Course Book Evaluation

Focussing on IELTS: listening and speaking skills (2^nd ed.)

Focussing on IELTS: listening and speaking skills (2^nd ed.) was produced to give students attempting the IELTS exam a contemporary and comprehensive resource in the form of a 206 pp. course book and 4 audio CDs.

The methodology employed by the first section of this resource includes listening to conversations on CDs and answering matching, short answer and multiple-choice questions. It also includes various strategies to assist students to enhance and improve their listening skills. These suggestions include developing an independent study program and designing a listening checklist. The speaking section covers a broad range of topics and identifies specific approaches to grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency. The resource is tailored for independent use or as a class textbook. It claims to be useful for both academic and general application. I found it suitable for independent study but wondered about my role as the teacher in the listening section while teaching with such a self-contained text. Both sections conclude with a comprehensive practice test. The book also includes a transcripts section and answer key section.

The appearance of this resource is significantly improved on the 1^st edition. The front cover is bright and clear. Unfortunately the black and white photos in this edition are a bit dull and ambiguous but the diagrams and drawing are excellent and they certainly add to its usability. The CDs use Australian and other voices in believable conversation situations. The intonations and pauses in the speech used are authentic. This format gives the resource a realism which makes me more confident that it will assist students preparing to do an IELTS test.

A clear contents section, layout, and “how to use page” make the book teacher friendly while reducing preparation time because of its comprehensiveness. The CDs offer a multimedia approach which effectively integrates with the strategies and exercises contained in the workbook.

New copies of the 2nd edition cost $49.99 and second hand older editions were selling for below $10. These are not unreasonable prices for this type of resource. Overall a comprehensive, interesting and affordable coursebook = 3.5/5.