Touchstone  Level 2  Contents and learning outcomes

Language
Learning outcomes
Grammar Vocabulary Pronunciation

Unit 1 • Ask questions to get to know your classmates using • Review of simple present • Review of types of TV Speaking naturally
the simple present and present of be in shows, clothes, food, and • Stress and intonation in
Making • Talk about your favorite things questions and statements weekend activities questions and answers
friends • Use responses with too and either to show what you • Responses with too and Sounds right
either
pages 1–10 have in common • Hard and soft consonants
• Start conversations with people you don’t know Extra practice
• Use actually to give new or surprising information
• Read an article about small talk
• Write a How-to article using correct punctuation

Unit 2 • Talk about your interests with can, like, hate, prefer, • Verb forms after can / can’t, • Interests and hobbies Speaking naturally
be good at, etc. love, like, etc., and • Types of music • Saying lists
Interests • Discuss your taste in music using object pronouns prepositions
Sounds right
pages 11–20 and everyone, nobody, etc. • Object pronouns
• Matching vowel sounds
• Say no in a friendly way • Everybody, everyone,
• Use really / not really to make statements stronger / softer nobody, and no one
• Read an online forum about hobbies Extra practice
• Write online forum posts using linking expressions

Unit 3 • Talk about exercise and how to stay healthy using the • Simple present and present • Ways to stay healthy Speaking naturally
simple present and present continuous continuous • Common health problems • Contrasts
Health • Discuss common health problems using if and when • Joining clauses with if and • Common remedies Sounds right
pages 21–30 • Encourage people to say more when
• Matching vowel sounds
• Use expressions like Really? and Oh! to show surprise Extra practice
• Read an article about staying healthy
• Write questions and answers about health concerns

Checkpoint Units 1–3  pages 31–32

Unit 4 • Talk about gift giving and birthdays using be going to • Future with be going to • Months of the year Speaking naturally
and indirect objects • Indirect objects • Days of the month • Reduction of going to
Celebrations • Talk about how you celebrate special days • Indirect object pronouns • Special days, celebrations, Sounds right
pages 33–42 • Talk about plans using the present continuous or be • Present continuous for the and holidays • Which sound in each group
going to future • Things people do to is different?
• Use “vague” expressions like and everything Extra practice celebrate special days
• Give vague responses like It depends if you’re not sure
• Read an article about traditions around the world
• Write an invitation to a special event

Unit 5 • Talk about growing up and your family background • be born • Time expressions for the Speaking naturally
using the simple past • Review of simple past in past • Reduction of did you
Growing up • Talk about school subjects people studied using most questions and statements • Saying years Sounds right
pages 43–52 (of ), a few (of ), etc. • General and specific use of • School subjects • Hard and soft consonant
• Correct things you say with expressions like Well, determiners sounds
Actually, and No, wait Extra practice
• Use I mean to correct a word or name
• Read an interview about a man’s teenage years
• Write answers to interview questions

Unit 6 • Ask about places with Is there . . . ? and Are there . . . ? • Is there? and Are there? • Places in town Speaking naturally
• Say where places are with next to, between, etc. • Pronouns one and ones • Location expressions • Word stress in compound
Around town • Ask for and give directions • Offers and requests with • Expressions for asking and nouns
pages 53–62 • Offer and ask for help with Can and Could Can and Could giving directions Sounds right
• Check information by repeating words or using Extra practice • Matching vowel sounds
expressions like Excuse me? spelled with a and o
• Ask “echo” questions like It’s where? to check
• Read an online guide to Istanbul
• Write a walking-tour guide

Checkpoint Units 4–6  pages 63–64

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 Contents and learning outcomes LEVEL 2

Interaction Skills Self study

Conversation
Listening
strategies
• Start a conversation with What’s the question?
someone you don’t • Listen to answers and
know match them with
• Use actually to give or to questions
“correct” information This is a great party!
• Listen to responses and
match them to
conversation starters;
then listen for more
information
• Say no in a friendly way Interesting hobbies
• Use really and not really • Match conversations
to make statements about hobbies with
stronger or softer photos; fill in a chart
Favorite websites
• Listen for details as two
people talk about a
website
Reading
Improve your skills and
“small talk” your way to
success
• A magazine article giving
advice
• Read an online forum
Writing
How to improve . . .
• Write an article giving
advice on how to
improve something
• Review of punctuation
A message board
• Write a question to post
on a message board
• Link ideas with and,
also, especially, or, but,
and because
Free talk
Sally’s party!
• Group work: Play a game
to make small talk at a
party
Common interests
• Group work: Ask and
answer questions about
your own hobbies
Vocabulary
notebook
Webs of words
• Use word webs to
organize new vocabulary
I really like to sing!
• Link new words together
in word “chains”

