Criterion

Grade: 5/4/3/2/1

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

Originality/

Content

     SB 3

     TB 5

Some second edition coursebooks are merely updates with a number of new readings and new images, a new design, essentially freshening the course up and bringing it up to date; while others start afresh with completely new content – so which is Straightforward second edition? Well, neither.

Straightforward Intermediate second edition is definitely more of revamp than a reimagining, offering very little new content. It merely freshens up the design with lots of new images and as such very much continues where the previous edition left off. This in itself is no bad thing as the first edition had some real strengths and this edition looks to develop these while seeking to ensure the lessons remain interesting and motivating for students.

Split into 12 topic led units, these units are then split into four standalone lessons (A-D), which develop the themes. For example Unit 3 is about homes, with lessons on Dream Homes (3A), Unusual Homes (3B), Bedrooms (3C) and Dinner Invitations (3D). Each unit covers a variety of skills and systems and so, as with other courses, it follows a multi-dimensional syllabus although there is a leaning towards a more lexical one. Indeed each unit looks to include up to four vocabulary sections - ranging from lexical sets and collocations to idioms and phrasal verbs, plus functional language – in a bid to develop students’ lexical awareness. Indeed, one area where Straightforward really looks to differentiate itself from the pack, and a feature which is unique to the series, are the Wordlists that accompany each unit. For students this is a great resource, with all the new words from the unit presented in one easy list, sub-divided into topic or word group, plus other words and phrases from the unit. It’s a one stop shop of vocabulary (complete with phonetics) and with words identified as being in the top 7,500 commonly most frequently used words (three stars = most frequent), it clearly highlights what students need to know, both for active and passive purposes. As such, it’s clear to see that vocabulary is at the heart of the course.

That’s not to say that the other systems and skills are neglected. Each unit contains two or three grammar sections, two readings and listenings apiece, plus plenty of speaking practice. The readings, taken from articles, newspapers, brochures and the internet are okay, but they’re not the most interesting around - you never feel like you’re learning about the world, more just general things. For example there are readings on how to spot a liar (1A), a travel blog of Australia (2C), beds and bedrooms (3C), office stereotypes (5C), England’s oldest woman (7C), supermarket shopping (9A) and the secrets of magic (10A). In this respect they are also quite Western focussed and this is true of the course in general – by no means does it have the international, culturally neutral tones of other courses. The fact that the majority are the same from the first edition doesn’t help either. The readings do, however, provide good context for the grammar which is then developed through a mix of tasks. Interestingly there is a more inductive approach in the first half of the book and a more deductive approach in the second half, when actually a more inductive approach would be better throughout, especially for this level of student. In this respect it might be argued that there is a lack of focus on developing student autonomy and learner training skills and therefore spoon-feeding the students too much. Grammar input is supplemented though an additional Language Reference page at the end of each unit and one or two short controlled practice tasks (normally a gap fill or multiple choice) and usually a follow-up speaking task.

The fourth lessons of each unit focuses on functional language as is the wont of courses as they seek to include a functional syllabus into the course on top of the grammatical, lexical and skills-led syllabi. All the usual suspects are on offer, including requests (3D), on the phone (5D), giving advice (7D), offers (8D), complaints (9D) and social expressions (12D). They’re presented with good context and are followed up by some kind of speaking or role play task, although it does have the feeling of being a bit ‘light’. It’s also within this lesson that the majority of pronunciation input takes place with plenty of focus on intonation (1D, 3D, 7D, 12D) amongst others.

However, where Straightforward really excels is with the teacher support it offers through the Teacher’s Book. It really is excellent. Yes, it has the usual ideas for lead-ins, alternative tasks, extra activities that all teacher’s books have, but it goes further than that. There are ideas to help with differentiation, additional web research tasks to develop the topics explored in each unit and Cultural Notes giving more information on the topics covered. What’s more, and of particular help to inexperienced teachers, the Language Notes not only explain the grammar, but give ideas on how to approach and present it (including using timelines and grids) as well as problems students might have with the grammar and how to deal with them. It’s also written in such a way so as not to sound in any way patronising.

