| Book of the Month | ||
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Making Friends in English | |
Publisher: Penguin
Author: Ingrid Freebairn
159 pages
Price £3.60
ISBN 0-582-46888-4
This time we have chosen a book that an intermediate learner can take to learn about the English. This book is very easy to take, because it will fit into even a small jacket pocket (its size is about 10 x 12 cm). The name of the book tells you what it is about. It is what to say when you meet people for the first time, what to say when you go to parties, even the best way to ask someone for their phone number! The book is written mainly for young adults, and it tells you how to enjoy yourself in England, so if you are coming for a business trip, you will need another book.
There are fifty different conversations in the book. They tell us the story of Raul, who comes to stay with his friend Mark, and some of Mark's problems with Lucy. (Mark thinks Lucy is his girlfriend, but Lucy doesn't!) The book is in ten main chapters, beginning with Arrival ('Did you have a nice flight?') and finishing with Time to Leave ('Goodbye,and thank you again for everything!'). In between we see how to give invitations, what to say while at a party, what to say when leaving a party, and how to discuss strong feelings. (Lucy, we have got to talk!)
There are many pictures in the book, all of them black-and-white drawings. Sometimes they are cartoons about the idioms that the speakers use in their conversations, and sometimes they are pictures of Raul, Mark or Lucy. Sometimes these pictures are interesting, but they take up a lot of space, and it would be better if some of them were left out, so that the book would be thinner and easier to carry, or pages with more conversations were put in instead.
There is a small test at the end of each section with the answers in an index at the back. At the back there is also a space for you to write your own sentences. The book also has some useful tips for people who do not know English culture. It tells you for example, the best time to arrive at a party and what time you can expect the party to end. It also tells you whether the conversations should be used for formal occasions or only with friends.
Who is this book for? Mainly for young adults doing an EFL course in England this summer. If this describes you, you will find that you will probably use every sentence in this book at least once. But remember, this book does not teach grammar or vocabulary, it just tells you what is the right thing to say on some occasions. But it does this very well.
Verdict: Practice conversations, nothing else. What do you expect for £3.60?
Assessment 8/10