• Encourage people to say
more to keep a
conversation going
• Show surprise
Unhealthy habits
• Predict what people will
say about their habits;
listen to check
Coping with stress
• Match conversations
about relaxing with
photos; listen for details
Rethink your way to great
health
• Read an article about
improving personal
health
That’s great advice! True or false? Under the weather
• Write a question asking • Pair work: Ask questions • Write down words you
advice about a health to guess true and untrue can use with a new word
problem, and write information about habits or expression
replies to your
classmates’ questions
• Use commas after if and
when clauses

Checkpoint Units 1–3 pages 31–32

• Use “vague” Celebrations around the
expressions like world
and everything • Listen to people talk
• Give “vague” responses about two festivals, and
like I don’t know and answer questions
Maybe when you’re not Congratulations!
sure
• Listen for details in two
conversations about
invitations, and fill in
the blanks
• Correct things you say I don’t remember
with expressions like exactly . . .
Well, Actually, and No, • Listen for corrections
wait as people talk about
• Use I mean to correct childhood memories
yourself when you say A long time ago
the wrong word or name
• Listen for details as a
man talks about his
teenage years
Let’s celebrate!
• Read an article about
traditions in different
countries
Teenage years
• Read an interview with a
man who talks about his
teenage years
Congratulations! A new celebration Calendars
• Write an invitation to a • Group work: Create a • Write new vocabulary
special event, and add a new special day or about special days and
personal note festival, and talk about it celebrations on a
• Formal and informal with other groups calendar
ways to begin and end a
note or letter
An interview In the past I hated math!
• Write interview • Class activity: Ask your • Group new vocabulary in
questions to ask a classmates questions different ways
classmate about when about their childhood,
he or she was younger, and take notes
and reply to a
classmate’s questions
• Link ideas with except
(for) and apart from

• Repeat key words to Finding your way around 3 days in Istanbul . . . A walking-tour guide Apartment hunting Which way?
check information • Match four sets of • Read a travel website • Write a guide for a • Pair work: Ask and • Draw and label a map to
• Use “checking” directions with the about Istanbul walking tour of your city answer questions about remember directions
expressions to check destinations by or town two apartments, and
information following the map • Expressions for giving choose one to live in
• Use “echo” questions to Tourist information directions
check information • Listen to conversations
at a visitor center, and
predict what each
person says next to
check the information

Checkpoint Units 4–6 pages 63–64

v
 Language
Learning outcomes
Grammar Vocabulary Pronunciation

Unit 7 • Talk about getting ready for a trip using infinitives • Infinitives for reasons • Things to do before a trip Speaking naturally
to give reasons • It’s + adjective + to . . . • Things to take on different • Reduction of to
Going away • Give opinions using It’s + adjective + to • Ways to give advice and kinds of trips Sounds right
pages 65–74 • Talk about things to take on a trip make suggestions • Words with and without a
• Give advice and suggestions with should, could, etc. Extra practice silent l
• Respond to suggestions
• Use I guess when you’re not sure
• Read an article about unique hotels
• Write an email about a trip

Unit 8 • Talk about where you keep things at home • Whose . . . ? and possessive • Places where you keep Speaking naturally
• Say who owns things with mine, yours, etc. and whose pronouns things in your home • Reduction of grammatical
At home • Talk about items in the home • Order of adjectives • Home furnishings for words
pages 75–84 • Identify things using adjectives and one / ones • Pronouns one and ones different rooms Sounds right
• Location expressions after • Things you keep in your • Matching vowel sounds
• Use Do you mind . . . ? and Would you mind . . . ? to
pronouns and nouns room
make polite requests
• Agree to requests with expressions like Go right ahead Extra practice
• Read comments on a website about unusual habits
• Write about your evening routine with expressions like
first and as soon as

Unit 9 • Tell anecdotes about things that went wrong using the • Past continuous statements • Parts of the body Speaking naturally
past continuous and simple past • Past continuous questions • Injuries • Fall-rise intonation
Things • Talk about accidents (e.g., I broke my arm.) using the • Reflexive pronouns Sounds right
happen past continuous and myself, yourself, etc.
Extra practice • Simple past verbs with -ed
pages 85–94 • React to show interest with expressions like Oh, no! endings
• Use I bet to show you’re sure or that you understand
• Read anecdotes in an article
• Write an anecdote using when and while

Checkpoint Units 7–9  pages 95–96

Unit 10 • Compare ways of communicating using comparative • Comparative adjectives • Ways of communicating Speaking naturally
adjectives and more, less, and fewer • More, less, fewer • Adjectives • Linking
Communication • Manage phone conversations Extra practice • Phone expressions Sounds right
pages 97–106 • Interrupt and restart a phone conversation • The sounds /s/ or /z/
• Use just to soften what you say
• Read an article about texting
• Write an article giving pros and cons