Of course from a teacher’s point of view, what often determines how good a teacher’s book is, is just how many extra worksheets there are to supplement the coursebook. In this respect it doesn’t disappoint, with each unit coming with between three and four additional activities (one for each lesson in most cases), the majority of which are based around pair or group work. Thus communication is key, giving students the opportunity to use the target language more freely. The only annoying thing is that all they’re not in the back of the book, rather on a DVD-ROM, which can be frustrating. However, also lurking on the DVD-ROM are DVD lessons for each of the 12 units, which is a welcome new feature for this edition. These videos are generally related to the theme of the unit and include lessons on electric cars (Unit 2, Transport), the Savoy (unit 6, Holidays), Stonehenge (Unit 10, Mysteries) and Olympic dreams (Unit 11, Sport). While relatively short, between one and half and three minutes for the most part, they are taken from the BBC and ITN archives and so not only are they of good quality they are also authentic. The DVDs are well supported by worksheets, with each one having Before, While and After activities, thus ensuring a solid lesson base.

In spite of all of this, where the Straightforward Teacher’s Book really sets itself apart from its rivals is in its approach to teacher development. This is done most obviously through the Methodology Builders, of which there are 29 spread throughout the book. These introduce practical teaching techniques and range from using texts as jigsaw tasks (p.9), tips on back chaining (p.21) and ideas for exploiting listening tasks (p.28, p.55, p.103), to making presentations (p.60), verb dictation for story prediction (p.110) and carousel work (p.157). This feature provides a goldmine of ideas for new and experienced teachers alike and certainly aid teacher development. Another interesting feature is the inclusion of optional Test Before You Teach tasks, which help promote a test-teach-test methodology, should teachers want such a change as is appropriate to their classes. The point is, that unlike other teacher’s books, it’s not just telling teachers how to teach, it’s also trying to develop them. So, when author Philip Kerr refers to it as forming “a stimulating teacher-refresher or teacher training course,” (p.xxii) he’s not exaggerating. This is only further highlighted with the inclusion of five short videos on the Teacher’s Resource Disc from Jim Scrivener’s Learning Teaching 3^rd Edition, showcasing different methodologies, including Guided Discovery, Situational Presentation and Showcasing Connected Speech. These are further supported with worksheets which can be used individually by the teacher or as part of a teacher training workshop.

Which leads us onto the Workbook. As with other courses, it offers plenty of extra controlled practice of the target language of each lesson, be that grammar or vocabulary, with each lesson having one dedicated page. Where it differs to other courses is that doesn’t really have additional listening comprehension tasks. What it has instead are a mix of dictations (dialogues (e.g p.11), texts (e.g p.54) and sentences (e.g p.31)) and read and listen activities, where students listen to readings from the main coursebook. These have their place and uses, but more dedicated listening tasks would be more beneficial. Also included are translation activities which, again depending on your teaching context, may or may not be relevant. To round off each unit there is an extended reading task which is pretty meaty, testing reading for gist, detail and comprehension skills. And while on the subject of reading, in a bid to encourage students to read more extensively, it also features an extract from one of Macmillan’s Readers, Meet Me In Istanbul.

The workbook is also home to the main writing lessons of the course which, depending on your view on these things, is either a good thing or a bad thing. It does seem a bit strange not having any focussed writing lessons in the main coursebook, and in doing so only serves further to cement its reputation as the ‘Cinderella’ skill. However, that said they are strong standalone lessons, more often than not following a process writing model, with a reading task modelling the text type and providing language input. That in turn leads onto brainstorming and planning before tackling the final task. At least the writing tasks are linked to the topic of each unit, including writing descriptions of a city (Unit 2 )and a friend (Unit 1), a holiday brochure (Unit 6), a narrative (Unit  10) and letters of advice (Unit 7) and complaint (Unit 8) as well as more academic tasks like writing an advantages and disadvantages essay (Unit 3) and a report (Unit 12).

