This courseware is intended for adult learners of English. The aim of this courseware is to build, using the communicative approach, the learners' confidence in speaking the language, by developing their:

• conversational skills in real-life situations
• understanding of grammatical rules.

There is one drawback to the normal communicative approach, however. In this approach to teaching English, grammar is usually given a subordinate role. Typically, the development of communication skills is given emphasis over the learning of grammar. As long as learners get their ideas across, they are deemed to have learned to communicate successfully, regardless of the grammatical errors they make.

WHY TEACH GRAMMAR?

Grammar is what makes it possible for us to talk in a language. In English, as in any language, grammar allows us to identify the types of words and word groups that make up sentences. Grammar is often associated with errors and correctness. Thus, by knowing about grammar, we can understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear, interesting and precise.

When we speak in grammatically-correct English, we give an impression of being well-schooled, even well-bred. To be truly proficient, we must do more than merely communicate – we must speak articulately, or better still, eloquently. Only with a strong foundation in grammar can we do this.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE COURSEWARE

• Developing your confidence

  You build your confidence through practice. But what should you practice? To improve your listening and speaking skills, you should practice listening and speaking, obviously. Use the situational contexts in each lesson for your practice. Listen to the dialogue or narration, and try to understand what is being said. Then, see the text-only version, and read along with the character in the dialogue or the narrator. Keep doing this until you can read smoothly without hesitating.

  Another section that you can use to develop your confidence is the Speaking Section. Here, you can record your voice and compare it with the pre-recorded reference. The audio tool that we provide is ideal for you to practise your pronunciation, enunciation, modulation, intonation etc.

  Some activities in the Speaking Section involve a dialogue between you and a virtual character. These activities provide the setting for you to interact with another ‘person'. Use these activities as listening and speaking exercises for developing your listening and speaking skills.

• Increasing your vocabulary
  
  Every lesson will have words that may be new to you. These words are listed in the Vocabulary Section. The meanings of these words are given both in English and in Malay. Listen to how the words are pronounced, and use the words in different contexts. Know what part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) each word is. If the word is a noun, change it to an adjective (for example), and use it in its new form in a sentence. If it is a verb, use it in different tenses in sentences.
  
  Many words have multiple meanings. The definitions given in the Vocabulary Section are the meanings of the words in the context of the respective lesson. You are encouraged to use the dictionary for other possible meanings.
   
• Understanding grammar
  
  Grammar is the whole system and structure of a language. Grammar states the rules of how that language should be spoken (or written). Each lesson has a section on grammar; however, the content varies in the number of grammar items introduced. To help you understand the grammar items introduced, practice exercises are provided for you to do. Understanding grammar helps you to write and speak English correctly.
   
• Common errors
  
  Samples of common mistakes that people make can be found in Common Errors. The reasons for making the mistakes are explained, and by understanding the reasons, you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Lesson Contents:

CD1

• Articles
• Common And Proper Nouns
• Countable And Uncountable Nouns
• Collective Nouns
• Gender Nouns
• Verbs
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Spot On Errors

CD2

• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns
• Relative Pronouns
• Reflexive Pronouns
• Interrogative Pronouns
• Question Words
• Spot On Errors

CD3

• Simple Present Tense
• Present Continuous Tense
• Simple Past Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Simple Future Tense
• Future Continuous Tense
• Spot On Errors

CD4

• Adjectives
• Adjectives Of Comparison
• Adverbs
• Adverbs Of Comparison
• Prepositions
• Compound Sentences
• Conjunctions
• Spot On Errors

CD5

• Punctuation
• Homonyms, Homophones And Homographs
• Positive And Negative Statements
• Positive And Negative Questions And Responses
• Questions With Tags And Responses
• Phrasal Verbs
• Modal Verbs
• Spot On Errors