Barron’s computer Study Program for the TOEFL [Test of English as a Foreign Language].
Added to the collection in 1998. Based on the old, paper-based TOEFL test and as such somewhat obsolete. No audio input for the listening portion of the test. The TOEFL test can now only be taken in Marquette in the computer-based program.
Cliff’s Advanced Practice for TOEFL.
A competing package with book and audiotapes by the publishers of the infamous Cliff’s Notes. In collection since 1998. Based on the paper-based test.
Peterson’s TOEFL Practice Tests.
Paperback of 240 pages in 8 1/2 x 11 format. Three audiocassettes for the listening comprehension portion. In collection since 1998. Based on the paper-based test.
POWERPREP® Software. Preparation for the Computer-Based TOEFL. CD ROM
Acquired January, 2002. Not in the List of the holdings in the Portage Library. The license is such that the program can only be installed on one computer at a time. It must be uninstalled for the next user.
Sharpe, Pamela J. How to Prepare for the TOEFL Test. Barron’s.
Book of 600 pp., with three audiocassettes for the listening-comprehension section. Added to the collection in 1998. Based, like the Barron’s package, on the paper-based test and as such somewhat obsolete. Does have three audiocassettes for the listening-comprehension section of the test.
Longman Dictionary of American English.
One of three competing paperback dictionaries of American English designed for non-native speakers.. Meets their needs far better than the collegiate dictionaries designed for native speakers. Has a pronunciation guide using the International Phonetic Alphabet, which students are used to from their home-country textbooks, as well as usage guidance on countable versus uncountable nouns, an important aspect of the pedagogical grammar of English for speakers of oriental and Slavic languages. (E.g., manæGreek anthropos; a manæGreek andros, an adult male) Includes an extensive treatment of phrasal verbs (he was laid off), which native speakers seldom look up but which cause nonnative speakers much consternation. Tutees with extensive home-country English need to wean themselves from the small dual-language dictionaries (e.g., Chinese-English / English-Chinese) they have been using, dictionaries which may or may not give American English pronunciation.
I recommend that tutors look at this and other ESL dictionaries to familiarize themselves with them. In turn, tutors could lend them to their tutees to see if they find them useful. I once had copies of the Longman’s and Oxford ESL dictionaries, but have given them to my students (Francis Lide).
Hornby, A. S., and C. A. Ruse. Oxford ESL Dictionary for Students of American English. Adapted from the edition for British English of 1978.
The competing volume to the Longman’s dictionary above. Both are roughly the same length and have the same format. Out of print as of February 2002.
Note: We do not have any of the excellent Cambridge dictionaries, which are available online at http://dictionary.cambridge.org/, where they can be used and browsed.
Beginner's Dictionary of American English Usage. Lincolnwood, IL: NTCF. Contains the 4,000 most commonly used words in English.
The New Oxford Picture Dictionary. English-Chinese. Oxford University Press, 1989. At least 8 copies.
The New Oxford Picture Dictionary. (Monolingual edn.) At least 17 copies, many checked out.
Teacher's Guide: The New Oxford Picture Dictionary. Oxford Univ. Press, 1988. Three copies on shelves.
Schimpff, Jill Wagner. Intermediate Workbook: New Oxford Picture Dictionary. Oxford Univ. Press, 1988.
Sentence generating and fill-in-the blanks exercises on the basis of the New Oxford Picture Dictionary. Ca. 10 copies. on shelves.
Spears, Richard A., ed. NTC's American Idioms Dictionary. 2nd. ed. Lincolnwood, IL, NTC, 1996. 517 pp. Ca. 3 copies. Appears potentially very useful (FL).
Celce-Murcia, Marianne, et al. Teaching Pronunciation: A reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other languages. Over 400 page in 8 1/2 x 11 format. Has accompanying audiocassette.
A textbook by a frequently cited scholar in ESL. Designed for those who wish to seriously train themselves to teach English to speakers of other languages. Contains an excellent and extensive discussion of connected speech, and of English syllable structure, which contrasts so markedly with that in Chinese: I.e., grasps, CgCrVaCsCpCs -- consonants vs. vowels).
Easy Accent. A videocassette with a running time of 45 minutes.
Has a short printed manual with the example words pronounced on tape. A usable introduction to articulatory phonetics, but it lacks any contrastive perspective.
Sudlow and Bischof. Exercises in American English Pronunciation: Listening and Pronunciation Drills for International Students of English. Chinese Student Edition. Paperback. 8 1/2 x 11. 121 pages.
Copiously illustrated with line drawings, including diagrams of the speech organs. Uses the Trager-Smith transcription rather than the International Phonetic Alphabet. (Sinophones are used to the IPA from their home countries.) Apparently designed for universal use and then adapted to Chinese, I gather insufficiently. This means that a good deal of space is used for sounds that don’t cause Sinophones problems (i.e., the sound in but, which exists in Chinese, as in Deng Xao Ping (rhymes with dung), but not in many other populous languages.