Unit 11 • Describe people’s appearance using adjectives and • Describing people; have • Adjectives and expressions Speaking naturally
have and have got got to describe people’s • Checking information
Appearances • Identify people using verb + -ing and prepositions • Phrases with verb + -ing appearances
Sounds right
pages • Use expressions like What do you call . . . ? if you can’t and prepositions
• Matching vowel sounds
107–116 remember a word Extra practice
• Use expressions like You mean . . . ? to check or
suggest words and names
• Read an article about fashion
• Write an article about fashion trends

Unit 12 • Make predictions and discuss future plans with will, • Future with will, may, and • Work, study, and life plans Speaking naturally
may, and might might • Occupations • Reduction of will
Looking • Talk about jobs • Present tense verbs with Sounds right
ahead • Discuss future plans using the simple present in if and future meaning
• Stressed and unstressed
pages time clauses Extra practice syllables
117–126 • Make offers and promises with will
• Agree to something using All right and OK
• Read an article about the future
• Write about an invention using First, Second, etc.

Checkpoint Units 10–12  pages 127–128

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 Contents and learning outcomes LEVEL 2

Interaction Skills Self study

Conversation
Listening
strategies
• Respond to suggestions It’s good to travel.
• Use I guess when you’re • Predict what people are
not sure going to say about
traveling, then listen for
the exact words
Recommendations
• Match advice about
staying at hotels with
pictures, then listen to a
radio show to check your
answers
• Ask politely for Could you do me a favor?
permission to do things • Listen to conversations
with Do you mind . . . ? between roommates,
• Ask someone politely to complete their requests,
do something with and then check if each
Would you mind . . . ? person agrees
• Agree to requests Evening routines
• Listen to someone
describe his evening
routine, and number
pictures in order
• React to and comment A funny story
on a story • Listen to an anecdote,
• Respond with and choose the best
I bet . . . response
Happy endings?
• Listen to two anecdotes,
and answer questions
about the details
Reading
Unique hotel experiences
• Read an article about
three unusual hotels
Do you have an unusual
home habit?
• Read online comments
about people’s unusual
home habits
Every cloud has a silver
lining . . .
• Read a magazine article
featuring anecdotes
from readers
Vocabulary
Writing Free talk
notebook
Recommendations Travel smart! Travel items
• Write an email about • Role play: Choose a role • When you write down a
staying at one of the and give your partner new noun, write notes
hotels in the lesson travel advice according about it
• Format and expressions to the pictures
for writing an email
Evening routines All about home The ABCs of home
• Write a short article • Pair work: Discuss • Write down a word for
about the evening questions about your something in your home
routines of your partner homes, and find out for each letter of the
• Order events using ways you are alike and alphabet
sequence words different
Anecdotes What was happening? From head to toe
• Write an anecdote telling • Pair work: Look at a • Draw and label pictures
about a time something picture, and see how to remember new
went wrong much detail you can vocabulary
• Link ideas with when remember about what
and while was happening

Checkpoint Units 7–9 pages 95–96

• Interrupt and restart
phone conversations
• Use just to soften things
you say
Sorry about that!
• Listen to three phone
conversations to infer
the reason for each call
and for each interruption
It can be annoying . . .
• Listen to a teenager talk
about texting; check the
opinions she agrees with
Why all the interest in
texting?
• Read an online article
about texting
The pros and cons Which is better? Phone talk
• Write a short article • Pair work: Compare pairs • Learn new expressions
about the advantages of actions, and discuss by making note of the
and disadvantages of which is better and why situations when you can
a means of use them
communication
• Structure of an article
comparing pros and
cons

• Show you’re trying to Celebrities
remember a word or • Listen to descriptions of
name celebrities, and match
• Use You mean . . . or Do them with their photos
you mean . . .? to help What’s in style?
someone remember
• Listen to four people
something
answer questions about
current styles, and fill in
a chart
Fashion statements
• Read a blog article about
fashion trends
Fashion trends
• Write a fashion article
describing the current
“look”
• Expressions to describe
new and old trends
What’s different? What do they look like?
• Pair work: Ask and • Use new vocabulary in
answer questions to true sentences about
determine what’s yourself or people you
different about people in know
two pictures, and guess
where they went

• Make offers and I’ll do it!
promises with I’ll and • Listen to two people
I won’t planning a party, and
• Agree to something with identify what each of
All right and OK them says they’ll do
A good idea?
• Listen to two people
discussing predictions;
identify who says each
is a good idea and why
What will life be like in the
future?
• Read an online article
with predictions about
the future
A good idea? I might do that. Writers, actors, and artists
• Write a short article • Pair work: Interview a • Write new vocabulary in
about how a future classmate to find out his groups by endings or
invention will make our or her future plans topics
lives better or worse
• List ideas with First,
Second, Next, and Finally

Checkpoint Units 10–12 pages 127–128

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