© Acadsoc Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

1. Introduction 3. Course Breakdown

a) Characters a) Series Breakdown
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning b) Book Breakdown
c) Task-Based Language Teaching c) Lesson Breakdown
2. Types of Lessons 2

4. Pedagogics
a) Trial Lessons
b) Regular Lessons
c) Activity Lessons
d) Review Lessons
e) Test Lessons
1 Introduction
Acadsoc Magic English – Primary, or Acadsoc
Primary English, is a serial course of 6 levels,
aimed for Chinese primary students between the
ages of 6 -12. Based on the English curriculum
standards of China’s compulsory primary
education, it also contains a series of storylines
and characters, originally created by Acadsoc.
a) Characters
Akasa
Heroine of Acadsoc Magic
English, the name of whom
sounds similar to “Acadsoc”,
as we tend to make it the
personification of the brand.
She’s a wizard who is brave
and adventurous. She’s the
study partner for every
student in Acadsoc.
Bill
Wizard, and friend of Akasa in
wizard school. Bill becomes a
dwarf after accidentally drinking
the cursed spring water. In the
storyline of grade one, he’s
captured by the Dark King,
which is the cause for Akasa’s
adventure to collect the 6 magic
gems in exchange for her friend.
Adam
Hero of Acadsoc Magic English.
When Akasa and Bill reach
grade three, Adam comes to
wizard school in search of the
magic mirror that can make
one’s dream come true. The
three little wizards become best
friends and embark on the
following adventures all together.
a) Characters
Mr. Smith
the Dark King
Renowned professor of wizard
Villain of the story. His desire
school. He’s wise and
for power grows beyond
knowledgeable. He can
control. He holds Bill hostage
always provides instructions
and asks Akasa to find for him
for the little wizards when they
the magic gems, with which
find themselves at a loss for
he would be able to rule the
what to do throughout the
whole universe .
adventures.
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) engages students in active learning while assisting
them to make meaning out of the information they are obtaining. Contextual instruction links
the learning of foundational skills with academic content by focusing teaching and learning on
concrete applications in a specific context that is of interest to the student. Students tend to
learn better and faster, and retain information longer, when they are taught concepts in
context.

Different from normal teaching materials, each book of Acadsoc Magic English contains a main
storyline, connecting the topics and scenes in each chapter. Knowledge and learning are
situated in particular context and a range of settings are used such as the home and the school,
depending on the intended learning goals. Knowing the storylines would help you boost the
outcomes of contextual teaching and learning. The following pages introduce these storylines.
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 1 Chapter 1 Lesson 3

Grade 1
A new semester begins at wizard school. Akasa
and Bill meet each other and become friends.
Unfortunately, Bill is taken hostage by the Dark
King, who requires Akasa to find for him the six
magic gems in exchange for Bill. After searching
in a forest, a maze, a garden, the Dark Castle
and other places (a context for each chapter),
Akasa finally collects all the six gems (a gem is
collected when an achievement test is finished)
and saves her friend Bill.
Bill is taken hostage by the
Dark King, which forces Akasa
to begin the gem-seeking
adventure.
Grade 1 Chapter 1 Lesson 9
Akasa finds the first gem in
wizard school. The gem
makes a swirl and takes her
to the next adventure.
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 2
Bill, the wizard, becomes a dwarf after accidentally
drinking the cursed spring water. Mr. Smith tells Bill
that he needs to drink a vial of purple liquid on
Yorkdale Island to be back to normal size. To obtain
the liquid, Bill must find six gold leaves first. To help
her friend, Akasa sets off again. After searching on
an island, in an ancient house, a castle and other
places (a context for each chapter), they finally
collect all the six leaves (a leaf is collected when an
Grade 2 Chapter 6 Lesson 1
achievement test is finished) and succeed in Akasa and Bill see a wooden house on the way to Yorkdale Island.
They want to know who lives here. Maybe the owner can offer
bringing Bill back to normal size. shelters in the cold winter...
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 3 Chapter 7 Lesson 1

Akasa and Adam find a
Grade 3 segment of the map in a cabin.

