Quick Smart English Intermediate

The book is designed to give instruction and practice in all four language skills and, according to the information on the cover, can be used as preparation for GCSE and ISE Examinations. It is also compatible with ESOL curricula and exams.

The look and size of the book is very good. It is slightly smaller than A4 which makes it very user friendly. The thick outer cover will ensure it wears well. The inside cover has a language bank on it as a quick language guide which corresponds to the different chapters. The units are numbered from 0-18 and there are also three extended reading units. Each unit consists of four sides, with each one of the four language skills covered. The units are all made up in a similar fashion and colour photographs are used to add interest. New words in each unit are presented in different colours as a memory aid. The topics covered are up-to-date and some are quite controversial, covering areas such as obesity in unit 11, crime in unit 16 and hunting in unit 13. There is a good glossary at the back of the student’s book. The CDs are attached to the inside cover of the student’s book in individual plastic covers and so can always be carried with the book. On the outside of the CDs the number of the unit is marked along with the listening content for that unit.

I have used a number of books for teaching English including Headway, English File, Language To Go, Cambridge English Course and Opportunities. I would say that the over all construction of this book; its structure, the way the units are built up is quite similar to the other books I have used. One of the differences in this book is the way that the speaking section of each unit has been divided up to give practice in conversation and discussion. The pictures are also used differently, as they do not take over the book but are varied and can be used as an aid to talking. I think the topics used in this book are more controversial than those used in other similar books and I also think QSE seems to flow better than some books which have a new unit each two page spread, which can have a sort of stop, start feel to them. It also differs from short courses like Language To Go in that there is a lot more material in each unit in QSE.

I will now look at each of the components in more detail.

The Student’s Book
I like the layout of the units and the topics covered I think they are interesting and enjoyable for young adult students as they are relevant to everyday life. Having said that, there are a couple like the physics section in unit 6 and the chemistry in unit 7 that I think have limited interest (though they make up only a very small part of those units). I also think the “word bank” is a good idea, as is highlighting new words that are to be studied and learnt in each unit. I like the way photographs have been used as they don’t dominate the page but are good for generating discussion. The reading texts are good and many are taken from authentic sources.

One of the things that I think would be a useful addition is a space on the glossary page for students to be able to write down pronunciation and the meaning of a word or phrase in their mother tongue. As I have already mentioned, a few of the topics might have limited interest and it is always difficult to generate discussion if the group as a whole is unfamiliar with or uninterested in a topic. There is nothing dealing with word and sentence stress- something which I feel is just as important to being able to understand something as knowing the meaning of the words.

The Workbook
The grammar information boxes are good as a quick summary and the roleplay cards are useful as they give practice in the art of debate as well as everyday conversation. I think that two sides for each unit is perhaps a little short and a section to practice questions would be useful as I find this is one area that gives students a lot of problems.

The CDs
The use of different accents is good but for some reason an American one is used a lot of the time. The speaking style on a lot of the listenings is too slow and unrealistic compared to the way people speak in everyday situations. I realise it is important for students to understand the listening and this is a very difficult skill for them to learn, but equally I think they are eventually going to use what they learn in the classroom in real life situations and the listening needs to prepare them for this. I think the listening situations also need to be more realistic so that when people are talking or discussing it sounds more like a natural conversation with background noise as again this is a more realistic situation.
On the whole this book compares favourably compared to other books I have used. Out of all the books I have used so far for teaching I would say it is my second favourite. The topics in it are more up-to-date than most other books and so more suited to a young adult age group. For me the thing that lets QSE down is the listening. The subjects are relevant and interesting but it is the delivery of them that I think is the problem. The other small thing which I would say about the QSE student’s book is the layout for each unit is the same and can become a little predictable.

On the whole I think QSE is a sound, interesting teaching tool with an easy to follow format that does not need a lot of extra material from other sources to supplement it. Particularly good are the speaking topics and roleplay cards.