MAGICAL Teacher's Guide - Book - Page 3
Rationale
1. Overview and Target Population
Magical is a comprehensive, topic-based, program designed for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
in the fifth grade at the Foundation Level in accordance with the CEFR A1 (Basic) level.
Magical is organized around topics which are of interest and relevance to the learners. The program
develops oral communication skills by providing a strong lexical base and literacy skills. The program entails a
continuous systematic development of language skills, based on familiar contextualized vocabulary, as well
as reading comprehension through texts and stories of a variety of text types.
The program begins with a review of previous learned Pre-Basic A1 and Basic A1 vocabulary in Getting
Ready. Following this are five core units. Each of these units is further divided into five instructional parts, a
central, thematic story, a review section, and an alternative assessment.
The program teaches English through the integration of the can-do statements and the Foundation Band I
word list, as set out in the English Curriculum 2020 and the Grammar for Band I Elementary School
documents. These can-do objectives are specified in a table at the beginning of each unit.
2. Program Goals
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Give learners a positive experience in learning English as a foreign language.
Cater to learners’ individual learning styles and interests by providing a variety of activities and
techniques, such as: word play, storytelling, games, acting, auditory and visual activities, singing, and
movement.
Provide a supportive and nurturing learning environment based on continuous positive feedback and
encouragement to enhance self-confidence and foster self-esteem.
Provide learners with extensive listening and speaking practice to encourage the active use of
spoken language in the classroom.
Teach language by utilizing natural processes of communication for authentic purposes.
Provide content that is relevant to the child’s knowledge of the world and their personal
experiences.
Provide tasks to develop important cognitive, linguistic, and literacy skills.
Provide a guiding framework for all pupils to achieve the objectives and can-dos, as set out in the
English Curriculum 2020, the Grammar for Band I Elementary School document and the Foundation
Band I word list.
3. Methodology
A variety of language teaching and learning theories and approaches create the unique methodology in
Magical – a thematic, topic-based curriculum, utilizing multisensory activities to address the diverse learning
styles of pupils, thus increasing motivation and success. The Magical Teacher’s Guide includes clear
suggestions on how teachers can help children achieve their learning goals.
Activities in the pupil’s Course Book and Workbook are presented spirally, with intensive support. Activities
move gradually from reception to production. Target lexical items and chunks from the Foundation Band I
Core I word list are extensively recycled, allowing pupils to gain confidence in the language.
The methodology behind Magical integrates both language learning theories and language teaching
approaches that have been proven successful in foreign language instruction, as well as in research and firsthand experiences in the classroom.
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