The Books4languages system is designed to offer a wide range of exercises that can be adapted to each of the students’ needs.
General Characteristics
When we write a question we try to provide between 3 and 9 possible options (and even though in some particular situations it may be possible to write up to 11 options, it’s advisable to provide between 5 and 7). It may also occur that a quiz must have a specific number of options; in this case, we will create the necessary ones, no matter the recommendations.
It is important to remember that the instructions that we are going to outline on this page are just that, instructions and that the reality of a Topic may make it necessary to adapt the template to the reality of the grammar rule by adding or removing exercises or options or by changing the type of exercise.
The multiple-choice exercises (when used to evaluate current content) consist of:
- Single choice, 1 correct option out of 3 (A levels) or 4 (B levels).
- Multiple choice, 2 correct options out of 4 (A levels) or 5 (B levels).
When using a multiple-choice with multiple correct options and more than 5 available options, the exercise will be treated as a normal quiz and not as a multiple-choice exercise.
The Fill in the blanks and Drag text exercises will require a different number of words depending on the level.: A1 3-7; A2 4-9; B1 5-12; B2 6-X. When the sentence is long and complex, it is possible to leave already written one correct word in the sentence.
The grammar exercises
- The A1 and A2 exercises will focus only on the Form. It won’t be necessary to have different Uses for each Form, even though there will also be exercises about the Use.
- The B1 and B2 exercises will focus on the Form for each of its Uses, even though there will also be exercises about the Use..
The exercises divide into Book exercises (present only in the book) and Special exercises (shown on the website and that are complementary to the books).
Book exercises
The Book exercises are the contents offered inside the textbook, although they are also the first exercise found on the exercise homepage on the web. These are passive exercises that can be done in informal contexts and that can easily evaluate the learning.
Vocabulary textbook exercises
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
- Template:
- Extent: Minimum1; Recommended 2; Maximum 5.
- Distribution:
Grammar textbook exercises
The Grammar textbook evaluates both Form and Use.
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
- Template:
- Extent 1-3 quiz (Form) + 3-5 quiz (Use)
- Distribution: Drag text (isolated words or half of the sentence) and Mark the words (Form) and True and False at A levels or Single/Multiple choice questions at B levels (Use)
Keep in mind, we require titles to each part: the form and the use sections. At least one exercise for each section must be created.
Grammar textbooks exercises, in the Form section of the A levels, we have to create exercises for the basic and most important Use, not one to each one of them.
Orthography textbook exercises
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
- Template:
- Extent:
- Distribution:
Culture textbook exercises
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
- Template:
- A Levels:
- Extent: Minimum 3; Recommended 4; Maximun 5 for each subsection.
- Distribution: 3 (true/false*) + 1 (single choice with 3 options, only one is correct) for each subsection.
- B Levels:
- Extensión: Mínimo 4; Recomendado 6; Máximo 7 por cada subseccción.
- Distribución: 3 (true/false) + 3 (multiple choice*) quiz por cada subseccción.
*If there are too many subsections or if there isn’t enough content decrease the number of true/false (at A levels) and/or omit the multiple-choice (at B levels).
Special Grammar Exercises
The Grammar textbooks feature two exercises that help, separately, to consolidate the acquired knowledge both in the Form and in the Use,
Form exercises
The Form exercises are designed to evaluate only whether the student has understood how to create a language unit.
Examples must be adapted to the needs of the Topic. However, generally speaking, in A levels examples should be based on the Form and in B levels they should be based on the Form for each Use. In the form exercises, we will begin to offer active learning exercises like the Fill in the gaps.
- Duration: 15-20 minutes
- Template:
- Extent: Minimum 12; Recommended 14; Maximum 18.
- Distribution:
- 1-2 quiz about the theory (fill in the gaps/multiple choice…);
- 1-3 Drag and Drop;
- 3-6 Fill in the gaps;
- 0-2 Others (Mark the words…);
- 1-2 Multiple choice;
- If necessary, Single choice to get to 14 exercises.
Use exercises
The Use exercises are designed to evaluate only whether the student has understood why and when to use the grammar rule.
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
- Template:
- Extent: 3-5
- Distribution:
- 2-4 Single choice;
- 1 Drop text o True/False
Vocabulary Activities
Writing activities
- Duration: 0-0 minutes
- Template:
- Extent: 1
- Distribution:
- A1 Level: 3 Writing exercise (Task 2) and 1 Speaking exercise (created as text) each theme.
- A2 Level: 3 Writing exercise (Tasks 2 and 3) and 1 Speaking exercise (created as text) each theme.
note: to adapt the Speaking exercises for the writing exercise
Speaking activities
- Duration: 0-0 minutes
- Template:
- Extent:
- Distribution:
Reading activities
- Duration: 0-0 minutes
- Template:
- Extent:
- Distribution:
Listening activities
- Duration: 0-0 minutes
- Template:
- Extent:
- Distribution: