| Book of the Month | ||
| Europaths | |
Publisher: Loffredo Editore
Authors: Maddalena Cascone & Catherine Shore
336 pages + CD
Price €14,46 (in Italy)
ISBN 8880966480
As the Euro becomes the national currency of many European countries in January, we have decided this month to review a book from Europe, in this case from the Casa Editore Loffredo of Naples in Italy. This book is mainly reading, though there is an hour of listening on the CD, and writing exercises as well as some other activities, such as crosswords.
This book is produced mainly for Italians who are interested in the rest of Europe, especially England. But there is nothing to stop students from other countries from using the book. Instructions are in English, and where they are in Italian, there is an English translation. The reading is always in English. Like the listening exercises, the reading usually compares England, Italy and another European country. Because of this, this book is not only useful English practice, but it also lets you find out more about the society and culture of England and the rest of Europe. If you are thinking of coming to England (or of going to Italy) you should try this book.
This book has three modules. Module one is about the EU, with emphasis on its geography - for example you find descriptions of European capital cities. Module two looks more at social issues, and the different cultures of Europe, and Module three looks at Europe and the rest of the world. Each module is divided into "microunits". These microunits have titles like Tourism in Great Britian or Protecting the Environment. The reading exercises are followed by comprehension check questions, some asking you if the statements after the reading are true or false; others requiring you to give a written answer.
There are sometimes paragraphs which you can find every in the units, called "It's true!" which give you little facts about Europe, for example, what the EU flag signifies, or what a Scottish kilt is. There are also some short poems, especially in the literature section. (The book also looks at art, history and biography in Europe, especially in England.)
While you can start this book from page one and go right through it (and some teachers might want to do this, because the book is very suitable for class work); it is also possible just to read the book like a magazine - looking through the pages, and stopping to read something that interests you. One problem we found is that it is not always easy to find out where the listening on the CD and the exercises in the book go together. There are 31 listening exercises, so sometimes you have to look carefully.
The book is full of pictures, and most of the pictures are in colour. The pictures have been well chosen. They do not just make the page look pretty, they really do help you to understand the countries you are looking at. There are also maps and little cartoon drawings. Sometimes the pictures are a part of the exercises - for example when you read descriptions of types of building and then have to put the pictures with the descriptions. One of the good things about this book is that the exercises are all varied, so each unit is not exactly the same as the one before - the opposite in fact! Each unit is very different.
This book is not going to teach you all the English you need. For example, there is no grammar explanation, and there no organized grammar exercises. This does not mean it is a bad book, just not that kind of book. Instead this book will help you to practice your English, and use it for something useful - finding out more about British and European culture. In education these days, some schools are trying "fusion" lessons, where students study two subjects at the same time. Any teacher who wants to use this book to teach European Geography and English at the same time will make a perfect choice.
What is the level of the book? Well, mostly it is for people at the lower intermediate level. But because the subject is interesting, even advanced readers will enjoy using the book for light reading practice. (But be careful with the CD - this really is for lower intermediate students - the speech is very slow and the vocabulary is simple. If you are a lower intermediate student, the listening practice is excellent.) If you are thinking of coming to Britian on holiday, this book is good preparation for understanding both English culture and language.
Verdict - A well-presented book that provides very good reading practice for everybody, and has listening and exercises that lower intermediate and intermediate students will enjoy.
Assessment 9/10