have similar interests and personalities. In addition, being loyal, dependable and honest

have similar interests and

personalities. In addition, being loyal,

dependable and honest are extremely

important.

Int: Do you have friends from other

countries? If so, which ones?

Emily: I go to an international school, so I

have friends from all over the

world. My closest friends here in Oman

are from Lebanon, Afghanistan and

the UK.

Int: What are the benefits of having friends

from other cultures?

Emily: Well, it allows me to learn about

other cultures and customs in a fun

and informal way. And when I go to

my friends’ houses, it’s great fun

trying all the food from their

different countries.

Int: Have you experienced any difficulties in

having friends from other cultures?

Emily: Never. There are sometimes

differences in how strict our parents are.

But this isn’t a difficulty, it’s just

something we have to deal with.

Coursebook, page 23, Activity 3

Get students to read and discuss the boy’s

letter in groups. Have they ever met anyone

with this kind of problem?

Students decide on what advice they would give

to the boy who wrote the letter. Tell each

group to choose a spokesperson to present

their advice to the class. Get groups to ensure

that their spokesperson uses the language of

giving advice, as suggested in the Coursebook.

Positive attributes Negative attributes

dependable lazy

smart impatient

hardworking moody

easygoing cowardly

sensitive grumpy

thoughtful selfish

cheerful silly

loyal dishonest

31

Theme 2 Unit 3

Teenage Friendships

• Teacher’s Book •

friend is one who supports you through difficult

times. The opposite kind of friend is a

‘fair-weather friend’, referred to later in the

unit. This personis very willing to be your friend

when things are going well for you, but

disappears when you are in trouble.

In groups, students discuss questions a and b.

Go round the groups and ask for feedback. List

the important qualities in a friendship on the

board. Some may already be in the list in

Activity 1, but students may be able to think of

other qualities too.

Workbook, page 21, Activity 3

Tell students they are going to listen to the four

recordings of teenagers talking about their best

friends, and they should fill in the required

information in the chart. First, ask them to

identify from the chart what kind of information

they should listen for in each person’s

recording, for example:

1. a name

2. a time period

3. a reason and an attribute or quality

(most attributes are in the list on page

20, Activity 1) of the Workbook

Play Listening 2.3.2. Repeat as necessary.

The answers are given in Bold in the Listening

Script below.

Workbook, page 21, Activity 4

This activity focuses on collocations with the

word friend. Check that students understand

the meaning of mutual.

Answers:

Additional Activity

Students can do the following activity

individually for homework, or, if time allows, in

groups in class. Write two words make and do

on the board.

Ask students to note down collocations with

the verbs. For example, make a mistake, make

Listening Script 2.3.2

Voice 1: A. My best friend’s name is

Katie. I’ve known her since

we were four. She’s really

important to me because I can

tell her all my secrets – you

know, things I’d never be able

to tell my parents. And she’s

always so cheerful.

(Pause)

Voice 2: B. I don’t know what I’d do

without my best friend, Ali. I’ve

known him for six years. He’s

1 best friend

2 mutual friend

3 fair-weather friend

4 close friend

5 old friend

6 circle of friends

7 make friends

8 lifelong friend

important to me because we do

lots of things together, like

sports. He’s a great guy because

he’s always very dependable.

(Pause)

Voice 3: C. My best friend is called Clare.

I’ve known her all my life. I

think the most important thing to

me is that she really listens

when I talk to her about my

problems. She’s very

thoughtful.

(Pause)

Voice 4: D. Best friend? That’s easy! My

best friend is my mobile

phone. I’ve had it for a year,

and I just couldn’t live without it.

It’s important to me because it

keeps me in touch with

what’s going on. It’s

good-looking, smart and cool!

32

Theme 2 Unit 4

Western Influence – Good or Bad?

• Teacher’s Book •

Coursebook, pages 24 and 25

Workbook, pages 22 and 23

Lead-in

This unit deals with the influences of Western

culture on traditional Omani culture and values.

