Self-Study ESL Levels 1-6 “English as a Second Language”

Reading Foundations – Level 2

Reading Foundations is a beginning-level reading course aimed at giving students basic comprehension skills while also teaching students the fundamentals of acquiring and using new vocabulary. Introductory reading skills, such as predicting and the process of elimination, are introduced and further developed with contemporary topics, and the form and function of new vocabulary is emphasized. A 2-unit novelette at the end of the book reviews and expands on the vocabulary and reading strategies taught in the first 10 units.

Speaking Foundations – Level 2

Speaking Foundations is a beginning-level course focusing on the limited expansion and production of more involved language structures, including a broader range of common topics, multiple speech functions, and appropriate language for various situations.

Grammar Foundations – Level 2

Grammar Foundations is a beginning-level grammar course designed to build on the fundamental grammar skills students already possess. Using level-appropriate grammar charts and a variety of exercises, students are encouraged to improve their functional language use. Target grammar points help students write and converse beyond that of the survival level.

Reading Connections – Level 3

Reading Connections is a reading course for high-beginning students that both solidifies the foundation established in lower levels and prepares students for the more rigorous academic studies to come. With topics ranging from pop culture and animals to architecture and American history, the 10 units reinforce previously taught reading skills such as context clues and main ideas while introducing more complex skills, such as inference and paraphrasing. A 2-unit novelette gives the students a chance to utilize newly acquired vocabulary and reading skills.

Speaking Connections – Level 3

Speaking Connections is a listening and speaking course for high-beginning students that introduces a broader range of more detailed language functions that facilitate conversational competency on a more interactive level. Language functions and structures related to expressing opinions, describing people/things, identifying problems, giving advice, and making suggestions are used in creative extension activities designed to accommodate the students’ interest and confidence in speaking English.

Reading Transitions – Level 4

Reading Transitions is an intermediate-level reading course with 12 units featuring a variety of cultural and academic topics. In addition to emphasizing students’ comprehension, fluency, and ability to use the reading skills taught in previous books, more complex skills such as summarizing, comparing/contrasting, and understanding point of view are presented and practiced. Vocabulary terms and expressions are introduced, reviewed, and expanded on extensively through interactive exercises and discussions.

Speaking Transitions – Level 4

Speaking Transitions is an intermediate-level listening and speaking course revolving around everyday conversations and academic lectures, with 10 lesson units and two review units. Students are introduced to relevant vocabulary and idiomatic expressions throughout each unit, and special focus on pronunciation and grammatical usages of these new terms and expressions gives students what they need to speak more confidently. In addition to the speaking skills necessary for this level, listening skills are also intensively practiced through a variety of interactive exercises, and discussion topics and questions encourage vocabulary review and the development of critical thinking skills.

Reading Savvy – Level 5

Reading Savvy is a reading course with 8 units of cultural and academic topics for high-intermediate students, letting teachers pair the text with a novel or set of short stories at the end. Each unit builds on the reading skills introduced in earlier reading books through more involved and engaging reading passages and activities. Relevant vocabulary and context skills are developed and reinforced in each unit. Topical and vocabulary-based discussion questions help students understand the material and express their opinions with increased confidence.

Speaking Savvy – Level 5

Speaking Savvy is a listening and speaking book for high-intermediate classes with 10 lesson units focused on topics as various as relationships, business and even crime, with two review units to supplement what students have been taught. Each unit builds on the listening and speaking skills introduced in earlier books through engaging monologues and dialogues as well as interactive activities. Relevant terms and idiomatic expressions are introduced and reinforced throughout each unit, and discussion topics and questions encourage review of vocabulary and development of critical thinking skills, along with the speaking skills necessary for this level.