(Students book)
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Face2Face (Students book) | |
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Authors: Chris Redston, Gillie Cunningham
160 pages.
ISBN: 0521 60061 8
Any book that tries to show that it is right up to date by using a trendy number 2 instead of the preposition 'to' has not started well - especially when it is a book that is meant to be teaching correct English. However, once inside the book you will find a professional, well-thought out textbook that is easy to use and teach from. The edition we review here is a class workbook. There is also a self-study version, and a teacher's book with exercises which can be photocopied.
There are twelve chapters in the book, each divided into three parts. There are a number of exercises in each part, some of them five minute exercises, and others which will take a bit longer, though most exercises can easily be completed in about fifteen minutes. Students are told what they are learning and why - sections are labelled 'grammar', 'vocabulary' and 'real world'. ('Real world' is like the 'functions' in the courses on this website.) The book comes with a CD which contains a huge amount of extra material as well as the listening part of the course. At the end of each lesson the student is told what has been learned, and there are two progress tests to make sure that the learning has indeed happened. Overall, there are about 80 to 120 hours of material in the book and CD.
The book concentrates on improving listening and speaking in everyday conversational English, though grammar and vocabulary are also well covered. The pages have at least one large photo, or lots of little pictures, or both. Almost all pictures are colour. There is usually more than one exercise on the page as well. The listening exercises on the CD are good, and have a variety of accents and situations.
Who is this book for? Although CUP produce a self-study version of the book with an answer key, this is definitely a class book, as the number of group work exercises shows. The layout can distract some students, and makes the book more suitable for teachers who like highly active lessons which move quickly from one point to the next. Teachers wanting 30-45 minutes of solid concentration for their students should look elsewhere (and maybe consider teaching more advanced classes!) You can get a feel for the book by going to uk.cambridge.org/elt/face2face/. For an elementary teacher with a class of young adults who need conversation practice this book is a good choice.
Verdict: Good for conversation skills
Assessment 8/10
This review copy was supplied by Cambridge International Book Centre