Teenagers are particularly susceptible to new

ideas. Discuss with the class whether they think

young people in Oman are in danger of

forgetting their own culture. Will the old

Omani traditions survive the influence of the

Internet and the Western media?

Coursebook, page 24, Activity 1

Give students a few minutes to look at the

pictures and decide which are associated with

Western culture and which with traditional

Omani culture. Can they think of other

examples of things from the two different

cultures?

Omani Culture

b henna painting

c young Omani in dishdasha

d Omani food

g Omani dance

i traditional sandals

l traditional souk

Western Culture

f Western make-up

a teenager in jeans

e pizza/burger/can of soft drink

h fast sports car

j trainers

k shopping mall

Coursebook, page 24, Activity 2

Students quickly read through the twelve

phrases. They draw two columns in their

exercise books and write ‘Eating’ and ‘Shopping’

at the top of each one respectively.

Play Listening 2.4.1. As they listen, students

write the numbers of the phrases they hear into

the appropriate column. Repeat as necessary.

your bed, make a fortune, make a profit.

Examples of collocations with do are: do your

homework, do your duty, do the washing up, do the

shopping.

Coursebook, page 23, Activity 4

Discuss poetry with students. Do they like

poetry? What are their favourite poems? Do

they write their own poems? If yes, what do

they write about?

The teenage years are a time when friendships

can change as new interests are discovered.

Sometimes young people move away from old

friends and form new friendships. So the

situation described in the poem is one that

teenagers may have experienced themselves, or

can understand. The writer of the poem, a

teenage girl called Hilary, feels that she is losing

her best friend, another teenage girl,

to someone else, and she is very hurt about it.

Students first read the questions for discussion

and then the poem. They can either read the

poem silently, or you can read it to them. Some

students might also like to read the poem aloud

to a partner, or to the whole class. After they

have read it, discuss the questions with them

and ask what they think Hilary should do now.

Additional Activity

As a homework activity, ask students to try

their hand at writing a short poem in English,

either to their best friend or another person.

The best poems could be read aloud in class,

and/or put up on the walls.

Note: Students do NOT have to write about a

situation which has upset them, as in the poem

in the Coursebook – they can write to the

person about anything they like.

If it is too difficult for them to make the poem

rhyme, that doesn’t matter. They don’t have to

make it rhyme.

33

Theme 2 Unit 4

Western Influence – Good or Bad?

• Teacher’s Book •

Answers:

Eating

1 fast food outlets

6 pizzas and burgers

9 delicious and tasty

8 quick and convenient

10 cool places to hang out

Shopping

7 shopping malls

4 Western fashions

5 stylish jeans

2 fashionable shoes

3 hats and sunglasses

Both

12 changing tastes

11 fun activities

Workbook, page 22, Activity 1

Tell students that predicting the kind of

information a listening text may contain help

with understanding. Examples of topics that

might be covered in the interviews, they are

going to hear, are fashion, food, health, music

and behaviour.

Note: It doesn’t matter if students don’t guess

the actual topics correctly as long as they make

sensible predictions about the types of topics

they think might be mentioned.

Workbook, page 22, Activity 2

Play the first interview (Listening 2.4.2.) As they

listen, students fill in the required information.

Repeat the listening as necessary, then go over

the answers.

The answers are given in Bold in the listening

script below.

Listening Script 2.4.1

Good afternoon. The subject of my talk today

is changing tastes among young people in

Oman. We’re going to look at changing tastes

in two areas – eating and shopping.

First, let’s take eating. Many Omani teenagers

are attracted to fast food outlets. One reason

for this is the food itself. Pizzas and burgers

are not only delicious and tasty, but also quick

and convenient. Another reason is that fast

food outlets are cool places to hang out with

friends.

