ENGLISH MATTERS
STUDENT’S BOOK 1
Julia Sander
Table of Contents
Scope and Sequence 4
Acknowledgements 8
Preface for the teacher 9
1. New School 10
2. Free Time 18
3. Family 26
4. Friends 34
5. Places 42
6. Community 50
Revision and Practice A 58
7. Advertising 62
8. Fiction 70
9. Technology 78
10. Media 86
11. Music 94
12. Poetry 102
Revision and Practice B 110
13. Narrative 114
14. Heroes and Heroines 122
15. Character 130
16. Wind and Water 138
17. Science 146
18. Drama 154
Revision and Practice C 162
Enrichment Section 166
Reference Section 202
Parts of Speech 202
Punctuation Guide 203
Sentence Structure 204
Composition Review 205
Grammar Guide 206
Glossary of Terms used in Language and Literature 210
Transcripts for Listening Exercises 213
Index 219
Scope and Sequence
Unit Listening and Speaking Reading and Responding Language Matters
1. New School Listening: School Extract from Annie John. Review parts of speech: nouns,
announcements. Skimming, predicting. verbs, adjectives.
Speaking: Introduce self and Verb to be: subject-verb
others. agreement.
2. Free Time Listening: Identify sports. Expository text: Types of sentences, sentence
Find the missing words. The Olympic Games. punctuation.
Speaking: Survey of leisure Scan for information. Simple present tense.
time.
3. Family Listening: Complete a family Dialogue: Pull Your Weight. Simple sentences: Subject +
tree. Question and answer verb + object / complement.
Speaking: Discuss family relationships. Subject + predicate.
members, household tasks.
4. Friends Listening: Young people Realistic story: Best Friends. Simple past tense.
introduce themselves. Summarise a story. Personal pronouns.
Speaking: Role play
interviews.
5. Places Listening: Identify places on Descriptive passage: My Adjectives: order of adjectives,
town plan. Favourite Place. adjectival phrases,
Speaking: Discuss home Poem: A Boy’s Song. comparisons.
town or village. Elements of a poem.
6. Community Listening: News report about Newspaper report and Adverbs: adverbs of time,
community problem. letters to editor. frequency, manner and place.
Speaking: Give opinion. Differentiate between fact Adverbial phrases.
Agree and disagree. and opinion.
Revision and Self assessment Parts of speech, subject-verb
Practice A questionnaire. agreement, simple past, types
of sentences, subject, verb,
object.
7. Advertising Listening: Radio Brochure advertising Continuous (progressive)
advertisements. holidays in Belize. tenses: present participle.
Speaking: Comment on Identify persuasive Continuous present and past
advertisements. language. tenses.
8. Fiction Listening: Interviews about Traditional tale: The Possessive adjectives and
reading. Summarise. Python’s Revenge. pronouns.
Speaking: Give and justify Predicting, directed reading. Apostrophes of possession.
opinions about books.
9. Technology Listening: Record phone Expository text: Cell phones. Phrases and clauses, simple
messages. Research techniques. and compound sentences.
Speaking: Role play phone Future time: simple future,
conversation. future of possibility.
4
Words Matter Writing Enrichment
Record new words. Record personal details on form. Further extract from Annie John.
Identify and use words Write an autobiographical paragraph. Write a journal entry.
describing feelings. Create a portfolio. Poem: Laughter Rap in Plastic Town.
Form compound nouns. Writing process: Gather information Extract: Cricket in the Road.
Use dictionary to find word using 5W + 1H (Where? Which? Why? Write a dialogue.
families. Who? What? How?) Poem: The Runner.
Write a report about a sport. Write a cinquain.
Recognise and understand Write an informal letter. Discussion: Conflict resolution.
idioms. Peer editing. Write letters giving advice.
Extract from My Father, Sun–Sun
Johnson.
Build new words using Writing process: Story plan – Compare and contrast poems: De
prefixes. setting, problem, resolution. More De Merrier and My Parents.
Write a story. Write own poem.
Use suffixes to create Writing process: Use graphic organiser. Extract: The Year in San Fernando.
adjectives. Describe physical features of a place, Write description of a place.
feelings and attitudes.
Punctuate direct speech. Write a formal letter about a community Extract: The Sun Salutes You.
problem. Express viewpoint. Debating: Prepare arguments for
and against a motion. Write text of a
speech.
Distinguish between Punctuate direct speech.
Standard English / Creole. Edit a paragraph.
Proofreading.
Use abbreviations. Create a poster advertising an event. Feature article: How an advertisement
is created.
Role play an advertising campaign.
Write a report.
Identify and use the correct Writing process: Summarising. Match types of books to definitions.
words: its / it’s, there / Write a summary of a story. Parts of a book.
they’re / their. Write a book review.
