Publications

General

The Complete Guide to Learning a Language

Making Changes

Citizenship

The Citizenship Teachers’ Guide to the Internet

Get-by Courses

Tuition Material

French

French Topic Sheets

The Definitive French Revision Guide

Le Cours d’Alex

The World of French Revision series

Resources for Teaching French 14-16

Sign Language Resources – French

German

Spaß beim Lesen

German Topic Sheets

Kaffee und Kuchen

Selbstbedienung

The Really Useful German Revision Guide

Spanish

Manuel


General

The Complete Guide to Learning a Language

Publisher: How To Books

ISBN: 1-8570-3903-3

The Complete Guide to Learning a Language: How to Learn a Language with the Least Amount of Difficulty and the Most Amount of Fun.

This book came about as a result of my teaching languages for twenty-five years and learning them for forty. I have noticed what works in my own process and in the process of others. I have also noticed what doesn’t I have seen how other nationalities learn our language.

For the past few years, I have given private tuition in foreign languages to students aged five to eighty-five, from complete beginners to those who are almost as competent as a native speaker. I’m still learning myself.

A miracle occurs if we can get our hand a little more on the tool...

In this book I show you

how to find the right course for you

how to make the most of that course

how to overcome any fear you may have

how to get the most out of every contact with your chosen language and the people who speak it

how to find the bigger picture

how to appreciate the culture which goes with your new language and the people who speak.

Buy this from Amazon.

Or buy a signed copy from the author for £9.99  
(Includes postage, packing , and a £1 donation to the Peace Child Organisation.)

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Making Changes

Publisher: Bridge House

ISBN: 0-9557-9105-7

“Making Changes” is an exciting anthology by talented writers. It is, if you like, an Advent Calendar of stories, with one story for every day between the 1st and 24th of December. It is for everyone who likes to curl up with a good book in those dark days before Christmas, our eternal story time.

Within the anthology there are stories of the supernatural and the magical. There are stories which touch lightly on the Christian nativity story. There are stories which show us humanity at its best – or its worst – we have a murder story also. There is humour, there is pathos. There is something to make you laugh and something to make you cry.

Without being over sentimental, this collection of stories will fill you with hope and optimism as one year ends and another begins. It celebrates the human capacity to make effective changes in a complex world.

Buy this from Amazon.

Or buy directly from Bridge House for £9.99  
(Includes £1.00 postage and packing.)

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Citizenship

The Citizenship Teachers’ Guide to the Internet

This guide reviews web-sites which may be useful to Citizenship teachers. A star-rating is given for each one. The web-site adress is supplied, the content is described and the quality of the links is assessed. What is unique about each site is established, and features useful to teachers are recommended. Particular emphasis is given to materials available from the site.

The General Section is followed by sections on Knowledge and Understanding about Becoming Informed Citizens, Developing skills for Enquiry and Communication, and Developing Skills of Participation and Responsible Action.

Available from www.classroom-resources.co.uk/

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Get-by Courses

Tuition Material

These courses are ideal for one-to-one or small group tuition. We can license this to you, so that you may then photocopy this as many times as you like. The cost depends on the number of students you meet a week. Soon there will also be a CD available, which you may purchase from us and use with your students. Your students will also be able to buy individual copies.

Get-by French

Licence to tutors with up to 5 students per week, £8.00  

Licence to tutors for 6 to 10 students per week, £12.00  

Licence to tutors with 11 or more students per week, £15.00  

Get-by Italian

Licence to tutors with up to 5 students per week, £8.00  

Licence to tutors for 6 to 10 students per week, £12.00  

Licence to tutors with 11 or more students per week, £15.00  

Get-by Spanish

Licence to tutors with up to 5 students per week, £8.00  

Licence to tutors for 6 to 10 students per week, £12.00  

Licence to tutors with 11 or more students per week, £15.00  

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French

French Topic Sheets

These sheets are ideal for encouraging pupils to think about their preparation for the oral exam. They cover a wide range of topics and apply to all exam boards.

Students are given questions and model answers which they can adapt to make their own answers. In creating their own replies, they are encouraged to think about the structure of the language. Some careful work on the model answers can lead students to a deeper understanding of grammar. This can increase their ability to work independently, and can lead them to producing their own written as well as spoken work.