Adam, the wizard, transfers to wizard school and

meets Akasa. He has an ancient book, which
says that there’s a magic mirror that can make
one’s dream come true. To find it, one has to
find the map that marks the mirror’s location.
Akasa decides to help Adam find the map. They
find three segments of the map in the canteen,
a cabin in the jungle. At last they find the magic
mirror in Akasa's home. (a context for each
chapter; a segment is collected when an Grade 3 Chapter 1 Lesson 2
achievement test is finished). Akasa and Adam find a
segment of the map in a
vase.
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 4 Akasa enters the human world

and experiences the different
During a jungle adventure with Bill and Adam, aspects of the daily life of an
ordinary human.
Akasa falls into a pit and somehow enters the
human world, about which she has been very
curious since childhood. Unable to practice
witchcraft in the human world, she’s nevertheless
very happy to have experienced the different Grade 4 Chapter 4 Lesson 2

aspects of the daily life of an ordinary human

(which are incorporated into the context of each
chapter). Finally, during another jungle adventure
organized by the school in the human world,
Akasa returns to the world of wizards.
Grade 4 Chapter 5 Lesson 1
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 5
Akasa misses the life and her friends in the human
world. Adam, Bill and she will all be turning 11 this
year, thereby possessing the power to enter the
human society freely. After their 11th birthdays, the
three of them go to the human society. Serving as
the guide, Akasa shows her friends around the
school, the zoo and the shopping mall. Then they
visit the home of Lisa, one of Akasa’s human friends
(which are incorporated into the context of each
Grade 5 Chapter 1 Lesson 2
chapter). They return to the world of wizards when Akasa and Adam arrive at a school, which is the first stop of their
journey to the human world.
the journey is drawing to an end.
b) Contextual Teaching & Learning

Grade 6 Chapter 1 Lesson 1

Grade 6 Akasa and Adam get a magic
carpet and come to China.
According to the rule of wizard school, every
wizard/witch at the age of 12 can have a magic
carpet that can take them anywhere they want.
Having obtained their carpets, Akasa and Adam
decide to travel together. They go to different
places around the world and see a lot of things
that are new to them (which are incorporated into
the context of each chapter). After the journey,
they return to the world of wizards and share their Grade 3 Chapter 2 Lesson 3
Akasa and Adam go to
experiences with their fellow students. different countries around
the world.
c) Task-Based Language Teaching
Task-based language teaching (TBLT),
also known as task-based instruction (TBI),
focuses on the use of authentic language
and on asking students to do meaningful
tasks using the target language. Task-
based learning benefits students because
it is more student-centered, allows for
more meaningful communication, and
often provides for practical extra-linguistic
skill building. Usually, the learning
objectives are included in task 1, while
Grade 6 Chapter 1 Lesson 1
the following tasks are for practicing and In Akasa Magic English, the structure of a lesson is task-based. Tasks are
listed on the contents page.
exercising the objectives.
2 Types of Lessons
There are 5 types of lessons in Akasa Magic English
– Primary: trial lessons, regular lessons, activity lessons,
review lessons and test lessons.
a) Trial Lessons
Book Trial Lesson Topic
Trial Lesson 1 School supplies
G1 Trial Lesson 2 The Magic Hamburger
Trial Lesson 3 Do you like trains? • As other courses in Acadsoc,
Trial Lesson 1 Family every level in Acadsoc Magic
G2 Trial Lesson 2 At the park English – Primary has three trial
Trial Lesson 3 In the Community lessons.
Trial Lesson 1 After-Class Activities
G3 Trial Lesson 2 Body Parts • The materials of trial lessons
Trial Lesson 3 Do you like ice cream? don’t differ much from those of
Trial Lesson 1 Sports VIP lessons, yet with a smaller
G4 Trial Lesson 2 How do you usually go to school? volume, so that you could spend
Trial Lesson 3 Means of Transportation more time on interacting and
Trial Lesson 1 Personality talking with the students.
G5 Trial Lesson 2 Subjects
Trial Lesson 3 Animals
• Good luck! 
Trial Lesson 1 Directions
G6 Trial Lesson 2 English Speaking Countries
Trial Lesson 3 Animals

