The first Ukrainian interactive textbook for learning the English language "Notes by Green Forest"

What is the Notes by Green Forest textbook?

The online version of Notes by Green Forest is a modern interactive textbook available on the Smarte platform. Every student gets access to it in their personal My Green Forest account immediately after paying for the course. It’s already included in the tuition fee and can be used on any device — no need to carry heavy books around.

Interactive Tools in Notes by Green Forest

The textbook includes more than 24 types of tasks, which combine into over 40 different exercise formats. This means learning goes far beyond reading and rewriting. Students work with:

• Flashcards where they can flip, sort, or even spin words and images using the interactive Spin the cards format;
• Matching and drag&drop tasks that train associative thinking;
• Interactive quizzes with instant feedback;
• Listening and video-based exercises integrated directly into the lessons.

Thanks to this variety, every learner can choose the format that works best: some prefer visual materials, others focus on audio, while many enjoy logical or game-like tasks.

A standout feature of Notes is the AI-powered pronunciation assistant. Students listen to a sample phrase, record their own version, and the system instantly analyzes it, highlighting which sounds or words need improvement. The program underlines tricky spots in the text and gives a clear pronunciation score — making practice feel almost like working with a personal tutor.

Additionally, Notes leverages AI tools for voiceover and media content generation. At the same time, no material appears in the textbook without thorough review and editing by experienced methodologists, ensuring that the content remains both high-quality and fully relevant for Ukrainian learners.

• Instant feedback and progress tracking

All exercises are checked automatically, allowing students to see their results immediately and retry the task as many times as needed. With the new percentage-based progress indicator, it’s now easy to track how much of the textbook has already been completed.

The team behind Notes by Green Forest

The development of Notes by Green Forest was a massive team effort. More than 10 authors contributed to writing the materials, while the entire process was coordinated by the Teaching Centre under the guidance of Green Forest’s academic department. Around 20 additional team members and several partner companies were also involved: some wrote exercises and texts, others designed the print and interactive versions, developed the Smarte platform, managed printing, or handled logistics.

When designing the textbook, the team relied on the Communicative Approach, widely recognized as the most effective for language learning. Grammar and vocabulary are introduced through the Guided Discovery Approach, where students uncover rules themselves by working with examples. At the same time, the book integrates proven methods such as Grammar Translation, Task-Based Learning (TBL), Test-Teach-Test (TTT), the Audio-Lingual Method, and Total Physical Response. This combination makes Notes a multifaceted textbook that adapts to different learning styles — whether students are visual, auditory, systematic, or interactive learners.

And the name? It’s simple: Notes are like sticky notes where people jot down important information so it won’t get lost. That’s why the textbook is filled with similar notes and highlights — practical tips, rules, and fun facts right on the pages.

What Makes Notes by Green Forest Stand Out?

Some may ask: “How can your Notes compare to a Longman textbook created by a team of British experts?” We’ll be honest: we’ve spent over 17 years teaching with different textbooks, and we’ve seen them all. They are truly high-quality, and we are not claiming that our book is “better.” But Notes by Green Forest was created specifically for Ukrainian students, taking into account their needs, context, and challenges. That’s what makes it stand out:

1. Modernity. Notes by Green Forest is the most up-to-date English textbook in Ukraine. It covers all levels, from Starter to Advanced. Its content is regularly updated, and the interactive version on the Smarte platform allows exercises and materials to be changed daily if needed. Thanks to this, the textbook always reflects current topics. In the special Hot Topics section, students find tasks linked to the latest events that the world is talking about.

A uniquely Ukrainian approach to learning English. The textbook was designed with Ukrainian students in mind. Its authors have worked for many years with our learners, so they know which topics are engaging and which grammar and vocabulary points usually cause difficulties. This makes the structure and exercises in Notes maximally convenient and understandable for Ukrainians.

 

3. Content. Did you know that many British textbooks avoid certain “taboo” topics, never using them for exercises or lessons? This is the so-called PARSNIPs rule. It excludes Politics, Alcohol, Religion, Sex, Narcotics, -Isms (such as sexism, racism, criticism), Pork, and other controversial subjects. In Notes by Green Forest, there are no such taboos. We believe all these topics are part of everyday life and shouldn’t be excluded from the language-learning process. On the contrary, discussing them sparks emotions, curiosity, and debates — making lessons more engaging and effective.

4. Accessibility. For all active Green Forest students, the interactive textbook on the Smarte platform is included for free as part of the course. If desired, a printed version can also be purchased additionally.

And if our advantages don’t sound convincing enough — just try the online version of Notes yourself, and you’ll see the difference:

• Elementary, Communication Class 
• Pre-Intermediate. Grammar class
• Upper-Intermediate, Communication Class