'English for Business Life' - some reviews


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