Recognise differences Writing process: Paragraphs. Expository text: A Brief History of the
between American and Identify topic sentences. Telephone.
British English. Write own paragraphs. Research and write a report.
5
Unit Listening and Speaking Reading and Responding Language Matters
10. Media Listening: News headlines. Dialogue: Radio call-in Contractions (short form
Speaking: Discuss media. programme. verbs).
Exchange information about a Identify point of view. Apostrophes of possession.
TV schedule.
11. Music Listening: Interview with Internet page: History of Present perfect tense
musician. Caribbean Music. with for, since, ever, never.
Speaking: Interview Scan to locate information. Subject – verb agreement
celebrities. with present perfect.
12. Poetry Listening: Listen to poem Poems: Unfolding Bud, Blind Types of nouns, noun
Jamaica Market. Horse. phrases.
Speaking: Discuss a poem. Identify themes of poems. First conditional with If /
Group recitation. when / as soon as / unless.
Revision and Self assessment. Continuous present / past,
Practice B present perfect, contracted
verbs, phrases and clauses,
compound sentences.
13. Narratives Listening: Contrasting Extract from Tarik and the Complex sentences: main
accounts of an incident. Island of Adventure. clauses / subordinate
Speaking: Make a witness Predict outcomes. clauses.
statement. Tense sequence: simple past
+ past perfect.
14. Heroes and Listening: Interview with Biography of Dr Thomas Relative clauses.
Heroines pilot. Lecky, Jamaican scientist. Relative pronouns: who,
Speaking: Give a short talk. Scan for information. which, where, whose, that.
15. Character Listening: Descriptions of Extract from Crick Crack Tense sequence: simple past
different people. Monkey. + continuous past.
Speaking: Describe character Assess character. Sentences with first and
and appearance. second conditional.
16. Wind and Listening: Radio Newspaper report: Boy Sailor Reported speech.
Water documentary. Breaks Record. Poem: Workings Changing tenses and
Speaking: Discuss of the Wind. pronouns.
preparations for a hurricane. Personification, onomatopoeia.
17. Science Listening: History of E-mail about a science project. Instructions.
timekeeping. Follow steps in a process. Active / passive voice.
Speaking: Explain a set of
diagrams.
18. Drama 18. Listening: Scene from a play: A Cross for Prepositions: time and
Announcements about plays Easter. place, prepositional
on radio. Identify elements of play. phrases.
Speaking: Dramatised
reading.
Revision and Self assessment. Tense sequence: simple
Practice C past – past perfect. Simple
or continuous past. Passive
voice. Reported speech.
6
Words Matter Writing Enrichment
Use a dictionary. Writing process: Gathering information, Newspaper article on violence on
Alphabetical order. planning. television.
Conduct a survey on media preferences. Write letter of complaint.
Write and edit a report. Poem: TV Wars by John Foster.
Identify and use antonyms. Writing process: Proof reading, peer Verses from song Imagine.
review. Use a timeline to write a biography.
Write a paragraph about a favourite
musician.
Figurative language: Write a poem following a pattern. Poem: Elephant Child by Sue Cowling.
images – simile and Write a newspaper article based on
metaphor. poem.
Sound: alliteration.
Apostrophes. Proof read a rough draft.
Edit a paragraph.
Distinguish between words Writing process: Sequencing. Narrative poem: Jim from Cautionary
which are easily confused, Put story in correct order. Tales.
e.g. affect, effect, all ready, Retell events from perspective of Rewrite story in different style.
already. another character.
Use determiners. Writing process: Summarising. Extract from Long Walk to Freedom.
Definite and indefinite Sentence summaries of paragraphs. Write eye witness report.
articles, this, that, these, Poem: Boy on a Swing.
those.
Learn to spell frequently Write a character description. Clues which reveal character.
mis-spelled words. Poem: Daredevil Gran.
Write descriptive paragraph.
Use comparative and Write a description using contrasting Factual passage about Belize River.
superlative adverbs and styles (poetry / prose). Concrete poem: The River.
intensifiers, e.g. too, rather, Design a concrete poem.
extremely.
Classify words. Write the text of an e-mail. Expository text about food chains.
Use an index. Write a summary.
Use a colon for lists. Research a topic and write a project.
Identify and use phrasal Writing dialogue: write a scene of a Further extract from A Cross for
verbs. play. Easter.
Write a report. Design a poster.
Conjunctions, relative Put paragraphs in correct sequence.
pronouns. Check sentences for spelling mistakes.
7
are provided with each new grammar point and
Preface for the Teacher a fuller explanation is given in the Reference
Section at the back.
