Books for Students (reviews published in TLT)
Contact: Julie Kimura — jaltpubs.tlt.pub.review@jalt.org
Evolve Level 2 (2nd ed.) — Clandfield, L., Goldstein, B., Jones, C., & Kerr, P. Cambridge, 2018. [Evolve Level 2 is part of a six-level English course that gets students speaking with confidence. This student-centered course draws on insights from language teaching experts and real students while focusing on the most effective and efficient ways to make progress in English.]
* Inspiring voices: 15 interviews from NHK Direct Talk — Kobayashi, M. Fujita, R., & Collins, P. J. Kinseido, 2021. [Students can watch 10-minute-long interviews with creative problem solvers. This coursebook builds students’ fluency, develops their critical thinking skills, and motivates them to explore a variety of contemporary global issues. Lesson plans include background readings, comprehension tasks, and activities that culminate in mini-projects. Downloadable audio for self-study.]
! Japanese English: A descriptive grammar — Olagboyega, K. W. Shumpusha Publishing, 2020. [This book is a descriptive guide to English as it is used in Japan. The author begins with an introductory overview of English in Japan, and continues with descriptions of grammar and vocabulary as they are used by Japanese users of English.]
Movie time! (3rd printing) — Bray, E. Nan’un-do Publishing, 2020. [Students and teachers will have the unique opportunity to watch a great film together. The coursebook contains 16 units that include language development activities, a journal for recording reactions and ideas, as well as opportunities for in-class performance.]
! Ready to present: A guide to better presentations — Kostiuk, M., & Bartelen, H. Cengage, 2019. [This text was written to help learners develop the skills they need to create content and deliver it. The teacher’s manual includes answer keys, teaching tips, and supplementary comprehension questions. Students have online access to classroom audio and video.]
* Science at hand: Articles from Smithsonian Magazine’s Smart News — Miyamoto, K. Kinseido, 2020. [Students learn relevant vocabulary and discuss scientific topics that they have read about. Downloadable audio for self-study.]
Unlock Level 2: Listening, speaking & critical thinking (2nd ed.) — O’Neill, R., Lewis, M., & Sowton, C. Cambridge (2019). [Unlock Level 2 is a part of a six-level academic-light English course created to build the skills that language students (CEFR Pre-A1 to C1) need for their studies. It develops students’ abilities to think critically in an academic context right from the start of their language learning. The coursebook can be supplemented with a mobile app and online workbook with downloadable audio and video.]
* World insiders: Authentic videos from Insider — Yoshida, K., & Allan, A. Kinseido (2021). [This textbook is based on the US-based news site. Students learn English through videos that are accompanied by reading passages as well as listening activities that support all four language skills. Teacher’s manual available with useful features, including vocabulary tests.]
Books for Teachers (reviews published in JALT Journal)
Contact: Greg Rouault — jaltpubs.jj.reviews@jalt.org
* Language teacher noticing in tasks — Jackson, D. O. Multilingual Matters, 2021. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781800411241
*Professional development in applied linguistics: A guide to success for graduate students and early career faculty — Plonsky, L. (Ed.). John Benjamins, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1075/z.229
