Media Reviews
Very useful for university students who are going to travel abroad to study. Sarah Dague, Carlos III University, Spain ... up-to-date, engaging topics lending themselves to a variety of tasks. Dr Monika Foster, Napier University Business School ... a variety of topics to discuss ... plenty of activities to keep students busy ... offers a range of possibilities for use in many writing courses. Singapore Tertiary English Teacher's Society This book is part of the well-established series English for Academic Study written by staff of the University of Reading's Centre for Applied Language Study. In addition to the Student Course Book there is a Teachers' Book and an accompanying Source Book for background reading on the writing topics. (This source book was not available for review.) The writing course is designed for international students intending to pursue academic study in an English-speaking environment and is aimed at students with an IELTS level between 5.0 and 7.0. As such, it would ideally suit international students studying in New Zealand - not just those intending to study, but also those currently pursuing tertiary education. There are suggested pathways through the material, based on two 90-minute lessons per week with options for courses lasting from as little as 5 to as many as 16 weeks. The reading of Source Book material is an additional activity that should take place outside the classroom. The overall methodological approach leans heavily on the process approach to writing, which sees writing as a recursive process in which students first gather ideas through brainstorming and refine their ideas through multiple drafts, peer review and teacher commentary. The book clearly exemplifies this approach, as there are numbered steps in most chapters for the student to follow. These go from initial reading, to producing a first draft, doing peer review (with the guidance of specific peer evaluation sheets for each chapter) and on to producing a final draft. In addition, other areas of research that have informed the course include critical thinking skills and the importance of genre. Summarising research in this area the author states that 'the implications of the research on teaching academic writing are that there should be provision of an integrated skills approach which includes the specific development of critical thinking skills' (Pallant, 2004, p2). Another strand of the combined approach (process, genre and critical thinking) deals with the 'microskills of writing'. Such topics as how to write an effective introduction and conclusion, exemplification and support and problem-solution patterns of organisation are covered. The book is clearly laid out, with changes in colour for text-boxes in each unit to add interest. Each unit begins with an overview of the skills to bo covered in the unit and an essay topic for the essay to be written in that unit of work. Microskills are then introduced and practised, and students plan and write various drafts of the required essay while also giving and receiving peer review comments. If students learn to write by writing, then it is certainly good that they have done a lot of writing by the time they have written the recommended three drafts, and received the benefit of comments on each draft both from fellow students as well as the teacher. Three drafts for each essay in this 7-unit course is an admirable target, but may prove too demanding for all but the most dedicated student. Also, many teachers may baulk at the expectation that they correct errors and give feedback on each of the three drafts their students produce. The author possibly recognises a potential problem here, and makes the optimistic observation that 'You will soon get into a pattern of timing and organisation so that neither you nor the students are overwhelmed by the amount of work there is to be done'. This is a well though out course with a strong theoretical foundation that includes topics such as the mobile phone, global migration and academic achievement that should engage international learners. One useful unit topic focuses on the differences between writing an essay in an examination and one for a course assignment, and features information, advice and practice in completing an essay within a time limit. The instructions in each unit are clear, and the microskills cover much useful information in terms of essay writing skills and academic writing conventions. To use the course students will have to buy two books - the Writing Course Book and the Source Book which might make it a fairly expensive proposition. However, the Writing book was designed to be integrated with the Reading book in the same series, and if this is used as the basis for a reading course then no additional book is required. This is a very solid writing course book and to be recommended if the teacher, like the author, is confident that issues of timing and organisation can be worked out so that neither the student nor the teacher are overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. Martin White, University of Auckland, for the TESOLANZ Newsletter, July 2009 This series is also designed following the approaches described in the review of EAS Reading so the student has two books at their disposal while the tutor uses his/her book for methodological advice. Academic writing remains a very important part of EAP and ESP courses, and