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 b) Regular Lessons
This is the most common type of lessons you all know well. According to different learning objectives,
regular lessons are also classified into vocabulary lessons, dialog & speaking lessons, passage reading
lessons, phonics lessons, extra culture, and story time. A typical regular lesson consists of four parts:
introduction (contents page), learning objectives (task 1), exercises (task 2 and above), and review
(last page). We’ll talk about the teaching methods you may use in each part in Lesson Breakdown.
Exercises (task 2 and above)

Introduction (contents page)

Learning objectives (task 1) Review (last page)

 c) Activity Lessons
This kind of lesson usually requires teachers to use TPR method in teaching. In TPR, teachers
give commands to students in the target language with body movements, and students
respond with whole-body actions. The listening and responding (with actions) serves two
purposes: It is a means of quickly recognizing meaning in the language being learned, and a
means of actively learning the structure of the language itself. TPR is a valuable way to learn
vocabulary, especially idiomatic terms, e.g., phrasal verbs. The structure of an activity lesson is
the same as that of a regular lesson.

Show me your ruler / pencil / pen… Walk. Run. Jump.

(G1C1L4) Close / Open / Take out / Put away your book. (G1C2L4)
(G1C1L5)
d) Review Lessons
Review lessons are usually at the end of each chapter, before the achievement tests.
The structure of a review lesson is different from that of a regular lesson or activity lesson.
It consists of two parts – reviews and corresponding checks. Some review lessons also
contain extra learning objectives (Let’s Learn More), optional for teachers according to
the levels of the students.

G1C1L7 Revision – Vocabulary G1C1L8 Revision - Sentence

Let’s Learn More is extra learning objective, optional for teachers
according to the levels of the students.
e) Test Lessons
Achievement tests are at the end of each chapter, after review lessons. At the end of
the each level, there’s also a final test. In test lessons, students have their abilities tested
by finishing 6 to 8 exercises. You don’t need to give them a score, but help them check
the answers and correct the mistakes. Usually, some plots are also contained at the end
of test lessons, like collecting a gem (G1) or a gold leaf (G2) when the test is finished.
Never forget to introduce these plots because they’re essential to the main storylines.

G1C1L9 Achievement Test G1C1L9

Test instructions. The first gem is found when the test is finished.
3 Course Breakdown
The serial course is broken down into 6 levels from
grade 1 to grade 6. Each book is broken down into
12-13 chapters.
a) Series Breakdown
Acadsoc Magic English - Primary
Volumes Levels
G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6
Objectives

About 100 words About 100 words About 200 words About 200words About 100words About 100 words
Vocabulary under 13 themes under 12 themes under 12 themes under 12 themes under 12 themes under 12 themes

Dialog 12 12 12 12 13 12

Passage / / 12 12 11 12

Vowel blends and

Phonics Letters A-Z Letters A-Z Vowels Vowel blends Consonant blends
consonant blends

Fun Time / / 12 12 12 12
(extra culture)

