This month’s column features Michael Lin’s review of The English Gym II.
The English Gym II
[Jon Charles. Oak Hills Press, 2022. (Includes access to a digital workbook.) p. 140. ¥3,498. ISBN: 978-4-9909741-3-8.]
Reviewed by Michael Lin, Kindai University
The English Gym II is an EFL textbook designed specifically for intermediate Japanese university students, with a strong focus on practical communication skills, particularly speaking and listening. As the second book in The English Gym series, it presents 20 relevant topics that promote practical communication, helping students connect their studies to real-world situations. This review evaluates the textbook’s structure, benefits, and overall suitability for Japanese EFL learners, offering insights into its effectiveness in supporting language development.
Lessons follow a logical progression, beginning with more accessible topics, such as fast food and smartphones, before advancing to more complex subjects such as Japan’s declining population and volunteerism. Each unit starts with a title and an image to spark discussion, followed by a vocabulary section that introduces essential phrases. These sections are carefully scaffolded to gradually build students’ confidence, allowing them to practice expressing their ideas through guided exchanges.
One of the most valuable features in each unit is the What’s Wrong? activity, in which students collaborate to correct sentences containing common grammar errors or misused wasei-eigo (Japanese-made English). This activity focuses on language issues often overlooked in standard EFL textbooks, making it particularly relevant and engaging for Japanese students. Many students find it amusing when wasei-eigo expressions, such as “high tension” or “I want to challenge,” are discussed.
The second half of each lesson includes a listening section featuring humorous or dramatic stories that highlight the unit’s theme. Delivered by both native and japanese English speakers, these stories incorporate colloquial language to expose students to natural expressions and everyday conversations. Japanese university students often notice informal phrases, such as “gotta” for “got to,” “gonna” for “going to,” and “I don’t get it” for “I don’t understand,” which may be unfamiliar to them. The follow-up discussions then encourage students to reflect on topics such as environmental protection and societal issues, allowing them to connect language learning with real-world conversations.
One significant advantage of this textbook is its user-friendly digital workbook. This digital companion includes interactive tasks covering speaking, listening, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. A standout feature is the speaking task, where students record and transcribe their responses. It offers valuable practice outside of class. Immediate feedback on spelling and grammar helps refine their skills, while teachers can provide personalized responses via text or video. Students have found this process—recording answers, transcribing them, and receiving instant feedback—engaging and convenient, especially since it can be done on smartphones, making it accessible and effective.
In addition to the speaking tasks, the digital workbook includes questions on vocabulary, error correction, reading comprehension, listening, text gap-fill activities, report writing, and a unit quiz. As Beatty (2010) emphasizes, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) resources offer key benefits, such as tracking learner progress and providing immediate feedback. Harmer (2015) explains that creating tasks that match students’ abilities is essential for effective learning. The textbook achieves this balance by offering a variety of tasks that promote critical thinking and language development.
Another key feature of The English Gym II is its organized approach to the discussion tests. Sybing (2016) stresses that teacher-centered, structured practice activities can reduce anxiety and help students build confidence in their language abilities before engaging in more learner-centered, impromptu conversations. The textbook supports this idea by offering a clear preparation framework. Students begin their preparation in the lesson before the test by selecting questions from three randomly chosen units—two easy ones and one more challenging—that have already been studied in previous classes. After preparing, they exchange papers and practice discussing the topics with classmates for five minutes. While the initial questions are predetermined, follow-up questions are spontaneous, simulating real-life conversations. This process is repeated with different partners to further build confidence and fluency.
The textbook provides an evaluation guide with five criteria: pronunciation, interaction, vocabulary, grammar, and fluency; each is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Teachers can efficiently offer individualized feedback, highlighting points, such as good turn-taking or katakana-style pronunciation. This approach helps students prepare for meaningful, discussion-based speaking tests, which feel more natural than traditional teacher-led Q&A formats.
Students find The English Gym II enjoyable, which encourages their use of English and fosters active participation in class. The gradual increase in difficulty makes the textbook both challenging and manageable, motivating learners to engage in learning content while steadily improving their language skills.
Overall, The English Gym II is a well-structured and effective textbook for Japanese university EFL learners. I highly recommend it for educators seeking a comprehensive and engaging textbook for intermediate learners.
References
Beatty, K. (2010). Teaching and researching: Computer-assisted language learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833774
Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Sybing, R. (2016). Structure for fostering discussion skills in the EFL classroom. Akademia: Bungaku Gogaku Hen, 99, 221–229. https://nanzan-u.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/744/files/acabungo99_15_sybing_roehl.pdf