Next, shopping. Why do we see so many

Omani teenagers in the shopping malls these

days? Well, the main reason is that they want

to copy the Western fashions they see on TV

and the Internet. They’re looking for stylish

jeans, as well as fashionable shoes, and hats

and sunglasses.

Both eating and shopping are fun activities

which teenagers can enjoy doing with their

friends.

Listening Script 2.4.2

Interviewer (Int)

Mohammed (Moh)

___________________________

Int: Do you think Omani teenagers are in

danger of forgetting their culture,

Mohammed?

Moh: No. I think they’ve still got a sense of

their own traditions. But it’s true their

behaviour has changed in some ways.

Int: Why do you think that is?

Moh: Well, they are strongly influenced

by Western culture on the

Internet and TV. They think it’s

very cool and exciting.

Int: Can you give me some examples of

areas where changes have taken place?

Moh: Well, take fashion, for example.

Young Omanis have changed the way

they dress. They wear jeans and

T-shirts now. And then there’s food.

Many Omani teenagers don’t want to

eat traditional Omani food. They

prefer pizzas and burgers.

34

Theme 2 Unit 4

Western Influence – Good or Bad?

• Teacher’s Book •

what do you call it? – texting they do on

their mobile phones.

Int: Is there anything that worries you about

today’s teenagers?

Mr A: Lots of things. Firstly, they smoke too

much. They don’t realise that it can

cause cancer. And they drive too fast.

Teenagers often cause accidents.

Int: Why do you think that is?

Mr A: Well, they can’t judge situations on the

road properly. Teenagers are dangerous

drivers!

Int: Do you think the changes in teenage

behaviour are generally good or bad?

Mr A: Oh, definitely bad. Things were much

better when I was a teenager!

Coursebook, page 25, Soundbites

Before you do the Soundbites, ask a few

volunteers to make up questions orally. Elicit a

number of questions beginning with different

question words. Then direct students to the

Soundbites box of phrases used in asking

questions. Play Listening 2.4.4. Practise the

language with students, paying attention to the

intonation.

Soundbites

Asking Questions

Do you think. . . ?

Why do you think . . . ?

Can you give me some examples?

What kind of changes?

What are the main areas?

Is there anything that . . . ?

How do you mean?

Can you tell me . . . ?

Coursebook, page 25, Activity 3

In pairs, students ask and answer questions

about things that are important to them as

Int: Anything else?

Moh: Yes. There have been some changes in

behaviour.

Int: What kind of changes?

Moh: Well, unfortunately some teenagers have

picked up bad habits like smoking, or

even drugs. That’s very worrying.

Int: Do you think the changes are generally

good or bad?

Moh: Generally good. But young Omanis

shouldn’t copy everything they see on

TV or the Internet. They should also

understand the value of keeping their

own culture.

Play the second interview (Listening 2.4.3.)

Again, students fill in the required information

as they listen. Repeat the listening script as

necessary, then go over the answers.

The answers are given in Bold in the listening

script below.

Interviewer (Int)

Mr Ahmed (Mr A)

_____________________________

Int: Have things changed since you were a

teenager, Mr Ahmed?

Mr A: Definitely. When I was young, we never

forgot who we were. But I think young

Omanis today do sometimes forget

about their own culture.

Int: Why do you think that is?

Mr A: Oh, because of the Western media.

And the Internet, of course.

Int: What are the main areas where we

see these changes?

Mr A: Fashion and dress. You see

teenagers wearing the most ridiculous

clothes. And food. All this fast food.

It’s not proper food at all.

Int: Any other areas?

Mr A: Yes, language. Teenagers don’t seem

to use language properly any more. They

cut things short. I suppose it’s all this –

Listening Script 2.4.3

Listening Script 2.4.4

35

Theme 2 Unit 5

Teenage Angst

• Teacher’s Book •

teenagers. Encourage them to use phrases from

the Soundbites box. In addition, ask them for

examples of other question words and phrases.

Write these up on the board.