If the teacher and student work through the topic sheets in the way described at the front of the booklet, they will become familiar with a vast quantity of French, which will be useful to them both in the exam and in contact with native speakers. The oral exam will no longer be an unknown quantity.

Available from www.classroom-resources.co.uk/

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The Definitive French Revision Guide

This guide takes pupils through a series of exercises, which prepares them for the GCSE exam and further study of French. It shows students how to enhance all four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. It gives them some insight into how the grammar of the language works, and helps them to take control of the structure of the language. It contains tips on how they can make the most use of their contact with native speakers.

The guide does not contain everything students need to revise. It does point them to other resources and shows them how to use these. The content has been kept simple, so that the pupils do not feel overwhelmed with detail. By following through the suggestions made, the students can really get on top of the subject.

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Le Cours d’Alex

Publisher: Bridge House Languages

A course leading to GCSE / European Passport Level B1 for students with a basic knowledge of French.

The course was originally designed for a 12 year-old boy, who had two years previously of one hour a week tuition, based mainly on speaking activities and games, with just a little reading. It brings a learner up to GCSE / European Passport Level B1 in one year, if used vigorously.

It offers in its main modules:

language learning skills

grammar

full vocabulary for the topic studied

full practice of the topic studied

reminders about working habits

a full “to do” list.

There is a detailed index and an extensive section of model dialogues. Tutor’s notes are also provided.

This course will never go out of date. No reading or listening texts and only a few writing texts are provided. The tutor provides their own – mainly downloaded free from the Internet. This keeps the subject matter up to date. Guidance on this is given in the Tutor’s notes.

This is available to purchase in electronic form for £2.99...  
(This will be sent as a Word Document email attachment.)

...or can be mailed as a hard copy for £6.99  
(This will be sent as 122 A4 pages, printed on a single side and ready for you to put into your own binder.)

Both versions allow private tutors registered with Bridge House Languages unlimited photocopying.

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The World of French Revision series

Publisher: Letts

These four books are aimed at primary age children. Although they are called “revision” books they could be used by any child wishing to learn French, as long as there were someone at hand to help with pronunciation. Through the antics of Sir Ralph Witherbottom, the inventor, his trusty butler, Max, his enthusiastic daughter Isabella, and Spotless the dog, the learner encounters, through the four books, many of the skills and much of the knowledge recommended in French for this age group. Every single word introduced is explained in the text, and it if is one which has been used before, it is included in a glossary at the end of each book. The ages mentioned for each title are a guide only, and the content of each book reflects what the student might meet if they studied French for a few hours a week, starting in Year 3 of the British system.

Each book contains fifteen units of new content, which introduce an area of knowledge or a skill. After every third topic there is a revision section, giving further practice of the previous three topics. Each content unit covers two pages. The topic or skill is introduced though a short scene with Witherbottoms. One or more of them is also shown in a small cartoon, most often with the words in French. There is also a “Top Tip” which gives a handy hint about learning the language and a “Did you know?” section which gives you an amazing fact about the French language, or French-speaking people or countries. Each section also has a challenging game or puzzle.

At the end of each book there is a glossary, as described above, and the answers to all of the puzzles and revision exercises.

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The World of French Revision Ages 7-8

ISBN: 1-8431-5546-X

This covers:

Greetings

Asking how someone is

Exchanging names

Numbers 1-10

Writing materials

Ages

Saying where you live

Nationality and language

Numbers 11-31

Weather

The alphabet

Family

Thanking people

Colours

Dates

Buy this from Amazon.

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The World of French Revision Ages 8-9

ISBN: 1-8431-5547-8

This covers:

Animals

Numbers 30-60

Festivals in France

Times (hours)

Parts of the day

Daily routine

Numbers 61-100

Birthdays

Transport

The verb “to go”

Compass points

French towns

Adjectives

“er” verbs

Buy this from Amazon.

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The World of French Revision Ages 9-10

ISBN: 1-8431-5548-6

This covers:

Time – minutes and 24 hour clock

School subjects

School timetables

Drinks and snacks

Money – euros

Festival details

Christmas

The body

Sports

Opinions

Memory training

Gist reading

Using English to help you with French

Differences, similarities and idioms

Grammar

Buy this from Amazon.

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The World of French Revision Ages 10-11

ISBN: 1-8431-5549-4

This covers:

Clothes

Clothes and colours

Describing clothes

Shopping

“ir” verbs

Reading short notes

Euros, francs and pounds

Making the most of the French you know

Writing short notes

Directions

Using dictionaries and glossaries

Writing poems

Formal letters

Informal letters

Buy this from Amazon.

