English Unlimited Starter A1 - An ESL book review

English Unlimited Starter A1 has been developed through modern research methods based on language frequency by using the Cambridge International Corpus (CIC). This means that learners are using the language that real people use in their everyday life, and that is good for learners.

The curriculum is based on the goals set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF).

CEF stands for Common European Framework which is a standard that has been agreed to by European countries for different standards of English and is being adopted by other countries.

A1 means that the learner will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. The learner will learn how to  introduce him/herself and others and be able to ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have. The learner will be able to interact in a simple way as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and will help the learner when necessary.

The student coursebook has 10 units that cover the topics: Hello; people; where and when?; about you; things to buy; every day; last week; places; going out; people's lives.

Each unit is well displayed on the page (see color photographs) that makes learning "easy on the eye". Students will learn to speak, listen, read and write by studying interesting and useful language that gives them basic skills in English.

There is also a DVD-ROM that helps the student keep track of their progress and to personalise their learning.

Each section clearly shows the goals for the lesson, such as "talk about people you know" that makes it very clear why you are learning what you are learning.

The self-study book is one of the best I've ever seen. Have a look at the black and white photographs and you will be able to see that, although not colored, the activities are varied and fun to look at.

However, that is not all!

The DVD-ROM that comes with the Self-study Pack has 261 additional activities that are truly amazing! I love that ROM. The activities are really interesting, give instant feedback, keep track of your progress, allow you to record your speaking and save it, listen to questions, watch videos.

What more could anyone want?

Many teachers skip the book especially if they are experienced teachers. I suggest that you do not skip this one. Of course, the teacher's book is essential for teachers with little experience, and this one will guide you expertly through the course.

The main reason is that the teacher's DVD-ROM has additional activities. These activities add up to 30 extra hours of work, tests and activities that can be printed from the ROM.

They support the work in the coursework and self-study book in addition to some special literacy assistance for people from non-Roman backgrounds.

Skip this book at your own peril!

Because English Unlimited Starter A1 is linked to the CEF, when you finish this course, you can proceed to English Unlimited Elementary A2

Good luck with learning English!