Summary:
The amazing success of the Michel Thomas method of learning a language is now available for schools. The package offers a comprehensive, accelerated learning course perfect as a grounding those new to French. No other materials are needed: in fact, the use of other materials would detract from the effectiveness of the course. The author, Paul Howard, has been using the Michel Thomas method in school for some three years, with amazing, and quantifiable, results. Faithfully following the Michel Thomas recordings published by Hodder, Paul has created a fully integrated teaching and learning programme. Now teachers and students can experience the success and the confidence that this success generates, to master the structure of the language in a fraction of the time taken by traditional methods.

The Michel Thomas method, with its bilingual approach to teaching and interest in engaging with language and decoding meaning, is praised in the Dearing Report, whose authors report its 'considerable success and motivated learners' ('The Languages Review', DfES, March 2007).

The course is delivered in photocopiable lesson plans, worksheets and activities, and is supported by a CD-ROM for students to use at home or in the language laboratory. The teaching is designed for complete beginners and is taught in English. The process appears informal, relaxed and unhurried, but progress is rapid. Learning is based on understanding, not memorisation. The excitement of learning motivates students to make much faster progress than with conventional courses. By the end of the second year of just one hour a week learning French using this method, pupils will have a solid grounding in the grammatical structures equivalent to the requirements of GCSE and beyond.

• the Michel Thomas method - proven to work. The extraordinary sales of the consumer products (£20 million; 800,000 units in 6 years) prove the effectiveness of the method

• new approach - widely accepted that conventional methods are not working, despite 'improvements' over the years

• complete course - no other materials necessary

• fully integrated - everything the teacher needs, from homework sheets to detailed, 'scripted' lesson plans

• CD-ROM to aid students' progress at home or in the language laboratory - integrates ICT into MFL teaching

• quantifiable results - test results show that the programme gets results, school, teacher, pupils, parents all happy and enthusiastic

• CILT - Dr Lid King (CILT's director) observed the Michel Thomas Method being taught in October 2006

• Dearing report - praise for the method (‘considerable success and motivated learners’)

Table of Contents:
Aims and objectives
Video presentation (PowerPoints + audio)
Worksheet (including help)
Interactive games
Listening comprehension

About the Author(s):
Paul Howard has been teaching modern foreign languages in the state and private sectors for ten years. He is a GCSE Coursework Moderator.