Examples of additional question words and

phrases:

Coursebook, page 25, Activity 4

Students read the four statements about things

that are important to teenagers. They write

down some statements of their own and explain

them to a partner. Their partner should ask

questions to obtain further information, e.g.

How do you mean?

Can you tell me . . . ?

Why do you think . . . ?

Workbook, page 23, Activity 3

Students read the statements and circle the

answers according to their personal views.

Workbook, page 23, Activity 4

This activity continues the practice introduced

in Theme 1, Unit 4 (Workbook, page 8,

Activity 1) of using material in a Fact File to

communicate information about a topic.

Tell students to work in pairs. Student A takes

the topic of Fast Food and Student B, Music.

Students read the information in the relevant

fact file about their topic, and prepare a short

talk to communicate the information to their

partner. Give students time to practise by

themselves first. They should speak in complete

sentences, use facial expressions, maintain eye

contact and present their information clearly.

Go round the classroom offering guidance and

support. When students have had time to

practise, you may want to ask a few confident

students to give their talk to the whole class.

Coursebook, pages 26 and 27

Workbook, pages 24 and 25

Discuss the meaning of ‘angst’ with students.

They already met this word in the Coursebook,

page 17, Activity 2.

Coursebook, page 26, Activity 1

This unit focuses on writing informal letters to a

problem page. Remind students that there are

important differences between writing informal

and formal letters in English. Writing formal

letters is covered in later parts of the Post-Basic

course.

Students discuss the three letters on page 26 to

a problem page Auntie, and decide on the

advice they would give each writer. Groups can

focus on all three letters, or different groups

can deal with different letters. Have a presenter

from each group give feedback to the class.

Remind students about the phrases associated

with giving advice which they have previously

encountered in Unit 3 (Coursebook, page 23,

Activity 3).

Coursebook, page 27, Activity 2

This activity can be done individually or in pairs.

Students should read through all the sentences

before categorising them according to which

letter they relate to.

Answers:

Letter A

2, 4, 7

Letter B

1, 6, 8

Letter C

3, 5, 9

Coursebook, page 27, Top Tip

Students often underestimate the importance of

proofreading and editing their work. They

should get into the habit of always checking

their work for errors. This is particularly

important when writing essay drafts.

• Who?

• How many?

• How long?

• Where?

• How much?

36

Theme 2 Unit 5

Teenage Angst

• Teacher’s Book •

future proofreading and editing work.

Tell students to write the letters related to

each type of error clearly.

Type of Errors

support (line 1) = Voc

unbeautiful (line 2) = Voc

look on (line 2) = GR

doesn’t (line 3) = GR

birthday (line 4) = Sp

fiends (line 4) = Sp

good look (line 4) = WO

I can (line 6) = WO

Corrected Version

I’m e-mailing you because I suffer badly from

acne. It’s terrible. I’ve lost all my confidence and

I feel so ugly and depressed. I don’t even want

to look in the mirror any more.

My parents tell me I worry too much. But they

don’t understand how I feel.

It’s my birthday next month and I want to

have a party for my friends. I want to look

good for my party. But I’m worried about my

acne.

What can I do? Please help me.

Workbook, page 25, Activity 3

Students read the letter to the problem page

Auntie and choose the correct answer from

each group of words in bold. Tell them to read

through the whole letter before they start

choosing the words, in order to get the sense

of it. Then play Listening 2.5.1 so students can

check their answers.

The answers are given in Bold in the Listening

Script below.

Note: Sometimes it can be helpful for students

to ask a friend to proofread their work. But this

is only useful if their friend is reliable at spotting

errors!

Coursebook, page 27, Activity 3

Students can do this activity orally in pairs.

Answers:

a End

b Beginning

c Beginning or end

d Beginning

e End

f End

g End

h Beginning

i Beginning

Note: In phrase g, PS means ‘postscript’ – a

message written at the end of a letter or e-mail

after you have signed your name.

