'English for Business Life' - some reviews
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Some reviews of
'English for Business Life' by Ian Badger and Pete Menzies - now
published by Heinle ELT, part of Cengage Learning
'The self-study book is a gem and can serve as a stand-alone
course ... The material is consistently high quality and it meets the
needs - changed or unchanged - of today's teachers and learners.'
BESIG Newsletter
"Meaningful content: What I particularly like about English for
Business Life is that it teaches the language of communication in the
form of stock phrases and expressions. Ian Badger and Pete Menzies
demonstrate an understanding of the needs of students learning English
for their work and of their trainers. Each unit deals with a discrete
communicative situation, introducing a set of expressions at the
beginning and leading to a practical application at the end.
The
self-study book is a gem and can serve as a stand-alone course. Each
unit begins with what students so often ask: a recording and a list of
the expressions to read, listen and repeat. Study notes consolidate the
lesson and help the student working alone. This is particularly useful
for a student who misses a class. The exercises can be used as
supplementary material or homework.
English for Business Life
is an innovative approach to teaching English for professional
communication. The material is consistently high quality and it meets
the needs - changed or unchanged - of today's teachers and learners.
BESIG Newsletter
“Writers Ian Badger and Pete Menzies really have gone to town to
provide us with a course book which hits the heart of learner needs.
For
my money, “Business English” is about the closest you’re likely to get
to simulate the ups and downs of the business world within the pages of a
course book.”
MELTA News
“…provides an attractive, mature & professional approach. English for Business Life
is a very welcome series to the business English market & one that
will be popular with both the business student & the teacher.”
www.developingteachers.com
“This self-study book offers a no-nonsense method for improving
grammar and vocabulary. Each of the 36 units covers a different business
area, such as arranging meetings, describing products or talking about
the company. First, you listen to phrases – spoken quickly but clearly
by native speakers – on the CD that comes with the book. Then you
practise the phrases and do further grammar, vocabulary and listening
exercises. Each two-page unit can be completed rapidly, making this an
ideal book for pre-intermediate learners (A2-B1) who prefer short study
sessions.”
Business Spotlight
“Each book unit is related to a clearly defined and presented
theme and covers everyday business communications skills. Units are
short, the information presented is sufficient and the layout is
reader-friendly. Each unit includes a very useful summary of lexical and
grammar items presented under the heading ‘Language Notes’. Language
summaries are also found at the end of each course book. The glossary
item of business-related terms is valuable for learners who are always
interested in familiarising themselves with the English version of terms
that they frequently use in their mother tongue on a regular basis…”
TESOL Greece Newsletter
"I wasn't disappointed by these materials, which assume a high
basic intelligence level while keeping things simple enough for the
English learner who hasn't much formal English background.
It is the
Self-study Guide which really sold me. It is written in a
straightforward yet friendly manner, and feels a bit like being taught
by a knowledgeable friend. The learner has the feeling of really being
guided through the lessons and supported via a very conversational
approach. I was also impressed with how much basic English the authors
managed to work in within the context of teaching you what to say in
business situations. It is less like being 'taught grammar' and more
like a colleague sharing tips, which I think will be well received by
business executive types who need to study, but don't want to feel like
they have 'gone back to the schoolroom.'
The listenings are another strong point."
www.tefl.net
"…Each unit of the book is defined in terms of the expressions
students will learn to use and the situations that these expressions
will prepare them to deal with. An interesting feature is the inclusion
of explicit preparation points for the students to act on before working
on a given unit…for your pre-ints it may be just what the doctor
ordered!"
English Teaching Matters, Germany