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Resources for Teaching French 14-16

Publisher: Continuum

ISBN: 0-8264-0992-X

This is a user friendly manual that provides teachers with suggestions for classroom activities aimed at children aged 14-16 studying French. It features activities, teaching strategies and schemes informed by current ideas about teaching and learning and the curriculum, designed to assist busy teachers. The activities introduce different opportunities and approaches in both individual and group work; in both school and homework. They help to motivate and inspire students, and offer different methods of teaching and learning and different ways that teachers can deliver lessons. Most of these suggestions are practical, task-based and active, to stimulate students’ imagination and to motivate and inspire them in the subject. If necessary, teachers should be able to modify or adapt them to meet requirements of their own students and in many cases, some suggestions for ways of doing this is made.

Each activity is supported by photocopiable material, which is also available for download from the internet.

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Buy this from Amazon.

Sign Language Resources – French

Publisher: Bridge House Languages

                 

This PowerPoint slide set is a collection of 33 pictures of French-language signs, to be used as an aid to teaching French.

A few ideas on how they can be used are:

Just show the slides to your learners and discuss in French or English, depending on level.

Print out the slides full size and use them as posters in the classroom.

Print out the pictures on A4 card six to a sheet. Laminate if them possible. Print out similar sized descriptions of the pictures, and students can match them up, then play “pairs”.

Many more ideas will send with the set when you order it. Plus, if you have an innovative idea of how to use these collections, and you can do the necessary authoring work, we will market your resource for you. You will receive 90% of the price we receive from customers for e-resources. We will give you a quote for anything which requires hardware or hard copy.

If you supply us with three great ideas of how to use this resource and your idea does not entail any authoring, we will give you another Sign Language Resource pack absolutely free.

Send an outline of your ideas to bridgehouse@btinternet.com .

Individual copies

For individual use £2.00  

For private tutors £5.00  

Site licence for instutions up to 100 students £5.00  

Site licence for instutions over 100 students £7.50  

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German

Spaß beim Lesen

This e-zine is for learners of German who have reached the stage where they are ready to take off on their own: for people who have reached National Curriculum Level 5, or European Passport Level A2 or more, and really need to be working more independently on their skills. Reading extra German is one way of quickly improving skill and gaining knowledge. Yet going straight to fully authentic German may be too much of a challenge. Giving them simple authentic texts may mean they are reading a content which is beneath them. Spaß beim Lesen is for beginner readers but contains topics of interest to teenagers, especially at the end of Year 9, and the beginning of Year 10. Each edition contains:

A chapter of a serial from the Austausch series, which is written partly in German, partly in English, changing the language in a natural way, as in fact happens during an exchange visit. (2 to 3 sides of A4)

A short story (one A4 side)

An article about a sports personality

An article about a young person and a sport or activity they like to do

A news item

Discussion of a topic which would interest a person of this age

An article about a TV soap or about music

An opportunity to send in their own letters

The adventures of Dieter Doofmann, a cartoon wannabe punk who is always doing daft things

Indications of other fully authentic sources where students can find out further information

No exercises are provided with Spaß beim Lesen. The idea is that students just practise reading.

Spaß beim Lesen is produced ten months a year, starting in February. There is no magazine in January or August. You may register now for your free copy at the end of February 2003. If you decide you do not like the magazine, just let us know and we shall delete you from the list. Otherwise, we shall invoice you mid-March.

You have many options with Spaß beim Lesen:

School or college, or private tutor with several pupils

You may purchase the electronic version at £5.50 for the year (sent by email once a month, except January and August).

You may purchase a hard-copy version at £20.00 (including postage and packing).

Your pupils may by their own individual electronic ones at £2.50 for the year or £5.50 for a hard copy for the year.

You may customise your electronic version.

You may store it on your school computer network.

You may photocopy it and distribute it to pupils.

If your pupils order individual copies, a discount will be paid back to the school, after all cheques and credit card payments have been cleared, of 5% for 20 or more orders, and 10% for 50 or more orders.

If you are interested, please:

print this form, fill it in and mail it to us.

or download this version: and return it by mail or email.


(Requires Microsoft Word 2000 or later.)

Please do not send credit card details by email.