English Matters is an entirely new four-book
course which incorporates the requirements of Words Matter
the most recent teaching syllabuses in Caribbean This section includes exercises which help
countries. Books One to Three are intended students to develop their vocabulary, such as
for use in the first three years of secondary finding synonyms, adding prefixes and suffixes,
education, while Book Four prepares students for using a dictionary and a thesaurus. Students are
the CSEC examination in English Language. encouraged to keep their own vocabulary note
books.
Book One is divided into 18 units, with three
revision units which can be used at the teacher’s Writing
discretion. The writing section focuses on the writing
process and provides a wide range of tasks.
Each unit is based on a broad theme, and
Students practise key skills such as planning,
language skills are closely integrated. The first
making notes, summarising, paragraphing,
units revise and consolidate what was covered
writing and proof reading a first draft, and
at primary level so that students are ready to
producing a final copy. They are encouraged to
embark on the secondary English curriculum.
develop a writing portfolio.
A flexible approach to the activities is
recommended. Interactive activities such as pair Enrichment
and group work are frequently suggested, but Two supplementary pages for each unit are
teachers can of course adapt these to the needs provided at the end of the book. These include
of their students and the constraints of their a range of texts which consider the theme of the
teaching situation. unit from a different angle. They also include a
range of more extended writing tasks. They are
Listening and Speaking intended as a resource for teachers, and can be
Each unit begins with a section which introduces used not only to stimulate more able learners, but
the topic and practises aural and oral skills. also to provide interesting additional material for
Listening passages* practise the skills of listening the whole class.
for a purpose, listening for gist and for detail
and distinguishing between what is relevant and IT
irrelevant. Speaking exercises draw on students’ Suggestions for using Information Technology are
prior knowledge and practise essential skills, for given in the majority of units.
example, summarising, agreeing and disagreeing, Reference Section
negotiating with others. Students should be encouraged to use this section
Reading and Responding for themselves to support their learning.
English Matters One includes a very wide range Teacher’s Guide and Workbook
of texts. A variety of reading strategies, such as A Teacher’s Guide which contains useful advice
skimming, scanning and predicting are practised. on how to use the Student’s Book is available on-
Higher order comprehension questions are line and in hard copy. A Workbook which gives
included from the start. The study of literary extra practice in the skills covered in the Student’s
aspects of texts is included – for example Book is also available.
elements of poems, imagery, story structure – to
enable students to appreciate the texts they read *A CD of the listening passages is supplied with
in literature classes. the course book, and transcripts can be found at
the back of the Student’s Book and in the Teacher’s
Language Matters Guide.
Each unit includes a range of exercises which
practise grammar in a systematic way. Brief notes
9
Unit 1 New School
Listening
Are you good at listening? Do you always remember what people tell you?
At the beginning of the new school year, there is always a lot to remember.
On the first day of the new
school year, the Principal
has some important
announcements to give to
the students.
Please listen to
me carefully.
1 Listen to the announcements carefully.*
What is the subject of each
announcement?
• First announcement
• Second announcement a School clubs b Lunch times c Punctuality
• Third announcement
2 Read the questions. Listen to the first two
announcements again. Write answers.
1. Make a note of the following times:
• when the school gates are open in the morning. Listening for information
• when you can go into your classroom. Before you listen, ask
• when the school gates are closed. yourself
2. What happens if you arrive late more than once? – why am I listening?
3. When does the lunch break begin? – what exactly do I want to
4. Where are students allowed to spend the lunch break? find out?
5. What can they buy at the canteen?
6. What must students do at 12.45?
3 Listen to the third announcement again.
Which activities will take place after school?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Computer club
* Teacher’s Note: Listening scripts can be found in the Teacher’s Guide and in the Reference Section.
10 Unit 1
Speaking: Introductions
1 Ice breaker.
Can you remember the names of all the students in your new class? Here’s a game to help
you.
• Your teacher will call out the letters of the alphabet one at a time.
• When you hear the first letter of your name, stand up, say your name and something
which describes you. Try to use words beginning the first letter of your name.
I’m Amazing I’m Brainy
Ashley and I love Bryan and I’m I’m Crafty Carl
Acting. Brilliant. and I am really
Creative.
• When everyone has finished, your teacher will call out the letters again. Students stand
up as before, but this time they say nothing.
• Try to remember each student’s name and what he or she said.
2 Getting to know you.
a. How would you get to know someone in your class you have never met before?
Work with a partner. Make a list of questions you would like to ask.
For example:
• What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
• How old are you? When is your birthday?
• What do you enjoy doing?
b. Find a student you do not know very well. Introduce yourselves to each other. Discover
one thing you have in common and one thing which is different about you.
c. Introduce this student to the rest of the class.
This is Lee. We both have a
younger sister. He lives near to
school, but I live quite a long way
away.
Unit 1 11
