Both books follow the same structure: each unit starts with a context-setting activity, followed by a presentation  phase, leading to related practice activities. There is a consolidation activity which suggests ways in which the unit’s contents could be applied to the student’s work and a reference section highlighting the useful language from the unit. Students are also encouraged to complete a learning journal and do some review exercises as homework.

Telephoning I found to be particularly successful. I liked the range of accents on the CD and particularly strong was an activity in Unit 1 to train students to listen ‘between the lines’ for how a telephone partner feels about a topic. My only quibble was with some of the recording sound effects – there were curious knocking noises to indicate somebody was being connected, which were quite unlike anything I have ever heard in real life.

E-mailing was very strong on teaching the whole area of composition construction, a great strength of the

author with her background in writing materials for the Cambridge Business English Certificate exams. There are a lot of native speakers who could benefit from working through the exercises. The CD was imaginatively used as a springboard for the students to write their own emails. I felt it might also have been a good idea to encourage students to bring in emails of their own from work to analyse how they followed or differed from the models presented in the units.

The books are nicely designed and laid out, but I do wish publishers would not constantly recycle the same photo library pictures in their books. The woman on the cover of E-mailing should have asked to be paid per appearance. She is in at least four books that I have seen!

Nevertheless, apart from this minor point, both books are useful, unpretentious and user-friendly. They will be helpful additions to any teacher’s materials library.