A list of texts and resource materials for language teachers is available for book reviews in TLT and JALT Journal. If none of the titles we have listed appeal to you or are not suitable for your teaching context, please feel free to contact us to suggest alternate titles. We invite publishers to submit complete sets of materials to Julie Kimura at the Publishers’ Review Copies Liaison postal address listed on the Staff page on the inside cover of The Language Teacher.
Recently Received Online
* = new listing; ! = final notice — Final notice items will be removed on December 31. Please make queries by email to the appropriate JALT Publications contact.
Books for Students (reviews published in TLT)
Contact: Julie Kimura — jaltpubs.tlt.pub.review@jalt.org
Bake sale—Kamata, S. Gemma Open Door for Literacy, 2022. [Laura Murata is a professor and a single mother. Kazu, the father of her daughter’s friend, is also raising his son on his own. Laura and Kazu meet at a holiday bake sale and plan to go out for dinner on Christmas Eve. The Open Door Series comprises graded readers written for those who struggle to read. A lesson plan is available on the publisher’s website.]
* Essential writing 1: From sentence to paragraph—Kenney, J. Kinseido, 2023. [This introductory writing textbook for beginner and pre-intermediate level learners covers the rules and elements of sentence structure and emphasizes aspects that Japanese learners of English find challenging. Aimed towards those with a TOEIC L & R score of 400-500.]
! Inside science—Nozaki, Y., Matsumoto, K., & Graham-Marr, A. Kinseido, 2019. [Students watch and learn from 15 videos selected from the news service of American Institute of Physics and Inside Science. A variety of vocabulary, listening, and composition exercises support students’ learning. Teachers have access to vocabulary quizzes and reading comprehension questions. Students and teachers have access to online videos.]
! Life topics: Changing views—Berman, J. Nan’un-do, 2023. [This new addition to the Life Topics series provides advice on how Japanese EFL students can lead happy and meaningful lives. This coursebook contains 15 units and is adaptable for learners of various proficiencies; however, Berman wrote it with lower proficiency students in mind. Additional resources include a teacher’s manual and audio download. This book is aimed towards those with a TOEIC score of 250-450.]
New frontiers—Hong, T., Powell, G., Koe, T., & Scafaru, M. Compass Publishing, 2020. [This six-level course helps teenage students learn about English in the 21st century. Aimed towards those with a CEFR of A1-B2.]
On point (2nd ed.)—Anderson, P., Foster, L., Robinson, S., & Hong, T. Compass Publishing, 2022. [This new edition includes new and updated readings on current topics. Students can participate in engaging activities to build specific reading and thinking skills, as well as guided writing tasks related to each topic. In addition, discussion activities help students form and support their opinions. Online materials include audio files as well as other resources.]
* Promoting reflection on language learning: Lessons from a university setting—Curry, N., Lyone, P., & Mynard, J. (Eds.). Multilingual Matters, 2023. [This book was written by academics working at a university in Japan to present an overview of their efforts to promote learner reflection within their institution. The authors also provide practical tools and activities for teachers to become better equipped to facilitate student success and satisfaction.]
* Re-envisioning EFL education in Asia—Muller, T., Adamson, J., Herder, S., & Brown, P. S., (Eds.). iTDi, 2023. [Authors re-envision EFL teaching and learning through chapters that address contemporary 21st-century issues in which Asia comes into its own as a center of language teaching pedagogy and research. Both teachers and researchers will learn how to re-envision language teaching in their own contexts.]
! Science at hand—Miyamoto, K. Kinseido, 2020. [This text comprises 15 articles selected from the Smithsonian magazine from various fields, including the natural sciences, engineering, anthropology, and art. In addition to key phrases, reading, and dictation exercises, explanations are provided. The teacher’s manual includes vocabulary quizzes.]
! The spy—Kamata, S. Gemma Open Door for Literacy, 2020. [Pearl Dubois is a Southern belle who wants to help the Allies in the Second World War. She convinces her boss to send her on a secret mission. The Open Door series comprises graded readers written for people who struggle to read.]
* SGDs × discussion—Yoshihara, R., Hayashi, C., Itoi, E., Iwamoto, N., & Morrell, A. Kinseido, 2022. [Students learn about a wide range of world issues through reading passages and then discuss SGDs as ways to deal with them. Self-study audio download is available.]
What is language?—Kane-Hinohara, E. Perceptia Press, 2023. [What is Language? follows a CLIL approach. Each of the 15 units is scaffolded for learners, with a progression from lower- to higher-order thinking skills. There is a mix of communicative focus on form tasks through explicit teaching of the Academic Word List and academic language skills. Productive tasks include pair work in scaffolded discussions and individual presentations. Audio tracks are available for download.]
