Towards the Future (Learning Guide) on

Author: (British) O'Neill (T.), Snow (P.)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1996-09-01
Features: Ten years ago, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) gained worldwide acclaim for launching the English learning series "Let's Learn." Now, the BBC has once again introduced a brand-new English teaching program called "LookAhead." "LookAhead" draws on the success of "Let's Learn" and incorporates the latest findings from recent English teaching research, becoming a model for television-based instruction. The program is jointly developed by four world-renowned English teaching institutions—the British Broadcasting Corporation, Cambridge University Examination Committee, Longman Publishing House, and the British Council—with the strong support of the European Commission. "LookAhead" is undoubtedly the most comprehensive and authoritative English teaching program in the world today. After its broadcast in countries like Poland, the program caused a sensation and achieved remarkable success, further fueling the global enthusiasm for learning English.
The Level 4 course in "LookAhead" helps learners progress from elementary to intermediate English proficiency. The 60-lesson curriculum, along with accompanying video tapes and audio tapes, offers 400 hours of learning opportunities. It is suitable for both adult and teenage learners. Key Features:
- Adaptability: Available for all English learners worldwide.
- Authenticity: Video tapes and audio tapes provide real-life language in authentic contexts.
- Variety: Primarily British English, supplemented with American English and other accents.
- Ease of Learning: Clear language points with defined goals for each stage.
- Comprehensiveness: Covers a wide range of topics, including social, economic, cultural, educational, and everyday life.
- Authority: The Cambridge University Examination Committee has designated "LookAhead" as the official teaching material for the internationally recognized KET and PET exams. China has adopted both of these exams.
"LookAhead" guides you toward a brighter future.
"LookAhead" is a large-scale, multimedia English teaching course developed over several years in collaboration by four world-renowned English teaching institutions—the BBC English Department (BBCEnglish), Longman ELT (Longman Publishing House English Teaching Department), The British Council, and the Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate. This course is suitable for students, teenagers, and adults, starting from elementary English and culminating at the intermediate level. The course has been specially designed to cater to the needs of self-learners, offering great convenience and support in its overall structure and arrangement.
Through 60 TV episodes, accompanied by corresponding textbooks, video tapes, and audio tapes, "LookAhead" provides learners with abundant audio materials. The topics covered are fresh, diverse, and both informative and engaging. While emphasizing language communication functions and focusing on language skill training, the course also provides the necessary grammar knowledge. The 60 high-quality TV episodes represent the highest level of foreign language teaching in the international community today. The three British and American hosts, with their impeccable British and American English and natural, witty presentation style, add an extra touch of excellence to the program, making it truly unique.
The course incorporates situational dialogues, cartoons, illustrations, subtitles, interviews, real-life scenes, and serial stories, all working together to facilitate learner comprehension. It fully leverages the advantages of television media, bringing language communication to life while highlighting key learning points.
The accompanying textbook is divided into two parts: "TV Guide" and "Study Guide." Both sections are carefully structured, well-organized, and illustrated.
The "TV Guide" prepares learners to make the most of the rich language materials provided by the TV program, allowing them to participate actively rather than passively, as with other television-based teaching programs. Each unit in the "TV Guide" consists of six pages, focusing on the language functions, grammar, sentence patterns, and vocabulary presented in the TV episodes. It includes a variety of exercises designed around the program, compares differences in word usage between British and American English, and provides background knowledge about British and American society and culture. Every five units include a review section, which is found in the "Mock Tests" at the back of the book to assess learning progress. The book also includes a grammar overview, a glossary, and answers to all exercises.
The "Study Guide" offers great convenience and support for self-learners. It not only helps learners review and deepen their understanding but also guides them step by step in organizing their study and provides practical suggestions on learning methods. Additionally, the "Study Guide" introduces extensive background knowledge about British and American society and culture, which in turn enhances language learning. Each unit in the "Study Guide" consists of eight pages: the first page outlines the learning plan for the unit, followed by one page each for listening, reading, speaking, and writing exercises, two pages for stories, and one page for review. Learners can flexibly choose any part of the content that suits their needs. The book features two ongoing stories: one is a detective story, and the other is a science fiction story. Both stories maintain the engaging plot twists of outstanding literary works while closely integrating with the language learning content of each unit. Humor is woven throughout, making reading both a learning experience and a pleasure.
As the designated teaching material for the KET and PET English proficiency exams, which are recognized internationally and have been introduced in China, "LookAhead" is widely adopted worldwide. The textbook itself includes 12 progressively challenging mock tests to prepare learners for these exams. "LookAhead" equips you with the knowledge and confidence to excel in these exams and become a well-rounded individual who meets the demands of the 21st century.
The Chinese version of the "LookAhead" English teaching series course was jointly introduced and adapted by the China Central Radio & Television University and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.