The course is further supported online with both teacher and student resource sites. Split into two main areas, The student’s site is home to over 140 resources (144 to be precise), split into two main areas. Practice Online includes additional grammar practice activities, extra readings, listenings, vocabulary and additional video work while Interactive Wordlists is exactly what it says it is. All the audio for the book is also available, which is an added bonus. There are two teachers’ sites – one which allows teachers to monitor their students’ progress (www.straight-forwardonline.com) and another (www.macmillanstraightforward.com) which focuses on teacher development and extra resources. Here teachers can find four Teaching Made Simple guides (Dictation & Translation, Roleplays, Presenting Grammar and CEF & Learner Autonomy), information guides and teaching tips. There are also classroom resources, including tests and worksheets. With all this taken into account, it would seem that the publishers have teacher development just as much to the forefront as student development.

The final component to mention is the Digital version of the course which is as good as they come – it doesn’t cut any corners and does everything it can to enhance the course (see below for more).

Practicality/

Functionality

         4

As obvious as it sounds, Straightforward is, well, straightforward both to teach and for students to follow. Well organised into four distinct lessons under one loose umbrella topic, each unit explores and develops that topic, while integrating skills and systems well.  Each lesson is compacted neatly into a double page spread, with each stage of the lesson clearly signposted ensuring a familiar structure. Certainly language learning is facilitated through the readings and listenings, which provide good context for the target language of each class. The lessons are logically organised in this respect and as such it lives up to its ‘pick-up-and-use’ and ‘easy-to-follow’ tag line.

Where it differs is that unlike other coursebooks nowadays (English File, Speakout, Language Leader to name but three), the Language Focus immediately follows each unit (and signposted as such), rather than being at the back of the book. This is actually quite helpful for students to have it more logically located; it’s just that it comes without any additional controlled practice. Yes, there’s a workbook and online practice for this, but most students generally want more practice readily available. Each unit does have a Review, but this time it’s hidden away at the back of the book, rather than the end of the unit, which would be a more logical position for it. It’s not the end of the world, but the fact that it isn’t even signposted in the main part of the book means it could be easily missed. Each unit finishes up with a CEFR linked self-assessment allowing students to monitor their progress, though in truth it is somewhat lacklustre. Fortunately on the teacher’s DVD-ROM there’s a far more in depth form for them to keep track of their learning.

As already noted, the Digital version of the course adds further functionality and practicality to the course. It’s pretty easy to navigate your way around even for technophobes, and with the listening content integrated, an easy to use toolbox and interactive activities (including matching and drag and drop tasks).The Teacher’s Area also adds further practicality, allowing teachers to create extra tasks, insert additional images, texts, audio and web links. All of which really helps enhance students’ learning experience.

Presentation

         4

Design-wise Straightforward lives up to its name: it’s neat, tidy, makes good use of colour (red in the case of the intermediate) and images which help bring the pages alive and catch students’ attention. Indeed, it’s far more visual than the previous edition. There are also a large amount of cartoons and digital animations which, while they don’t exactly dumb it down, appeal more to the young adult rather than adult learner. Each section of the lesson is well signposted, helping split the page up, while the grammar is also made clear through shaded boxes. The pages never seem to be too crowded as a result, save for the Language Reference pages which are a mass of grammar and vocabulary. Overall, though, it has a modern, up-to-date feel which appeals to students.

Components

Student’s Book

Teacher’s Book + DVD-ROM Resource Disc

Audio CDs

Workbook

Straightforward Digital/IWB Software

Online Support (Student’s and Teacher’s sites)

Comparison

With the vast majority of general English coursebooks, we can talk about “same, same, but different”, and Straightforward falls neatly into this category. To put it another way, it falls neatly into mid-table, behind established Premiership big boys, Headway, English File, Cutting Edge and relative newcomer Speakout. In this respect it’s battling it with the likes of Face2Face and stable mate Inside Out for a spot in the Europa League.

Overall rating

3.5

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

+

Excellent teacher’s book, for teacher development and extra resources

Strong focus on vocabulary throughout with useful Wordlists for every unit

Good supplementary materials – online, digital version, workbook

Well linked to the CEFR with additional self-assessment checklists available

-

Lack of new content from previous edition

Readings are a bit bland

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

Straightforward is very much a straight up and down general English coursebook and thus good for any course where that is the focus. With exams in mind, it would also provide good training for students preparing for PET or for Trinity exams.