
workplace.
Autonomous learning is also encouraged by developing
dictionary and thesaurus skills. Students gain a better
understanding of how dictionaries and thesauruses look,
the information they provide, and how and when to use
them. Learning how to use these reference sources will help
students with their learning now and in their future life.
These are all skills that teach self-reliance and foster
autonomous learning, equipping students for life after
school or university.
To help students explore the rules of grammar
The guided discovery approach to grammar in insight
allows students to work out grammar rules for themselves
and furnishes them with a better understanding of how
grammar works. This approach actively engages students
in the learning process, making them more likely to
understand and remember the grammar point.
New structures are always presented in the context of a
reading or listening text, so that students become familiar
with the usage and meaning of the grammar, before
manipulating its form. The guided discovery approach
means students analyse examples from the texts before they
deduce the rules. If necessary, the rules can be checked in
the Grammar reference section in the Workbook.
The practice exercises are topic-based, so students are
required to understand the usage and meaning of the
grammatical structures, as well as the form. The free
speaking activities allow students to use the new language
in a personalized, productive and creative way.
To encourage students to reflect and take
responsibility for their learning
Self-reflection plays a key role in developing active, directed
and responsible learners. Learners who are able to look to
themselves for solutions to problems rather than always
seeking out the help of others will be better equipped for
later life in academic or professional environments.
insight encourages students to reflect on their learning
in a variety of ways. The Review sections in the Student’s
Book are an opportunity for them to see what they already
know and where more work is needed. Students get marks
for completing the Reviews, so they can self-monitor their
progress through the book.
The Progress checks in the Workbook help students to
identify gaps in their knowledge and skills, and encourage
students to rely on themselves when seeking ways of
improving.
The self-check feature in the Writing sections teaches
students how to evaluate their own work against a set of
criteria. The corrected writing assignments can also be a
record of their progress.
6
Components of the course
The Teacher’s Book contains:
teaching notes for the Student’s Book and answer keys for both the Student’s Book
and Workbook.
ideas for optional extra activities for greater flexibility.
background notes, cultural information and language notes.
suggestions for teaching further vocabulary from reading texts and questions
for discussions.
the scripts for the audio from the Student’s Book and Workbook.
The three Audio CDs contain:
all the listening material for the Student’s Book and Workbook.
the Workbook audio is also available at www.oup.com/elt/insight
The Workbook contains:
further practice of everything taught in the Student’s Book.
Plus
Challenge exercises for stronger students.
eleven Progress check pages which provide an opportunity for student reflection
and self-evaluation.
five Literature insight lessons based on classic works of English literature.
five Exam insight sections with typical exam tasks and strategies to help students
become better exam takers.
a twenty-page Grammar reference and practice section containing comprehensive
grammar explanations and further practice.
ten Pronunciation insight points with activities to develop students’
pronunciation skills.
a Wordlist with dictionary-style entries giving students more information about
core vocabulary.
The Student’s Book contains:
a Welcome unit and ten topic-based units divided into clear sections that logically
follow on from one another.
ten Review pages that test all of the grammar and vocabulary points from the unit.
five Cumulative reviews which review all the language taught up to that point in the
Student’s Book through a series of skills-based activities.
a twelve-page Vocabulary bank section with twenty-three additional topic-based
vocabulary sets.
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Websites
Student’s website (www.oup.com/elt/insight): Workbook audio
Teacher’s website (www.oup.com/elt/teachers/insight): Exam insight answer key
The Classroom Presentation Tool contains:
a digital version of the Student’s Book and Workbook with integrated audio.
answer keys for all exercises.
synched audio scripts which highlight text as it is played.
The Test Bank MultiROM contains:
unit tests and mid- and end-of-course tests available as PDFs and editable Word files
which you can adapt according to your students’ needs.
A and B versions of each test to help with classroom management.
audio for all the listening tasks. This can be played on a CD player.
audio scripts for all the listening exercises.
answers to all exercises.
The Teacher’s Resource Disk contains:
additional communication worksheets to practise key language from the
Student’s Book.
documentary video clips linked to each Student’s Book unit plus accompanying readyto-
use video worksheets and lesson guides.
How to guides which tackle key teaching issues and provide ideas and suggestions for
activities to use in the classroom.
Functional language bank – a compilation of key communicative phrases from
throughout the Student’s Book.
Writing bank – a compilation of the key writing formats practised throughout the
course with notes and tips on how to write them.
