Lesson Plans 

       - to help teachers use blended learning 

Lesson plans for free download

A series of lesson plans is now available for teachers to download free. They are based on the tasks and exercise material provided in the principal Tick-Tack programs. 

A team of language teachers, who use Tick-Tack in class, are busy creating lesson plans based on their experience with their students. The initial ones are for Business and for Travel and Tourism but others will shortly be added for these and for the Tick-Tack Everyday and Starter programs.

These lesson plans will be constantly updated and extended as new ideas are tried out and prove effective.

The lesson plans are covered by copyright, but you are welcome to use them freely in class. You may also modify them for your own class-room use. You are not permitted to distribute them outside your school.  If you wish to pass them to others not connected with the school, please write and tell us what you plan to do so that we can check before giving permission.

If you have lesson plans that you have created for Tick-Tack, and would like them added to this web-site, please e-mail them to us.

Blended learning

The purpose of the lesson plans is to help promote "blended learning". They show teachers how to integrate sophisticated software into their traditional class-room teaching.

Much hesitation, and resistance, to the use of the computer for language teaching can be overcome by learning how to combine carefully-selected software elements with your own well-developed and proven teaching methods. Using the computer in this way can enhance the effectiveness of your teaching and greatly motivate your students.

The changing role of the language teacher

Using blended learning, teachers assume a somewhat different role, adding a new dimension to their professional skills. While remaining the teacher, they also play the part of guide, mentor, adviser, facilitator, helper and friend.

Students, with their frequently-greater confidence in using the computer, can also help the teacher when technical points arise and this can enliven their interest and give them a real sense of achievement.

Training workshops for teachers

Regular workshops, as well as less-formal training sessions, are held in different countries to introduce teachers to blended learning and help them to use the wide range of Tick-Tack programs with confidence.

Multilingual approach

Since the tasks and exercises have direct equivalents in the five languages (English French German Spanish and Italian) Tick-Tack provides a unique and fascinating opportunity to work multilingually, using both mother-tongue and target language versions together, or even working in two target languages plus the mother tongue.

If you would like to know more about this intriguing new dimension to language work, we will be happy to help you.

View the lesson Plans

Update your Tick-Tack files  - applies only to Tick-Tack TT98, NOT for TT2007

 

To update your Tick-Tack system you can download the latest files.  There are three zip-files.

For CDs dated Jan-Sept 2006 select zip-files 1 then 3.

For CDs dated 2005 select zip-files 1 then 2 then 3.

 

Zip-file 1: Update System.zip (680 k) contains a very short version of the original installation file. It updates the programs listed when you do:      Start / Programs / Ticktack

 

Click on the link to download the file, and save it.  Then un-zip the file and double-click on  Update System.exe.  Then click through each of the 8 screens.  Make sure that you install into the folder where Tick-Tack is already installed. You must also make sure that the drive-letter indicated for the CD drive is correct for your computer.

 

2005 CDs

If your Tick-Tack CD is dated between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2005, you will need to download zip-files 2 and 3 - in addition to Update System.zip.

 

Zip-file 2:  Update files 05.zip (750 k) contains all the new and revised files implemented between 1st January and 31st December 2005.

 

Click on the link to download the file, and save it into a blank folder.  Then un-zip the file and copy the entire contents into your TickTack folder (usually c:\ticktack).  Allow it to overwrite any files already installed, because many are updates with the same file-name. If you use WinZip you can un-zip straight into your TickTack folder.

 

2005 & 2006 CDs

 

Zip-file 3: Update files.zip (380 k) contains all the new and revised files implemented between 1st January and 30th September 2006.

 

Click on the link to download the file, and save it into a blank folder.  Then un-zip the file and copy the entire contents into your TickTack folder (usually c:\ticktack).  Allow it to overwrite any files already installed, because many are updates with the same file-name. If you use WinZip you can un-zip straight into your TickTack folder

 

If you have problems, do not hesitate to send an email to:  dsephton@rmplc.co.uk

 

Later updates (after 30 Sept 2006)

 

Any enhancements after 30 September 2006 are included in a separate zip-file Later updates.zip. Only use this on CDs dated after 1st October 2006 or after the contents of zip-files 1, 2 and 3 have been installed.

 

Note: 

 

The updates are intended for CDs dated on or after 1st January 2005.  They should also be effective on most CDs prior to that date.

 

The zip files do not contain any updates to the sound-files or task-files as these are not normally installed but remain on the original CD.

 

If you are downloading zip-files 2 and 3 be sure to install zip-file 2 before zip-file 3.

 

If you prefer to have a copy of the very latest CD it can be provided at a nominal charge.

 

Updates to Tick-Tack TT2009 DVD

 

For DVDs with “January 2009” on the label 

 

When you click on the blue links a short Install program will automatically update Tick-Tack installed on your computer in c:\tt2009. Click and install each update before clicking the next update link.

 

However, if you copied the tasks and sound-files onto your hard disc the main Tick-Tack program will be in c:\tt2009C.  So, after clicking the blue links, you must change “c:\tt2009” to “c:\tt2009C” by adding the extra “C” against the line: “Install files to this location:”

 

28Feb09Updates (582 mB)

Clicking this link CV-Shop-CLIL   will run a blue Update program and install into your c:\tt2009 folder:

- the Shopping program in Italian

- the CV program in Italian

- a new screen item “CLIL screens” into the Teaching program.

 

21Feb09Updates Wordlists (1.867 mB)

Clicking this link will run a blue Update program and install updated Wordlists into these programs in your c:\tt2009 folder:

ABC, Starter, Everyday, CV, Email and Telephone.

 

17Mar09Updates CV-Guide (512 kB)

Clicking this link will run a blue Update program and install a new Menu item “CV-Guide” into your c:\tt2009 folder. It lists texts giving valuable advice for replying to adverts and preparing for job-interviews.

 

30April09Updates NewCLILscreens (2,39 mB)

Clicking this link will run a blue Update program and install revised items into “CLIL screens” in the Teaching Program. It also adds a new item “PS-texts” into the Everyday program.

 

If you have installed the tasks & sound-files into c:\tt09 on your hard disc, you can install the following updates:

 

25Feb09C-Updates Voice-Mails tt09  (9.24 mB)

Clicking this link will install into the VoiceMail folder in c:\tt09

- a set of voice-mail recordings in Spanish 

- two .doc files containing English words and names that can be difficult to pronounce.

 

For DVDs with “January 2009” or “May 2009”on the label 

 

Remember:  if you copied the tasks and sound-files onto your hard disc the main Tick-Tack program will be in c:\tt2009C.  So, after clicking the blue link, you must change “c:\tt2009” to “c:\tt2009C” by adding the extra “C” against the line: “Install files to this location:”

 

8Jul09Updates Presentations (560 kB)

Clicking this link installs 3 new items into the Menu bar of the Presentations folder:

- Good presentations

- Good workshops

- Presentations guide

It adds Italian & Russian in the Hotels program

      Spanish in the Telephone program

      Euskera (Basque ) in the Survival program

It inserts a small “Record” button between Add & Play. This accesses “Sound Recorder” so that you can make voice-recordings. It does not work under Windows Vista since Vista provides its own Sound Recorder, accessible from the Start button.

 

Note re video-clips

The May 2009 DVD includes 11 video-clips which are accessed from the English Business tasks (Unit IX). Unfortunately it is not practical to download them from the 2clix web-site since they occupy more than 60 mB.