Story Time / 6 12 12 12 12
b) Book Breakdown
Books Target Students Volumes
120 lessons broken down
into 13 chapters. The first
Grade 1 students
1 (6-7 years old)
chapter is the starter and
the last one is the final
revision.
Grade 2 students 122 lessons broken down
2 (7-8 years old) into 12 chapters.
Grade 3 students 121 lessons broken down
3 (8-9 years old) into 12 chapters
Teaching Objectives
The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 100 words
② can say greetings; can talk about family, animals,
clothes, toys, fruit, colors; can count to 10
③ can pronounce letters A-Z correctly
The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 100 words
② can talk about appearance, activities, weather,
festivals, seasons, family, etc.; can describe views,
positions
③ can read and understand short stories
④ can pronounce letters A-Z, and some letter blends
The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 200 words
② can talk about school life, subjects, months, clothing,
food, animals, family, etc
③ can read and understand short stories
④ can read and understand non-fictions
⑤ can pronounce vowels correctly
b) Book Breakdown
Books Target Students Volumes Teaching Objectives
The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 200 words
Grade 4 students 121 lessons divided into 12 ② can talk about sports, games, holidays, transportation,
4 (9-10 years old) chapters
jobs, travel, hobbies; can ask for help and directions;
can read and understand rules
③ can read and understand fictions or non-fictions
④ can pronounce vowel blends correctly

The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 100 words
Grade 5 students 121 lessons divided into 12 ② can talk about school life, people’s personality,
5 (10-11 years old) chapters animals, housework, TV shows, stores, etc.
③ can read and understand fictions or non-fictions
④ can pronounce consonant blends correctly

The learner:
① has his/her vocabulary increased by about 100 words;
Grade 6 students 121 lessons divided into 12 ② can talk about countries and culture around the
6 (11-12 years old) chapters
world, emotions, leisure time, celebrities, nature, etc.
③ can read and understand fictions or non-fictions
④ can pronounce vowel blends and consonant blends
correctly
c) Lesson Breakdown
Part 1 Introduction: Each class begins with a background story to engage students’ interest
and a content outlining the structure of the lesson.
c) Lesson Breakdown
Teaching instruction 1:
• According to Krashen’s Affective Filter
Hypothesis, negative emotional responses
like anxiety and boredom prevent
efficient processing of the language input.
Therefore, you can start the lesson with
small talk about students’ daily life, give a
brief self-introduction or play an English
song to build a relaxing and positive
learning environment.

• You can then tell the background story to

the students and introduce the learning
tasks to arouse their interest in taking the
adventure with Akasa through English
learning.

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c) Lesson Breakdown
Part 2 Learning objectives: Task 1 is where the main content of the lesson is delivered.
Language points are integrated into sentences and paragraphs.

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c) Lesson Breakdown

Teaching instruction 2:
• In this part, you need to enunciate
the vocabulary to show the motions
of your mouth/ tongue/ breath for
students to imitate.

• It is advised to apply TPR (Total

Physical Response) to your teaching
to give orders and explanations to
students because physical activities
contribute to students’ active
participation and longer retention.

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 TPR Teaching Method
• What is TPR and why is TPR? • TPR in teaching target words.

It's a teaching method involves co-ordination of speech

and action- teaching of languages through physical • Listen to me, do as I do
actions/ activities. To maximum the students' learning Phase 1
effect, when applying TPR in the class, you can use realia
and flashcards to help children grasp the meaning and use
natural English in meaningful contexts. In this way, children • Give orders randomly; increase the speed
Phase 2
are naturally engaged to speak and do actions together.

According to James J. Asher, PH. D. , illustrations only • just give order orally
provide visual clues to young children about the meaning Phase 3
of vocabulary, but the use of movement (gestures or other
body language) during vocabulary instruction provides • students give orders and do, teacher just sits
both visual and kinesthetic stimuli to help the children and observes
Phase 4
retain the knowledge associated with individual
vocabulary items/ concepts.

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 TPR Teaching Method
TPR instructions:

Say Loud Look Listen

Quiet Stop Yes No

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c) Lesson Breakdown
Part 3 Exercises: Various learning tasks are provided to facilitate interactive teaching
and help students consolidate the vocabularies and language structures.

30
c) Lesson Breakdown
Teaching instruction 3:
• Since the purpose of this part is reinforcement,
repetitive drills are necessary to ensure
effective learning. To avoid learning fatigue,
you can also use your own props, such as
printed pictures and toys, to keep students
focused and increase their interactivity.