8
A – Reading and vocabulary
• Students are first presented with a set of key lexis
which they practise. Speaking and listening are key
skills at this point.
• an information-rich text then establishes the topic of
the unit.
• the reading text also contextualizes a vocabulary set
which is recycled and practised through the rest of
the unit. This is a Vocabulary insight (V insight) set
which explores language in greater depth.
• the text previews grammatical structures that
students will study in the next section. Students
are not expected to engage actively with the new
grammar at this point.
• there is a link to the Vocabulary bank at the back
of the Student’s Book where another lexical set is
presented and practised.
• the section closes with a speaking activity which
allows students to react to the text and demonstrate
their understanding of the issues raised or practise
target language from the section.
B – Grammar and listening
• section B picks up on the grammatical structures
that students met, but may not have recognized, in
the reading text in section A.
• the new language is presented in a meaningful
context – either a reading or listening text.
• the reading or listening text also establishes a new
topic for the section and contextualizes some of the
vocabulary from section A.
• the guided discovery approach to grammar ensures
that students actively engage with the new language.
• students analyse examples, complete rules or answer
questions about the grammar which help them to
focus on the new structures, their meaning and use.
• a final speaking activity allows students to use the
new language in a personalized and productive way.
This happens throughout the Student’s Book.
• there is a link to Grammar reference and practice
in the Workbook where students can find further
practice activities and explanations of the grammar
for reinforcement.
Student’s Book at a glance
There are ten main units and a Welcome unit in the Student’s Book. Each main unit is divided into five
sections (A–E), with a Review. After every two units, there is a Cumulative review. At the back of the
book, there is a ten-page Vocabulary bank.
9
C – Culture, vocabulary and grammar
• section C introduces students to the culture of
the English-speaking world through a text on the
customs, traditions and history of English-speaking
countries or what life is like in those countries.
• there is a cultural comparison element, which
encourages students to think about similarities and
differences with their own culture.
• the culture text contextualizes the key grammar of
the section.
• students learn about the grammar in a guided
inductive way.
• there is a link to Grammar reference and practice
in the Workbook.
D – Listening, speaking and vocabulary
• a new vocabulary set is presented and practised.
• one or more carefully selected audio recordings and
accompanying tasks ensure that students develop
their listening skills.
• the section also presents functional language
through several model dialogues, as well as
controlled and free practice.
E – Writing
• section E always presents a model text which
students analyse for the language, structure and
format used.
• a language point illustrates and practises useful
writing language and structures.
• a writing strategy develops key elements of
the writing process, for example, planning,
brainstorming, deciding on register, etc.
• every section includes a step-by-step writing
guide which takes students through the process of
generating ideas, planning, writing and checking
their work.
• the writing task lets students use the language
taught throughout the unit in a personalized,
productive and creative way.
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Review
• the review gives students another opportunity to
recycle and check how well they know the vocabulary
and grammar they have learned in the unit.
• students get marks for every completed review, so it is
easy to monitor progress through the book.
• there is a link to Pronunciation insight in the
Workbook, which introduces and practises a
pronunciation point relevant to the unit.
Strategies
• in every unit, there is a writing strategy and either
a listening or reading strategy.
• each strategy develops students’ language skills
and helps them to become more confident and
autonomous learners.
• the strategies are practised through a number of
activities, so that students can immediately apply
the skills they have learned.
DVD extra
• there is a link from every unit to a documentary
video clip.
• each documentary clip builds on a topic of
the unit.
• each video is accompanied by a ready-to-use
DVD worksheet which contains comprehension,
language and speaking activities, along with
teaching notes.
Cumulative review
• there is a two-page cumulative review at the end of
every two units. This reviews key language and skills
from the Student’s Book up to that point through a
series of skills-based tasks. Each Cumulative review
includes listening, speaking, reading, use of English and
writing exercises.
• there is a link to the Literature insight and Exam
insight sections in the Workbook.
Vocabulary bank
• there are three cross-references to the Vocabulary bank
from the Welcome unit and two from every other unit.
• each Vocabulary bank presents and practises further
vocabulary sets that are topically related to the unit.
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Workbook at a glance
There are ten main units and a Welcome unit in the Workbook. Each unit has a page to correspond with
each Student’s Book spread. There is a Progress check at the end of each unit. All Workbook audio can
be found on the Class Audio CD, Classroom Presentation [Show Less]