Criterion

Grade: 5/4/3/2/1

Comments (5 being the highest grade and 1 the lowest)

Originality/

Content

          4

As with other courses, Language Leader follows a topic-based syllabus with integrated grammar, and while some of the topics are your usual fare – Environment (Unit 2), Sport (Unit 3), Transport (Unit 5) – it also covers more specific, more specialised topics too. These range from Medicine (Unit 4), Literature (Unit 6), Architecture (Unit 7), Art (Unit 9) and Psychology (Unit 10). Just from the inclusion of these topics, you can get a sense that Language Leader’s target market is more towards the higher education, academic end. Not that that’s a bad thing as it sets it slightly apart from other general English courses which might be termed as being more ‘universal’.

Language Leader also has quite an international feel to it in regards its content and in doing so it’s more culturally neutral than some other courses. This is born out especially in the reading texts, which are taken from newspapers, magazines and literature among others and which are both informative and interesting for the most part. So as well as developing their reading skills and their grammar and vocabulary, students feel that they are also being educated culturally.  For example students read about topics as diverse as global role models (8.3), the way the internet is changing our lives (8.2), the art of photography (9.2), the effects of global warming (2.2), the Nobel Prize (6.1) and world architecture (7.1). The point is they’re not texts just for the sake of it or as a vehicle by which to introduce the target language. In this respect it puts the study of English into a broader educational context - students are learning about the world in English and not just the English language.

Just as the readings are taken from a variety of sources, so too are the listenings, taking on the form of lectures (4.5, 12.5), talks (1.5, 11.4), radio programmes (8.4, 11.5) and interviews (3.2, 7.2). While not as genuinely authentic as the texts, they are nonetheless of a decent standard and more often than not of good length, thus offering an appropriate challenge to students. Interestingly, despite the more academic feel and aims of the course, it’s a surprise not to see more exam (especially IELTS) styled questions to go with the reading and listening tasks.  Certainly you can’t help but feel that this would have been beneficial to the course as a whole.

Where LL shows innovation is with the Scenarios, the fourth lesson in each unit. These take over from the functional language lessons found in other coursebooks, and instead take a more task-based learning approach to the language. In this respect they are akin to the tasks found in Cutting Edge, though they are generally more adult and work focussed in their themes, and more challenging.  Each lesson is set up well and comprises a situation which sets the scene, key language to enable students to complete the task as accurately and authentically as possible and then the actual task. All of which gives students every opportunity to interact and produce authentic language. So, whether making difficult decisions as part of a management team (4.4), making an action plan on behalf of a council (5.4), taking part in a TV debate (8.4), giving a presentation (9.4, 11.4), or taking part in a problem solving meeting (12.4), communication is at the heart of each and every Scenario.

Another area where Language Leader differentiates itself from its competitors is with its focus on Study Skills (lesson 5 of each unit), and it’s with this that it nails its colours to the post. With dedicated lessons helping students develop their study skills ranging from designing questionnaires (2.5), evaluating internet resources (4.5) and describing graphs, charts and tables (5.5) to writing bibliographies and referencing (10.5) to summarising (8.5) and plagiarism (12.5), its academic nature and audience is made very clear. Just as importantly though, is the way in which these lessons help encourage learners to take responsibility for their own learning and prepare them for further educational challenges.

This is further backed up by the type of writing tasks that the course presents. Writing questionnaires (2.5), for and against essays (3.5), reports (4.5), summaries (8.5), discursive essays (10.5), all point one way. And why not – these types of writing are arguably more useful than writing informal emails and stories. Not that LL eschews these entirely, with the opportunity for writing travel blogs (6.5), online reviews (9.6) and articles (12.5) available too. What’s good about the writing lessons is that they are for the most part well-linked to the topic of the unit, which isn’t always the case, and well presented with good model texts, useful language input and a suitably challenging and relevant productive task. In this respect there is a real focus on and development of writing as a skill missing in some courses.

As with other courses, the workbooks offer good supplementary material for language practice and development, supporting the main coursebook well. The readings are generally fairly chunky and the listenings extensive (which they’re often not in other coursebooks) and academically themed – indeed they generally take on the form of a lectures, interviews and presentations.