this book is definitely a welcomed addition to any EAP/ESP library. The seven chapters cover the identical topics to those in the Reading book. I have noticed that one chapter (3 in this instance) has a different sub-topic in the Reading book, and a different one in the Writing book (in the case of the latter, it is mobile telephones). Therefore, a tutor may wish, should they want to do so, to integrate both books and use them in conjunction, either consistently throughout the course or on an ad hoc basis so that where appropriate writing is suitably enhanced by additional input from the other book. The author emphasises that the book uses a four-fold approach to account for the demands of academic writing, and this includes the process approach, the development of critical thinking, the microskills of writing, and the importance of genre. I like the academic content of the book, and the emphasis it gives to certain crucial aspects of academic writing, e.g., key words used in examination questions, the importance of a concluding sentence in a paragraph or language to express cause and effect. The book contains three very useful appendices which further enhance the value of the book, and which provide more guidance to EAP students. Again I have found this book very user-friendly and very attractively presented. I can see that a student is carefully led through the course book and the source book, and that there is in0built cohesive progression in the course book. All the seven chapters are colour-coded, i.e., each chapter has a differently-coloured strip to distinguish it from the others. The same approach has been used in the reading book, and I think it a very useful innovation for an EAP book. Like the book on Reading, this book can also be used either as a stand-alone book or in conjunction with the one on Reading. The two books reviewed here are also complemented by a third one (Extended Writing and Research Skills by Joan McCormack and John Slaght), but this publication will soon be reviewed in a separate academic periodical. In conclusion, the two books published by Garnet Education (and the University of Reading [where the prototypical books of this series were originally conceived back in the 1990s, and subsequently published by Prentice-Hall]) are an excellent new addition to the EAP/ESP portfolio currently available for EAP/ESP professionals, and I am certain that these three titles will soon be followed by additional titles to cover other EAP/ESP sub-skills (e.g., listening or speaking). Mark Krzanowski for www.mkuked.co.uk This set of books from the University of Reading's Centre for Applied Language Studies is intended for use in writing classes in tertiary institutions for students with an IELTS level of between 5.0 and 7.0. All three books in this set are divided into seven themes - academic achievement, early human development, mobile telephone, statistics without tears, human activity and climate change, the global village and the new linguistic order. The course book has an introductory chapter which explains the process approach, development of critical thinking skills, micro-skills of writing and the importance of genre. It also gives practical points on typing an essay on a word processor, including font size and spacing. At the end of the book, there are peer evaluation sheets for each unit and appendices on organising essays and assessing progress. In the Course Book, every chapter begins by stating a set of skills to be learned and gives a specific essay question. The chapters consist of short articles about a specific theme and contain tasks based on the articles. Chapter One focuses on writing introductions while Chapter Two teaches paragraph leaders (topic sentences). Chapter Three highlights the differences between writing an essay and course assignments. Chapter Four looks at the concluding sentence in a paragraph and conclusion of an essay. The last three chapters focus on three specific genres of writing: definitions and support for one's ideas, cause and effect, and problem-solution-implication-evaluation. The purpose of the Source Book is to provide articles for students to read on the themes found in the different chapters of the Course Book. The introductory chapter in the Teacher's Book explains the principles and approach adopted in the course book and is grounded on EAP methodology. There are also suggested schedules for a five-week course, an eight-week course, a ten-week course and a sixteen-week course. There are two photocopiable worksheets: feedback on writing tasks and an error correction sheet. The first seven chapters contain appendices that provide explanations and further instructions of the tasks required of the students and supply possible answers for the tasks. There are also photocopiable materials on how to plan an essay, thesis statements, timed writing, writing grades, and an example of an essay plan. The Teacher's Book also provides detailed and useful comments and answers. Colour-coded themes in the Course Book and the Source Book make this set attractive and provide easy matching between the topics. Moreover, the layout, together with appropriate illustrations, is interesting and clear. The themes provide a variety of topics to discuss and there are plenty of activities to keep students busy. It is helpful to have a book of readings because teachers and students do not have to spend time