Level A

Progressive Skills in English

I’m not usually keen on skills-based courses, as there can be a danger when focusing on individual skills that it takes away from the holistic approach to language learning that many students benefit from. However, these books from Garnet offer a variety of tasks, a crossover of language skills and engaging materials, and avoid feeling as forced or contrived as lessons can be when you try to isolate one particular skill.

The course is called Progressive Skills in English, and it’s fair to say the course title actually reflects the course. It is possible to make good, solid progress in language learning with this book. It is focused on working towards the IELTS Academic test or building university students’ academic English skills. However, I’ve also found this course book works very well with motivated General English small groups or individuals learning in a more intensive manner.
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ESOL Activities

This title was of particular interest to me: I am head of an institution with a considerable number of ESOL learners at Pre-entry level, and there seems to be little suitable published material available for them. As well as being too high level, many materials are also cultural-specific: beginner-level course books tend to assume a working knowledge of Western culture and values, which is an incorrect assumption with many learners at Pre-entry level.

The book is divided up in the same way as most of the photocopiable Cambridge ESOL resources – theme-based chapters that each have three units (speaking and listening, reading, and writing). The themes have been chosen sensibly – starting with classroom language and college life, and progressing on to jobs and transport – and each section is mapped to the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum. Within the units themselves there is a lesson plan for each activity that includes resources needed and suggested differentiation activities.
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Elementary Language Practice presents 77 units of grammar practice and 13 “checkpoint” units that consolidate previous units that have been grouped together. The grammar is presented in good progression, beginning with present simple of be before moving onto present continuous, past simple, past continuous, present perfect and future. With the tenses completed, the units then present topics such as passive, imperatives, gerunds, contractions, modals, plural nouns, prepositions, pronouns, possession, adjective order, adverbs, and much more before
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If you ask any English language teacher what they find most frustrating about their textbook, many of the complaints would probably be the same: it’s outdated, the language isn’t natural, it doesn’t have enough material, etc. This new edition of the Framework course has updated content and artwork that give the material
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Authors: Herbert Puchta & Jeff Stranks, et al.
Published by: Cambridge University Press
Components reviewed: Student’s book

This is a general English textbook using British English designed for Junior High School Students. However, I have used it with a group of older students who are false-beginners. Both the students and I have enjoyed using this book.

The units are designed to practise all four language skills. The topics are relevant (especially to teenagers) and are set out in an easily-navigable form. There are numerous examples of the target language and good use of colour photographs, pictures and text make for a visually interesting book. Grammar is presented simply and there are ample opportunities for
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Publisher: Pearson Longman

Components: Coursebook and CD-ROM, Class CD, Teacher’s Book and Test Master CD-ROM, Workbook and Audio CD

Authors: Ian Lebeau and Gareth Rees (Course book and Class CD), John Waterman (Teacher’s Book), D’Arcy Adrian-Vallance (Workbook)

Summary: The book has a truly global feel to it, and this is possibly its most unique selling point as a general English coursebook.
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Components: Student’s book, Student’s Audio CD, Workbook, Workbook CDs, Teacher’s book, Class CD
Authors: Jeremy Harmer, Carol Lethaby, Ana Acevedo
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Publishing
Summary: Just Right will help the elementary student gain ability and confidence in English without a lot of fuss and pain.

Review:
This will sound a little cliched, but the title of this new series from Marshall Cavendish certainly fits.  It is “just right” for elementary students – not too wordy, not too simplistic, not too goofy.  Just Right covers the usual EFL territory of grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, pronunciation, reading and writing – all with a contemporary flair and a kind of
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