• In addition, you can model to show

students how to complete a learning
task when they have difficulty
understanding the verbal instructions.

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c) Lesson Breakdown
Part 4 Review: At the end of each class, students are expected to recap what they have
learned from the lesson.

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c) Lesson Breakdown
Teaching instruction 4:
• You can reward students with the virtual
trophies in ClassIn or your own props to give
them encouragement.

• It takes a bit longer for students of basic level

to respond, so please be patient and use
your smile, proper tone of voice and
enthusiasm to create a cordial learning
atmosphere.

• Before finishing the lesson, you can give

comments with constructive advice on
students’ learning performance and
encourage them to leave five-star reviews for
this lesson.

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4 Pedagogics
 Natural Approach
The Natural Approach was proposed by Tracy Terrell
in 1977. Based on the idea of enabling naturalistic
laguage acquisition in the language atmosphere.
The natural approach puts an emphasis on exposure
or input to reduce learners' anxiety.Students are not
forced to respond in the target language
immediately, they interact in meaningful situation at
their own level. The teacher knows students' needs
and concentrates on appropriate and useful areas.
Teacher has three central roles in using natural
approach. First, the teacher is the primary source of
comprehensive input. Second, the teacher creates a
relaxed atmosphere for students. The last but not the
least, the teacher can choose and orchestrate a rish
mix of activites.
Teaching Instruction
• Present comprehensible input;
• Focus on objects in classroom and on the
content of pictures;
• Minimize learners' stress and anxiety and
maximize leaners' self confindence by giving
postive feedback;
• Acquistion activities which are focus on
meaningful communication;
• Deal with a particular set of topics in a given
situation;
• Relate the classoom activities to the real word.
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 Appropriate Times for L1(Chinese) Use
Some teachers believe it is important to use only English in the classroom. However, it can
be useful to use your students’ L1 in certain situations. The chart shows examples of times
when the L1 can be useful.

L1 is useful when … Reason Examples

giving directions for a new or
complicated activity.
 You want to make sure students a jigsaw reading activity
understand how to complete each
step of an activity.
 Knowing how to do the activity is
more important than hearing the
instructions in English.

a quick translation or explanation would
help students.
 You want to help students understand
a new word. It is not a focus word,
and it would take too much class time
to explain it in English.
 Grammatical rules and structures are
difficult and not similar to the L1.
Students are reading about teen fashion.
The phrase ‘trend spotters’ appears in
the text.
Students are having trouble
understanding the unreal conditional (If I
had a $1,000,000,…)

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 Giving Feedback
Constructive feedback
Knowing the learning aim of an activity and its link to learning outcome can guide your feedback. For
example, if the learning outcome is to use free time activity verbs, you can focus your feedback on that. You
can give positive feedback to students who use a variety of these verbs. Giving specific suggestions for
improvement is one way to make feedback constructive. For example, if a student says I do many mistakes on
my homework, you might correct by rephrasing: Why do you make those mistakes? Another strategy is to write
mistakes on the board and explain how to correct them.

When to give feedback

• Observe student work
During • Individual feedback on errors
• Whole class feedback
After • Focus on common errors
Knowing when to give feedback is as important as
knowing how to give it. One time to give feedback
is during an activity. If you notice errors that might
stop students from achieving the learning
outcome, you can give feedback to the students
making those errors. You can practice with the
student, and provide more feedback until the
student shows improvement.

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 Descriptors of supportive teacher-student talk
1. Extend teacher-student exchanges by asking follow-up questions that can lead
to active student participation and negotiation of meaning.

2. Give student time to think and hold back from immediately providing the desired
wording.

3. Use the student’s wording as a basis for modeling and reformulating new
language to make his/ her language more complete and explicit.

4. Have student explain orally how he/ she solved a problem to check on the
reasoning process and recast what the student has said.

5. Listen to what the student is saying (not only for the “prescribed” answers you
have in your head) and respond accordingly.

6. Keep a good balance between “open” and “display” question.

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