| English for Business Life |
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by Ian Badger and Pete Menzies Marshall Cavendish Education 2005 0-462-00755-3 (Elementary Coursebook) 0-462-00756-1 (Elementary Self-study Guide) 0-462-00757-X (Elementary Trainer’s Manual) 0-462-00759-6 (Pre-intermediate Coursebook) 0-462-00760-X (Pre-intermediate Self-study Guide) 0-462-00761-8 (Pre-intermediate Trainer’s Manual) If you’re a follower of UK current affairs, you’ll know that there is an ongoing battle for the centre ground in British politics. It has reached the point that when a ‘socialist’ politician speaks, it’s increasingly difficult to distinguish his or her words from those of a right-wing politician. The same kind of situation surrounds the growing mass of mainstream business English coursebooks on the market. Theirs is the centre ground of leaving phone messages, talking about current projects and making complaints about late deliveries. Of course this centre ground is one that students need to cover, but it does present competing business English coursebooks with the temptation of style over substance – a mere repackaging of old themes. Into this centre ground enters English for Business Life, which certainly cannot be accused of trying to be anything other than a straightforward business English course. The two lower-level books (in a series of four) break it all down into 36 units. Each unit is three to four pages long. These elementary and preintermediate levels take a familiar approach: there’s plenty of listening to present useful phrases and the chance to practise structured dialogues. While the use of flowcharts for controlled practice is a little overdone, students will feel they receive a fairly clear route map to workplace transactions. The accompanying self-study guides offer some solid back up and could easily be included in classroom work. The trainer’s manuals contain what you’d expect – answer keys and guidance (but no photocopiables). They also offer you the options of a Fast track through the course, making it last 40 hours, and longer Standard or Comprehensive tracks of 60-90 hours. The idea of different tracks is very useful, so it’s a pity that the idea wasn’t developed to include clearer signposting throughout the coursebook for what to include in each track. Finally, the issue of style over substance is not one you could level at this book. The design and appearance say quite clearly, ‘I’m a business English coursebook’. It also sets a new record for including the highest number of photographs ever of intense-but-slightlypleased- looking-people-in-suits holding mobile phones while assessing vast expanses of concrete architecture. However, the course’s lack of surprises may be its strength. You know what you’re buying and it does what it says on the package. John Hughes Gloucester, UK |
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