Alex and Friends, Ses Amis, I Suoi Amici, Seine Freunde, Sus Amigos : Children's Adventure Story Told in Russian on CD to Develop Listening Skills in a Second Language

This A4 adventure storybook with 40 pages of full colour illustrations is designed for children aged 7+ (KS2) already learning a second language.

The book of illustrations is a visual framework, upon which the story is told on CD.

Our own children complained that after several years of learning French at school, they still couldn't understand a conversation when we went to France.

The aim of this book is to enable students to get used to hearing and understanding the language as it is spoken, in the way that children learn by listening and repetition.

Alex wakes up one morning and has breakfast with his family.

He flies his kite off towards the forest on his way to visit his aunt for lunch at the farm.

He has various adventures during the day before returning home to the castle, eating supper with his family, and falling asleep in his bed.

The language in this story, in as much as is possible in 6-10,000 words is simple, with lots of repetition.

It is told in the present tense. Vocabulary for colours, meals, some items of food and clothing, numbers up to 30, farm animals, minibeasts and the weather are covered in the story.

There is a mouse hidden on each page. The accompanying Activity Book is an A4 book of black and white, photocopiable line drawings of activities for children, based on the story.

These include: farm to colour with animals to cut, stick and name; find, colour and name 10 animals hidden in the tree; find and name the thirty objects in the bedroom - and spot the difference; and, find the mouse in each picture and describe where it is: on/under/beside etc Butterfly mobile etc.

In the next book, Alex will be a little older, his adventure will encompass new vocabulary and situations, and he will be in contact with his cousins and school friends, sometimes via his mobile phone.