Every student needs top class listening and speaking skills to succeed at an academic level. Skillful focuses on these two skills to give presentation, instant practice and complete immersion in those language skills. It offers students the opportunity to develop language skills by presenting them with ideas from today's world, while bruilding critical thinking skills that are vital for academic success. This is taken even further with a focus on study skills, providing students with rpactical guidance and support, and building confidence for independent learning throughout their university career.
"Every student needs top class listening and speaking skills to succeed at an academic level. "Skillful" focuses on these two skills to give presentation, instant practice, and complete immersion in those language skills. It offers students the opportunity to develop language skills by presenting them with ideas from today's world, while building critical thinking skills that are vital for academic success. This is taken even further with a focus on study skills, providing students with practical guidance and support, and building confidence for independent learning throughout their university career."--Publisher.
"Every student needs top class listening and speaking skills to succeed at an academic level. 'Skillful' focuses on these two skills to give presentation, instant practice, and complete immersion in those language skills. It offers students the opportunity to develop language skills by presenting them with ideas from today's world, while building critical thinking skills that are vital for academic success. This is taken even further with a focus on study skills, providing students with practical guidance and support, and building confidence for independent learning throughout their university career."--Editor.
A five-level course from Foundation to Advanced, each level of Listening & Speaking complements the Reading & Writing coursebooks through parallel topics and features. Skillful not only provides the tools for academic success but creates an arena for intelligent thinking and student debate.
From the author of the bestselling How to Read a Book comes a comprehensive and practical guide for learning how to speak and listen more effectively. With over half a million copies in print of his “living classic” How to Read a Book in print, intellectual, philosopher, and academic Mortimer J. Adler set out to write an accompanying volume on speaking and listening, offering the impressive depth of knowledge and accessible panache that distinguished his first book. In How to Speak How to Listen, Adler explains the fundamental principles of communicating through speech, with sections on such specialized presentations as the sales talk, the lecture, and question-and-answer sessions and advice on effective listening and learning by discussion.
Listening is harder than it looks- but it's the difference between business success and failure. Nothing causes bad decisions in organizations as often as poor listening. But Bernard Ferrari, adviser to some of the nation's most influential executives, believes that such missteps can be avoided and that the skills and habits of good listening can be developed and mastered. He offers a step-by-step process that will help readers become active listeners, able to shape and focus any conversation. Ferrari reveals how to turn a tin ear into a platinum ear. His practical insights include: Good listening is hard work, not a passive activity Good listening means asking questions, challenging all assumptions, and understanding the context of every interaction Good listening results in a new clarity of focus, greater efficiency, and an increased likelihood of making better decisions Good listening can be the difference between a long career and a short one
This is the new edition of the best-selling six-level Reading Explorer series will bring the world to the classroom like never before through new and updated topics, video, and visuals from National Geographic. Reading Explorer teaches learners to think and read critically to encourage a generation of informed global citizens.
The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.
Interactions Mosaic 4th Edition is the newly expanded five-level, four-skill comprehensive ESL/ELT series for academic students. The new edition, for beginners to advanced learners, incorporates interactive and communicative activities while still focusing on skill building to prepare students for academic content. Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, as well as Grammar are thoroughly presented in each strand. High-interest themes are integrated across all skill strands and levels. Language proficiencies as well are articulated from level to level.New Features:1. Global activities are suitable for ESL/ELT monolingual or multilingual classrooms2. New design, content, audio programs, photos, and illustrations reinforce skill-building exercises.3. Placement tests and chapter quizzes are included in each Instructor’s Manual.4. User-friendly instructions, complete scope and sequence, and consistent chapter structure offer greater flexibility in lesson planning.5. 5 new videos, one per level, immerse students in authentic language.Program Components:Student TextsInstructor’s ManualsAudio Programs for L/S and Reading (Audiocassettes/CDs)L/S Assessment Audiocassettes and CDsReading Student Audio CDsProgram CD/ROMVideoDemo AudiocassetteStudent BookThe Student Books of the new 4th edition of Interactions Mosaic have completely updated photos and illustrations and sport a new design. Global activities are suitable for ESL and ELT monolingual or multilingual classrooms.User-friendly instructions appeal to both instructor and student. A complete scope and sequence is presented at the beginning of each book. Consistent chapter structure creates greater flexibility in lesson planning. Interactions 1 (High Beginning – Low Intermediate) Listening/Speaking Scope and Sequence: Listening Skills, Listening Tasks, Using Language, Speaking Tasks, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Video TopicsChapter Structure: 1. In This Chapter gives students a preview of the upcoming material.2. Did You Know? sparks students’ interest and activates their prior knowledge of the topic.3. Part 1 Listening to Conversations presents an introductory conversation and focuses on the rhythm and intonation of natural language through stress and reduction activities.4. Before You Listen activates students’ prior knowledge through pre-listening questions and a vocabulary preview.5. Pairwork encourages peer teaching and correction.6. Listen guides students to listen to both main ideas and specific information.7. Note Taking Strategies, such as writing key words, categorizing, and outlining, are taught.8. After You Listen reinforces students’ understanding of the conversation through comprehension questions and a vocabulary review.9. Groupwork maximizes opportunities for discussion and negotiation.10. Test-Taking Strategies vital for success on standardized tests are practiced throughout.11. Role-Plays simulate situations that use a variety of language functions to increase and enhance students’ fluency.12. Cross-Cultural Notes give students new perspectives on various cultures.13. Talk It Over provides students with authentic speaking opportunities, such as interviews, surveys, and debates.14. Listening and Speaking in the Real World offers a variety of practical listening and speaking activities, including role-plays, presentations, small-group discussions, and pairwork.15. Real-Life Listening connects the classroom to real life through real-world situations, understanding of context, and test-taking opportunities.16. Video News Broadcasts immerse students in authentic language, complete with scaffolding and follow-up activities to reinforce listening and speaking skills. (Refer to ISBN 0-07-233061-9 for Video)Chapter Themes (12) :School Life Around the WorldExperiencing NatureLiving to Eat or Eating to LiveIn the CommunityHomeCultures of the WorldHealthEntertainment and the MediaSocial LifeCustoms, Celebrations, and HolidaysScience and TechnologyThe Global Consumer
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
