ContentCommunication Skills. Each unit introduces a new communication skill. These arecarefully sequenced, beginning with relatively easy non-verbal communication skills andproceeding to voice control skills. Beginning with Unit 9, rhetorical skills are introduced. InUnits 13 and 14, students learn about different types of appeals. The final units show
students how to conclude their speeches and answer questions. Together, these skills
promote effective speech delivery. By the end of the course, students have a wide varietyof communication skills to draw upon for public speaking.

Speech Building Strategies. Each unit also introduces a new speech building strategy.

These are tools that help students generate details, find, evaluate, and organize

information, and develop and support ideas. Whereas the communication skills arefocused on delivery, the speech building strategies are focused on content. In most units,
the building strategy is first introduced in the warm-up activity then presented more
explicitly later. Speech building strategies range from simple outlining to creating andusing visual aids. Later units introduce basic research strategies.

Performance & Purpose. Once new skills and strategies are learned and practiced
through pair and group work, students incorporate them into formal presentations.

Students are guided as they prepare their presentations, and they practice with a partner
before performance. Each performance is defined by both general and specific purposes.
Four broad and progressively more sophisticated purposes—describing, informing,explaining, and persuading―are practiced throughout the course. More specific andpractical purposes inform individual presentations. Students begin by describing people
and places and progress to informing about events. In later units, students explain
processes and relationships and finally argue for solutions and policies. Presentations aremodeled on the online videos.

Sound Pronunciation. This section uses minimal pairs to present and practice basic

English pronunciation. Emphasis is placed on recognition of the phonetic symbols

students are most likely to encounter in their dictionaries so that they can discern thepronunciation of new words.

Stress for Meaning & Clarity. Conventions of stress, intonation, pitch, and articulation arepresented and practiced with an emphasis on how these conventions may affect meaning.

Grammar Review. The communicative approach holds that grammar is best learned

through use. The grammar review section reinforces discrete grammatical points that wereused earlier in the unit and may be useful to students as they write their presentations.

Video. Sixteen example presentations performed by native English speakers are included.

These examples demonstrate the communication skills and speech building strategies

introduced in the corresponding unit. The teacher’s manual includes photocopiable handouts
for analysis and discussion of each model demonstration.

Useful Expressions & Vocabulary. An appendix at the back of the book includes

conventional expressions that students might use in their presentations. Also, new andimportant vocabulary words that were introduced in each unit are presented in quiz-form.

Flexibility

This text can be adapted to accommodate three variables—student level, class size,

and the amount of time available for instruction. Teachers working with lower level
students may choose to work more slowly and focus on the early units, which require lesslanguage production. Teachers of more advanced students may choose to move throughthe early units rapidly, spending more time on the later, more complex units. Teachers
dealing with large classes may choose to have students perform their presentations insmall groups; in smaller classes, all students can perform for the entire class. In either
case, classmates evaluate performance (evaluation forms are included in early units;
photocopiable forms are provided in the teacher’s manual for later units).
Each unit is designed to be completed in two 90-minute class meetings, dependingon the amount of time spent on performance. The entire text can be covered in two 14week terms. However, the most important points can be covered in one term. In suchcases, teachers must carefully select the most important activities appropriate for theirstudents and reduce the number of performances. The teacher’s manual includes
additional guidance for completing the course in one term.

Support

The teacher’s manual provides timeframes and guidance for each activity.

Photocopiable evaluation forms, handouts for video exercises, tapescripts, answer keys,
and supplemental activities are also included.

Final Thoughts

In the broadest sense, the purpose of this textbook is to empower students ofEnglish to investigate, articulate, and share their ideas about the world. By creating aclassroom atmosphere in which students are encouraged to explore and express ideas,teachers can ensure that this course is a rich and rewarding experience for all. Good luck,and have fun!
Michael Hood

VideoA wedding reception.

DL 02

online video
DL 03

CD 1-03

CD 1-02

DL 04CD 1-04

DL 05CD 1-05

DL 06

CD 1-06

DL 07

CD 1-07

DL 08

CD 1-08DL 09CD 1-09