Book Work
The textbook is the foundation of the course but should serve first and foremost as a primer for the multimedia work and the practice sessions.
Read the introduction
Most authors include basic information about how to learn a language in the introduction. Each language might have different strategies, so make sure to start here first.
Grammar
Read and study the grammar explanations and make sure you understand each one before moving on to the next. Take notes to explain to yourself and solidify your knowledge; keep a section in your notebook for new vocabulary words. If you do not understand the explanations, ask yourself if your question is really critical for mastering the material at hand (many questions will be answered as you progress through the material). If you are still struggling with grammar questions, make an appointment with the ALSO director to figure out how to best improve learning strategies or to arrange for extra tutoring sessions.
Dialogues
Read the dialogues in the book out loud several times. Note how grammatical patterns and new vocabulary are being used. Note which communication strategies are at work –questioning, asking, declaring. You may be asked to memorize, or more properly stated, “overlearn” certain dialogues; this strategy is to promote fluency and intonational accuracy and to allow you to internalize patterns of sentences or idiomatic expression, or to see how words are actually used in sentences and social contexts.