looking for materials on the given themes. There is a good progression of learning skills, starting from introduction to topic sentences to concluding statement to conclusion. However, the placement of the section on differences between writing an essay for exam and course assignment in Chapter Three is rather odd. While it is important to teach the different genres of writing, it is unfortunate that the Course Book provides only three genres, leaving out important ones such as comparison and contrast, and argumentative genres. The specific essay question provided in each chapter may be useful but some teachers may not like it or find it constraining. It would be useful to provide a list of alternative questions based on each theme. An obvious problem with the Source Book is that the articles may become outdated. Another area of concern is that many of the readings are written from a western perspective and are more suitable for students studying in the UK. Asian teachers may not find the readings suitable if they wish to focus on local context. While the Teacher's Book briefly mentions how a paraphrasing activity can be done and how to introduce an idea from the readings, the authors have opted not to deal with in-text citation and end-of-text referencing in the Course Book. This may pose a problem, as plagiarism has been recognised as a serious concern recently. On the whole, although this set of books has its limitations, it does offer a range of possibilities for use in many writing courses. Happy Khong Phong Goh for the Singapore Tertiary English Teacher's Society These three slim, A4-sized editions are suitable for students learning to write at university level. With more and more foreign students entering English universities, as well as more Swiss academics preparing dissertations in English, some guidelines and conformity is desirable. The seven units in the Course Book enable students to learn how to plan and organise their ideas into proper paragraphs, using key and concluding sentences. In addition, students will learn how to separate fact from opinion, write proper definitions and use cause and effect language effectively. There are many short extracts from student writing which can be analysed and discussed in the classroom. It is assumed that students have C1 - C2 level of English. For this reason, grammar and vocabulary are not dealt with. Each unit in the Course Book has a different theme, suitable for students studying a wide range of academic areas. The topics focus on: Academic Achievement; Early Human Development; Mobile Telephones; Statistics; Climate Change; The Global Village and Linguistic Change. The Source Book contains three to six complete articles for each unit, thus giving the original sources that an academic writer might have read for an essay on that topic. According to the back cover, the same topics are also covered in the separate Academic Reading course, so a lecturer may well consider working with bot parts of this academic course. In the introduction, the author emphasises the importance of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas to writing up to three drafts, to self and peer evaluation. At all stages, revising and rewriting are essential. The Teacher's Book offers more support with answers and rationales for the more inexperienced teacher. If you are helping advanced learners to improve their written English for academic purposes, then these books can certainly be recommended. Beverly Langsch-Brown for the ETAS Journal, Vol 24, No 1, Winter 2006 EAS is an EAP series (English for Academic Study) comprising seven separate course books covering the following areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Extended Writing & Research Skills, Pronunciation and Vocabulary. The books reflect the most recent developments in EAP and are based on practical experience of EAP practitioners in the classroom. Each book can be used as a stand-alone course or supported by others within the series, depending on the needs of the students. EAP is taught on all courses that prepare overseas students for study at universities in English speaking countries. Students hoping to study abroad will therefore get a head start by studying such material rather than general English. The EAS series is used on a high proportion of EAP courses in the UK and Australia (and the US version is now being used in North America). It has received widespread praise, and the in the words of a lecturer at a university in the UK: 'There is virtually nothing else that has come on the market in the last ten years that touches it.' The series has been designed for students on pre-sessional and foundation courses within an IELTS range of 5.0 to 7.0. However, they can be used for any group of students who need to improve their English academic skills within this range. The series is based on authentic reading or listening texts within the appropriate range of the students; these have been carefully selected to illustrate the skill area in focus. Free audio material is included where appropriate, featuring authentic transcripts of realistic length with a variety of accents. The Listening course also comes with a DVD. A website features a variety of teacher and student resources including interactive activities for Extended Writing & Research Skills. TESOL Spain Newsletter, Vol 34-2, 2010
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