Educational Media Reviews Online

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course DVD set and workbook is a presentation of 27 English grammar tutorials that instruct on all of the areas commonly considered grammar. The lessons are taught by retired English teacher Marie Rackham, in and around her home in cottage on the beach in British Columbia. The viewer goes along on the journey as the instructor uses household chores, a dinner party, and other daily life scenarios to teach the concepts. The real life examples in the lessons make the transfer and application of grammar skills clear-cut. Ms. Rackham spends a good deal of time addressing the different learning modalities of her viewers. Her approach to teaching is free spirited, with occasional use of humor, making the lessons run smoothly. Background classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and others helps enhance an ideal learning atmosphere.

The transition from one lesson to another is well done and the length of each is kept short enough to hold the viewer’s attention. The voice of the instructor tends to echo a bit in some spots, but this is just a minor problem that doesn’t diminish the quality of information being taught. The instructor has a playful persona and her passion for language is apparent, making the material very engaging and easy to assimilate. The accompanying workbook has a table of contents, lessons for photocopying, sample tests, and some extra information not found on the DVD set. Additionally, the appendix has suggestions for using the materials.

I highly recommend that these resource materials be purchased by public, academic, and school media centers. The information found on these DVD’s would be very useful for the independent learner or as a tutorial to supplement and reinforce classroom instruction. Additionally, these materials are a great resource for students who have learned English as a second language and for the home schooled population. A very worthwhile investment!

Awards

• 2001 Telly Award for Excellence in Educational Media
• 2001 Aegis Award Winner for Best Instructional Video Course
• 2001 Panasonic Award Winner for Best Educational Video Tape Production
• 2001 Questar Award Finalist for Best Educational Home Video
• 2001 Axiem Award 1st Place Winner For Excellence In Educational Media
• 2001 Worldfest Houston Festival - Bronze Remy Award - Instructional Videos
• 2001 Videographiers Award of Distinction For Outstanding Video Tutorials
• 2001 AMTEC Award Winner for Excellence in Educational Media Productions
• 2001 Canada Post Literacy Award Finalist in Educator category.

  See also The Intermediate Cozy Grammar Course review.