English Alive: Grammar, Function, and Setting

This text is intended for low-level adult students of English as a second language. By "low-level students," we mean those who already have had some exposure to basic grammatical structures but have had limited opportunities to practice those structures orally. These students will enjoy the added challenge of learning vocabulary and practicing their discussion skills as they review and learn grammar.
English Alive is intended to help them attain oral and written mastery of key structures, build their vocabulary, and, at the same time, develop their ability to discuss a wide range of topics. The book provides a full range of classroom activities, from listening comprehension exercises and controlled fill-ins for testing and drilling to freer activities, such as role playing and student presentations. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the content focus of most of the grammar chapters can be used as a springboard for discussion of such diverse topics as folk remedies for common ailments, street crime, and the existence of ghosts. Even students with limited fluency and vocabulary want and need to have a chance to discuss challenging and possibly controversial subjects. True, the students will make errors, grope for words, and become frustrated at times by their inability to express ideas with ease, but all of this is a very natural part of the language-learning process. Another unique feature of the text is that, in addition to the grammarfocused chapters, there are chapters on language functions, such as making suggestions or accepting and refusing requests. Moreover, there are chapters on the specific language needed for certain settings, such as a restaurant or a store. These chapters indirectly review and reinforce the grammatical structures that students have learned in previous chapters. Grammar, function, and setting—the three major elements needed to communicate in a language—are thus provided in this text. This book can be assigned to the student for independent study and review at home or for work in the classroom. The chapters are arranged according to the complexity of the structure, but, for the most part, they can be used in whatever sequence meets the needs of a particular group of students. If you feel that the vocabulary or subject matter of a chapter is too challenging, the grammatical structure can be introduced in a simpler context, and the chapter can be used as a review rather than an introduction.