However, on the flipside, where Language Leader lacks against its competitors is in video content. Where most courses now incorporate some kind of DVD lesson within each unit, it fails to deliver in this respect. That said, the course is not devoid of video content – on the companion website there is a series of three lectures plus worksheets for each level, which further help prepare students for university. The website also offers a selection of extra practice materials, with each unit having additional reading, language practice and study skills activities. These, combined with the extra practice activities in the book and those in the workbook, means that teachers and students alike should never be short of material.

And that’s without mentioning the digital components of the course, which takes on two parts – self-study CD-ROM and MyEnglishLab (as with all Pearson courses). The CD-ROM, though nothing original, is packed with additional practice of the grammar and vocabulary plus listening and writing tasks as well as featuring a dictionary, phonetics, irregular verbs and a language reference. For the motivated, hard-working student this is heaven. Add to that the possibilities that MyEnglishLab presents and you have a very complete, well supported and in-depth course.

Practicality/

Functionality

        4

As already mentioned, each unit is well organised, following a pattern of Introductory lesson (ready/listening/vocabulary), Input lessons (grammar/vocabulary), Scenario and Study & Writing Skills, with each one taking a double-page spread. This structure, while familiar, works well, and allows students to develop their language awareness. Each lesson, while fitting into the generic topic for the unit, has its own specific focus topic too. For example, while Unit 2’s umbrella topic is Environment, we get lessons on Local Environments (2.1), Changing Environments (2.2) and Extreme Environments (2.3) and these are then backed up by the Scenario and Study & Writing Skills lessons. This helps give students structure and sense of progression through the unit, with both utilising lexis from the preceding lessons. The target language of each lesson is well integrated into readings and listenings in the main, with an appropriate inductive approach generally favoured. On the face of it there seems to be relatively limited controlled practice within the main coursebook pages, although the Language Reference and Extra Practice pages at the back end of the book are well sign-posted, with the Language Reference being particularly in depth, if a little dense. In terms of communicative practice, each lesson finishes with an extended speaking task, thus ensuring students have their fill of practice and production.

For the teacher, the Teacher’s Books offer the usual kind of practical support, lending a reassuring hand, along with extra ideas for warmers and exploiting the materials. While there are additional communicative and practice activities, there are only two per unit and drier than the likes of say Cutting Edge or English File, though that is in keeping with the overall nature of the course.

Presentation

         4

While less visually stimulating than some coursebooks (Life, Speakout, The Big Picture), Language Leader is well-presented and clear. That’s not to say that it doesn’t make good use of images, it’s just they don’t dominate as much as in other coursebooks. Indeed each unit is introduced with a striking image and accompanying quote (the Coliseum opens Architecture for example), it’s just there are no one page photos to grab your attention and there are certainly no cartoons, which is no bad thing. Each double-page spread is well laid out and divided up well thanks to good use of sub-headings, which also ensures that the pages aren’t over-crowded. It also means that students know what they’re doing at each stage of the lesson and can follow with ease. In other words it’s very methodical and very matter of fact. But this means it gets the job done.

Components

Coursebook + CD-ROM

Teacher’s book

Active Teach

Workbook

Companion website

MyEnglishLab online support

Comparison

         4

In terms of where Language Leader sits in the market, while not quite unique in what it offers, neither is it your average general English coursebook. The most comparable titles would be courses like Life and Global, which also have a more adult feel to them, though it is certainly more academically themed than either of them. In this respect it shouldn’t be compared to the ‘lighter’ offerings of English File, Cutting Edge and Speakout where generally speaking the focus is less academic. In this respect it might be deemed less ‘showy’ than its competitors, but that’s not to say it doesn’t get the job done equally well. Just differently with a different target audience.

Overall rating

      4

What outstanding strengths/ weaknesses do you feel this title possesses?

+

Scenarios – effective presentation of functional language

Develops students study and writing skills well

Well supported with supplementary material and plenty of opportunity for language practice

Clearly presented

 -

Lack of DVD content

Could be deemed too academically focussed for most general English courses

Lack of pronunciation focus

On which courses do you envisage being able to use this material?

While promoting itself as a general adult course, such is the nature and content of Language Leader it fits neither exclusively in a general or academic English pigeonhole. As a result it could feasibly be used on any adult course. That said, it is certainly better suited to the more serious, academically minded student and as such it would work well on any academic, pre-sessional or university language course. Indeed, in its own words, it is “particularly suitable for general English students working towards exams, and those learners who may go on to, or are already in, further education”. (p.4, Upper Intermediate Teachers’ Book).