Sudlow and Bischof. Exercises in American English Pronunciation: Listening and Pronunciation Drills for International Students of English. Teacher’s Manual. Chinese Student Edition. Paperback, 8 1/2 x 11. 124 p.
More of a teacher’s edition rather than a teacher’s manual. Most of the pages are identical to those on the title above. The only difference appears to be a short appendix and the fact that the answers on the diagnostic tests are filled in.
Prator, Clifford H., and Betty Wallace Robinett. Manual of American English Pronunciation. 4th edn. 1985.
Romijn, Elizabeth, and Contee Seely. Live Action English. Paperback, 75 p. Copiously illustrated with line drawings. Ca. 5 copies.
A textbook using the total physical response method to teach second and foreign languages. TRP relies on giving learners commands that they must carry out in some bodily visible fashion (e.g., “raise your right hand”). The teacher can therefore tell if the command has been understood. Especially useful for learners with a very limited proficiency in English. Using TRP can be a lot of fun.
Zwier, Lawrence J. English for Everyday Activities. A picture Process Dictionary. Asia-Pacific Press, Hongkong. 1999. Ca. 20 copies.
Generating utterances from learners on the basis of pictures. A long history of being very popular with our tutors.
Storti, Craig. Cross-Cultural Dialogues. 74 Brief encounters with Cultural Difference. Paperback, 140 p. At least two copies.
Has nothing to do with language, but with intercultural communication. Each dialog consists of from two to a dozen conversational turn-takings between an American and a member of another culture. The reader is invited to analyze the problem in each case. Then the author’s analysis is given in a separate section.
Althen, Gary. American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States. Paperback, 171p. At least four copies.
A book that tutors might recommend to their tutees. Might make an interesting reading text for a portion of each tutoring section.
Hu Wenzhong and Cornelius L. Grove. Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans. Paperback, 192 p. At least two copies.
Collis, Harry. 101 American English Idioms. Paperback, 104 p. At least 3 copies.
Each idiom illustrated with a drawing. Illustrates such idioms as “you’re pulling my leg,” and “knock your socks off.”
Hopkins, Andy, and Docelyn Potter. Look Ahead: Classroom Course. Students’ Book 1. Longman, 1995.
A Chinese textbook for English. English and Chinese, with relatively little Chinese, apparently mainly for explanations. A british production. Almost exclusively British in terms of materials, illustrations, and realia. Not in the Portage Library list, but in Frank Lide’s possession. Ask him if you would like to examine this book.
Hopkins, Andy, and Docelyn Potter. Look Ahead: Classroom Course. Students’ Book 2. Longman, 1996.
Same format as Book 1. Not in the Portage Library list, but in Frank Lide’s possession. Ask him if you would like to examine this book.
Hopkins, Andy, and Docelyn Potter. Look Ahead. Classroom Course. Intermediate Students’ Book 3. Longman, 1994.
Same format as Books 1 and 2. Not in the Portage Library list, but in Frank Lide’s possession. Ask him if you would like to examine this book.
Chinese textbook with title and bibliographical information all inChinese.
Emphasis on English as a world language. Chapters set in New York, Washington, Paris, Venice. Many sagittal diagrams for pronunciation. Pronunciation is British. Not in the Portage Library list, but in Frank Lide’s possession. Ask him if you would like to examine this book.
Materials for Both ESL and Native Speaker Literacy
The Laubach series:
A series of workbooks, mainly stapled, in 8_ x 11 format. The entire Laubach series is two-pronged. One prong is for native speakers in need of literacy training. These volumes are by Laubach, Kirk, and Laubach. The other prong is for ESL persons and are by Jeanette D. Macero. The potential tutor should know which skill books and teacher’s manual she is using. (I have some reservations about the equivalency of needs of these two populations. Even the non-literate native speaker will have cultural background knowledge and the ability to make the sounds that the non-native learner typically lacks.) From the introduction to the teacher’s Manual for Skill Book 3: “Although the materials were designed specifically for teaching adults who are illiterate in their native language as well as in English, they can be used successfully with many other ESOL students. In particular, literate students whose native languages have writing systems other than the Roman alphabet should find the practice in basic reading and writing skills beneficial.” Some of these materials appear to be intermingled with the ESL materials, so tutors should be aware of which materials they might be perusing. The ESL versions will always have TESOL or ESL on them.
Materials for Native Speaker Literacy
[Series] Voyager. Reading and Writing for Today's Adults.
32 Paperbound booklets in letter-size format. Series 1 through 8 with teachers guides. Not catalogued.
Litstart. Literacy Strategies for Adult Reading Tutors. 2nd edn. Lansing MI: Literacy Inc., 1989.
