A list of texts and resource materials for language teachers available for book reviews in TLT and JALT Journal. Publishers are invited to submit complete sets of materials to Julie Kimura at the Publishers’ Review Copies Liaison address listed on the Staff page on the inside cover of TLT.
Recently Received Online
An up-to-date index of books available for review can be found at https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/recently-received
* = 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
Penguin Readers — Penguin Books, 2019. [Penguin Readers is a series of classics, contemporary fiction, and non-fiction, written for learners of English.]
* Plastic — Morris, C. [We all use a lot of plastic every day. But where does it come from? And what can we do to recycle it? Level 1, CEFR A1.]
* How to turn down a billion dollars: The Snapchat story — Gallagher, B. [The story of how Snapchat grew from a university student’s idea into a multibillion-dollar company. Level 2, CEFR A1+.]
* Wonder — Palacio, R. J. [August “Auggie” Pullman has been home-schooled all his life, but now he is starting fifth grade at a school in New York City. Level 2, CEFR A2.]
* Me before you — Moyes, J. [When Lou Clark loses her job at a café, she finds a new job caring for Will Traynor. Neither of them knows that they are going to change each other’s lives together. Level 4, CEFR A2+.]
* Borrowed time: A Doctor Who novel — Alderman, N. A. [Andrew Brown makes a lot of money, but he never has enough time. He might have found a way to borrow some, but instead of making his life easier, he might have even more problems. Maybe Dr. Who can help. Level 5, CEFR B1.]
* Darkest hour: How Churchill changed history — McCarten, A. [The story of how the British Prime Minister changed history over 25 difficult days during World War II. Level 6, CEFR B1+.]
* Originals — Grant, A. [Learn how to recognize a great idea, speak up for yourself, and manage fear and doubt by standing out from the crowd. Level 7, CEFR B2.]
! 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 various contemporary global issues. Lesson plans include background readings, comprehension tasks, and activities that culminate in mini-projects. Downloadable audio available for self-study.]
! 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 available for self-study.]
English for careers in pharmaceutical sciences — Noguchi, J, Amagase, Y., Kozaki, Y., Smith, T., Tamamaki, K., Hori, T., & Muraki, M. Kodansha, 2019. [The coursebook was developed using an English for Specific Purposes approach, which aims at making students aware of genre approaches, how to examine them, and how to master them. Downloadable audio available for self-study.]
Writing a graduation thesis in English: Creating a strong epistemic argument — Smiley, J. Perceptia Press, 2019. [This book helps students prepare for the main task of their academic careers. Students will develop an understanding of argumentation and develop a robust relationship between themselves and knowledge. The teacher’s guide is available through the publisher’s website.]
! 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 accompanied by reading passages and 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 learning motivation: An ethical agenda for research — Ushioda, E. Oxford University Press, 2020.
* Pop culture in language education: Theory, research, practice — Werner, V. & Tegge, F. (Eds.). Routledge, 2020. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367808334