Form to copy and give out to pupils

You may also wish to download

this version: which you can copy on to your headed paper and distribute to pupils.


(Requires Microsoft Word 2000 or later.)

You may be willing to collect the replies and mail in one go and/or receive the hard copies into school and distribute. In the latter case, your copies will arrive with a checklist, so that you can monitor which pupils have received theirs. In that case, please customise your letter as appropriate.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Private indivdual

If you are interested, please:

print this form, fill it in and mail it to us.

Cheques should be made payable to Bridge House.

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German Topic Sheets

These sheets are ideal for encouraging pupils to think about their preparation for the oral exam. They cover a wide range of topics and apply to all exam boards.

Students are given questions and model answers which they can adapt to make their own answers. In creating their own replies, they are encouraged to think about the structure of the language. Some careful work on the model answers can lead students to a deeper understanding of grammar. This can increase their ability to work independently, and can lead them to producing their own written as well as spoken work.

If the teacher and students work through the topic sheets in the way described at the front of the booklet, they will become familiar with a vast quantity of Gernan which will be useful to them both in the exam, and in contact with native speakers. The oral exam will no longer be an unknown quantity.

Available from www.classroom-resources.co.uk/

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Kaffee und Kuchen

This guide inspires and shows teachers of German and other languages how to set up a major role play, using the frame work of a rather delightful German tradition.

Role-plays of various levels of complication are described. Teachers can chose from simply making the Food and Drink topic a little more realistic, to holding a major cross-curricular event which meets many National Curriculum targets in many subjects and provides opportunities for assessment. The emphasis throughout, however, is on involving all pupils learning German and giving them the opportunity to use their German in a meaningful context.

The guide offers practical advice about how to organise a Kaffee und Kuchen event. It contains details of how National Curriculum Attainment Targets are met. There are also many photocopiable sheets which can be customised to suit your own school.

Available from www.zigzageducation.com/

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Selbstbedienung

All too often pupils fail to get the top grades in GCSE, or feel that they have no mastery of the German language, because they feel confused by the grammar. Selbstbedienung seeks to demystify German grammar by guiding pupils through a series of grammatical explanations and exercises. Selbstbedienung differs from other Grammar Guides in that there is an emphasis on how to apply the acquired grammatical knowledge to subsequent work.

Originally written to enable advanced Year 9s to teach themselves grammar if the teacher is too busy, Selbstbedienung has proved useful to Key Stage 4 pupils, and pupils studying AS and A2 German.

Selbstbedieung 1 deals with grammar points which will make the most difference to GCSE results, in the order of importance. Selbstbedienung 2 covers the rest. The Selbstbedienung Extra volumes give extra practice in the topics covered in Selbstbedieung 1 & 2.

Available from www.zigzageducation.com/

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The Really Useful German Revision Guide

This guide takes pupils through a series of exercises, which prepares them for the GCSE exam and further study of German. It shows students how to enhance all four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. It gives them some insight into how the grammar of the language works, and helps them to take control of the structure of the language. It contains tips on how students can make the most use of their contact with native speakers.

The guide does not contain everything students need to revise. It does point them to other resources and shows them how to use these. The content has been kept simple, so that pupils do not feel overwhelmed with detail. By following through the suggestions made, students can really get on top of the subject.

Available from www.classroom-resources.co.uk/

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Spanish

Manuel

Author: Margaret Gimson

Publisher: Bridge House

ISBN: 978-0-9557910-1-7

Manuel, set in Santander, is the touching story of a little boy who communicates with his imprisoned father through drawings. It is told in easy-to-digest chapters in simple Spanish. It is an ideal aid to learning for the student of Spanish who is now ready to read independently.

Margaret Gimsom has carefully crafted each chapter to be a little more demanding that the one before, with the language becoming slightly more complex as the story progresses. Yet she still manages to keep us enthralled by Manuel’s problems.

This little book is suitable for those who have studied Spanish for about two years and certainly before GCSE. It could also be used by less experienced learners with the help of a teacher. It is available either as a paperback book and CD for individual users, or licensed as a copiable version for institutional use.

Manuel prices

Individual copies

Paperback book £4.99  

Buy this from Amazon.

Accompanying CD £4.99  

For tutors

Licence for tutors, text (softcopy), £15.00  

Licence for tutors, text (hardcopy), £20.00  

Licence for tutors, CD, £15.00  

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Page last updated 12 November 2019