Cambridge International English Course 3 (Teacher's Book)

Author: Richards et al. (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: New Interchange, an English coursebook designed for English learners in non-English-speaking countries, is one of the most influential English teaching materials internationally and also the best-selling published by Cambridge University Press worldwide. New Interchange adopts the "Communicative Language Teaching" approach, emphasizing the development of fluency, flexibility, and accuracy in real-life communication. It aims to cultivate comprehensive skills, with main activities including: theme discussions, grammar structures, language functions, vocabulary expansion, and pronunciation training, providing students with ample opportunities for practice. New Interchange primarily uses American English but covers various countries, regions, and cultures. It not only features fresh and diverse topics with a modern touch but also provides extensive information on cultural differences between the East and West, fully reflecting the richness and diversity of English as an international language of communication.
■ General Introduction New Interchange is one of the most popular and influential English textbooks globally. It incorporates eight years of classroom teaching experience and has been extensively improved based on feedback from students and teachers. Major revisions include the addition of new conversation exercises (Conversations), cultural snippets (Snapshots), reading passages (Readings), more comprehensive grammar explanations and activities (Grammar Focus models and activities), and richer listening materials. Meanwhile, the teacher's manual, workbook, and video content have also been significantly updated.
New Interchange is a large-scale English coursebook designed for non-English-speaking learners. It covers four core skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—while also including pronunciation training and vocabulary expansion. It places particular emphasis on listening and speaking skills. The primary goal of this coursebook is to develop English communicative competence, i.e., the ability to flexibly use English based on communicative contexts, purposes, and audiences. The coursebook primarily uses American English, but its content is not limited to any single country, region, or culture; instead, it reflects the richness and diversity of English as an international language of communication.
The coursebook is divided into four levels: Introductory, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Introductory Level: Designed for true beginners with no prior English knowledge, this level covers basic grammar structures, vocabulary, and language functions. Upon completion, students will master 1,000 active vocabulary words.
Level 1: Aimed at learners with a basic English level, this level further develops grammar, vocabulary, and pragmatic skills, enabling students to reach a low-intermediate level. Upon completion, students will master 2,200 active vocabulary words.
Level 2: Designed for learners with a low-intermediate English level, this level further enhances grammar, vocabulary, and pragmatic skills, aiming to bring students to an intermediate level. Upon completion, students will master 3,400 active vocabulary words.
Level 3: Aimed at learners with an intermediate English level, this level focuses on developing the ability to communicate fluently and accurately in English. Upon completion, students will master 4,700 active vocabulary words.
Through a variety of thought-provoking and challenging exercises, the coursebook helps students further consolidate and develop their communicative abilities in English. In addition to applied skill exercises, the textbook also includes advanced discourse comprehension activities. Listening exercises include: listening to narratives, advertisements, discussions, and interviews. Reading activities feature authentic passages on cross-cultural communication, lifestyles, different values, and other themes.
Upon completing all four levels, learners will reach a mid-high level of proficiency.
■ Key Features
■ International Content
Topics are timely and closely related to the lives of both teachers and students, making the coursebook suitable for classes with similar student backgrounds as well as those with diverse backgrounds.
■ Comprehensive Curriculum
The New Interchange curriculum is designed to integrate multiple skills, tightly linking topics, communicative functions, and grammar. Grammar, as the foundation of second or foreign language learning, is always explained within a communicative context, accompanied by teacher-guided controlled practice activities based on accuracy and communicative activities based on fluency. This approach establishes a connection between grammatical forms and communicative functions. The teaching follows a progressive principle, gradually increasing in difficulty.
■ Engaging and Practical Learning Activities
Dynamic and fun activities provide ample practice opportunities for every student, allowing them to fully apply what they have learned. The textbook includes numerous "information gap" exercises, role-play activities, pair work, group activities, and class activities. Task-based and information-sharing exercises maximize communicative practice opportunities. The variety of activities not only adjusts the pace of the classroom but also gives every student more opportunities to interact with peers, making the textbook suitable for both large and small classes.
■ Focus on Applied and Cognitive Skills
Application and comprehension are the foundations of language learning. In this coursebook, students' applied skills are trained through conversation and writing exercises, while cognitive skills are developed through listening and reading exercises. Through learning, students can understand language slightly above their applied skill level, preparing them for real-world communication outside the classroom.
■ Teacher and Student Roles
The teacher's role is to explain new learning points. During pair work, group activities, and role-plays, the teacher plays a supportive role, primarily helping students prepare for activities and then guiding them to use their language resources to complete the tasks. In these activities, the teacher provides minimal informal guidance, such as brief evaluations. The teacher's main task is to encourage students to participate actively.
The student's role is to actively and creatively engage in the learning process, not only applying the language learned in class but also flexibly using knowledge and language resources from other areas of life. Each student should be an intelligent, independent thinker with their own ideas. They not only learn through classroom activities like pair work, group activities, and class activities but also through flexibly applying their knowledge and communicative skills.
■ Easy-to-Teach and Learn Content Arrangement
The coursebook is easy to teach, with clear and focused learning objectives, well-organized unit content, a logical progression, and a moderate pace that can be adjusted as needed. Additionally, there are various creative and engaging learning activities to inspire students.