Tense Buster focuses on helping
students improve their understanding of 29 key grammar areas
ranging from Some/any at Elementary level to Phrasal verbs at
Advanced level (see right for a full syllabus).
Each unit begins with a
presentation of a grammar topic based on a dialogue, a newspaper
article, a radio broadcast or an extract from a story. In this
introductory phase, learners are encouraged to form theories
about how the grammar works. Next come concept checking
questions focusing on key areas of difficulty, and a grammar
rule which enables learners to confirm or correct their
theories. Students move on to practice and testing activities in
which the language is contextualised and key aspects of form and
function are highlighted. They might, for example, find and
correct errors in a text about McDonald's or examine the use of
modals in an authentic report about a robbery in Nigeria.
Finally, each unit includes a vocabulary session and ends by
suggesting extension activities.
British Council Network News
describes Tense Buster as "very popular with students,
attractive and easy to use" and Schoolzone found "the activities
[to be] interesting, varied and just the right length to sustain
interest." Most activities include an audio function giving
additional listening practice and have vocabulary support. All
activities include detailed feedback, one of the most popular
features of the program.
Tense Buster has been
officially adopted worldwide by the British Council and by
Ministries of Education in several countries including Spain,
Canada and the UAE. The software is authorable, and comes with
an optional Results Manager enabling you to track student
activity. Choose between British or American English on
installation. |