Workbook, page 24, Activity 1

The subject of this activity is one which causes

teenage sufferers much angst – acne. Make sure

that students understand what acne is. Do they,

or does anyone they know, suffer from acne?

How do they deal with it? Reassure students

that acne is a temporary state – it will disappear

one day!

Possible Answers (students’ definitions

may vary):

a period when you change from a child to an

adult

b small red lumps on your skin,

especially on your face

c related to feelings

d feeling that you are a person of

value or worth

Workbook, page 24, Activity 2

This activity is an exercise in simple

proofreading and editing. Encourage students to

refer to the suggested correction code for any

• Teacher’s Book • 37

Workbook, page 25, Activity 4

Students write an informal letter to a problem

page. They can either use the ideas given in the

activity, or write about another problem –

either real or imaginary.

For guidance on the layout of the letter, refer

them to the three letters on pages 26 of their

Coursebooks, and also to the Workbook

Writing Guide on page 70 of their Workbooks.

Point out how the different parts of the

suggested layout in the Writing Guide match

the different parts of the letters on page 26 of

the Coursebook.

Across Cultures

Coursebook, pages 28 and 29

Workbook, page 26

Country Focus: United States of America

Reading for Pleasure

Coursebook, pages 30 and 31

Workbook, page 27

Teenagers Who Changed Things

Genre: Biography

Joan of Arc

Workbook, page 27

Teenagers Who Changed Things

Genre: Biography

Louis Braille

Coursebook, page 32, Review and

Reference

Workbook, pages 28 and 29

Note: At the end of this theme, don’t forget to

check students’ spelling of the core words in

the Glossary in the Review and Reference

section on page 32 of their Coursebooks. They

should have been learning these spellings during

the theme.

Students read the Learning Objectives for this

theme, then turn to Activity 1 on page 28 of

their Workbooks and assess how well they

have achieved each objective.

Students work through Activities 2 and 4 on

pages 28 and 29 of their Workbooks. They then

complete the chart in Activity 3 on page 29

with 15 words of their choice from the theme.

Finally, they look back through the theme and

complete the ‘Personalise It’ section at the

bottom of page 29.

Answers to Across Cultures:

Activity 1

1 The founding of New York 1624

2 Declaration of Independence 1776

3 Invention of the telephone 1876

4 First man on the moon 1969

5 The movie Titanic 1997

6 Hurricane Katrina 2005

Activity 2

a The United States is part of the North

American continent.

b The city of New York was founded by the

Dutch.

Listening Script 2.5.1

Have you ever heard the story of the ugly

duckling? The bird that was unhappy because

it thought it was so ugly? But it grew up into

a beautiful swan. Well, the same will happen

with you. Your acne will not last forever. One

day it will disappear.

It’s hard to be patient, I know. You can’t

cure acne, but you can treat it. You can buy

special creams to help, but there are other

things you can do too.

Look after your health in the weeks before

your party. Drink lots of water, and eat a

healthy diet. Take plenty of exercise and

always have a shower afterwards. Keep your

skin clean and don’t squeeze your spots.

Above all, get plenty of sleep because your

body needs rest.

38

Theme 2 Unit 5

Teenage Angst

• Teacher’s Book •

c Mount McKinley is over six thousand metres

high.

d Hurricane Katrina caused a lot of damage.

e Thomas Edison developed the first movie

camera.

f The Empire State Building is in New York.

Activity 3

a republic (paragraph 1)

b immigrants (paragraph 2)

c hurricanes (paragraph 4)

d leap (paragraph 5)

e source (paragraph 6)

f skyscrapers (paragraph 7)

Answers to Review and Reference:

Activity 2

a wasn’t doing / called / was listening

b was walking / crashed

c Did you visit

d were you doing

e rained

f didn’t know

g were you thinking

Activity 4

a conflict

b hormone

c moody

d growth spurt

e proofread . . . edit

f adolescent . . . self-esteem

g interrogate

h emotional

i cool

j transition