HandsOn English, ETC LISTENING/SPEAKING Strand = Six Student Texts with CDs + Six Instructor's Annotated Editions/Manuals
ISBNs 978-1-891077-57-9, -60-9, -63-0, -66-1, -69-2, -72-2
299.00 USD
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HandsOn English, ETC: LISTENING/SPEAKING = Six Student Texts with CDs + Six  Annotated Instructor's Editions/Manuals

HandsOn English is a new name for the classic 17-Book ETC PROGRAM Competency-Based Skills Series.  For novice/beginning to advanced language + content learners, it contains six (6) Levels of two or three Student Texts each, subtitled [1] "Getting Started with Life Skills," [2] "English in Everyday Life," [3] "An Immigration Story," [4] "World Culture/Cross-Cultural Communication," [5] "Language & Culture in Depth," and [6] "Issues & Answers."  Coordinated within each level of difficulty and carefully sequenced between levels, the seventeen (17) Texts (six with accompanying CDs) + 17 Instructor's Annotated Editions or Instructor's Manuals comprise a 34-book package of language-skills/practical competencies instruction, practice, activity, and assessment. 

The HandsOn English/ETC PROGRAM was designed for secondary-school students and adults wanting complete, detailed, practical language-based help with daily tasking, the world of work, and other aspects of life in English-speaking environments.  The entire Competency-Based PROGRAM is divided into three Language-Skills Strands.  These are [a] Grammar,  [b] Oral Skills (Listening/Speaking), and [c] Written Skills (Reading/Writing).  Every Student Book can be used with one or two of the corresponding Texts at the same Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.  Alternatively, it can stand on its own, with or without its ancillaries.  


Students from educational backgrounds that value oral communication over academic literacy or reading/writing ability may find the material of the Oral Skills Strand more compelling and less difficult than that of the Grammar or Written Skills Books.  On the other hand, for students at any proficiency level whose previous English-language study consisted mainly of reading or translation,  the Oral Skills Strand of the HandsOn English ETC PROGRAM is likely to prove the most beneficial in "real life."  That's because second-language learners from certain cultures are most likely to need improvement in these areas: [a] comprehending fluent speech (by listening for main ideas, focusing on stressed syllables, recognizing reduced forms, and tolerating a certain amount of ambiguity),  [b] speaking clearly (by distinguishing among sounds in pronunciation; combining sounds into words, phrases, and sentences; using stress, intonation, and rhythm appropriately), and [c] communicating effectively (by knowing and using the appropriate cultural conventions in speech and by developing aural/oral competence).  The realistic and practical emphasis of the HandsOn English, ETC Oral-Skills Strand is likely to appeal to many different kinds of educators and learners.

Accompanied by CDs and an Annotated Edition or Instructor's Manual, each HandsOn English ETC Student Listening/SpeakingText  has an Intro before ten chapters, each of which contains four Parts each.  In the six leveled L/S Books 1-6, these four sections have (variants of) these titles:  Vocabulary, Learning to Listen, Practical Understanding, Clear Speech, Pronunciation (Through Role-Play), Good Communication, Conversation Activities, Speaking Naturally, and the like.   Following is more specific information about each of the Competency-Based Listening/Speaking Books 1-6. 

The Level 1 (Getting Started with Life Skills) L/S Skills Book has only one PART in each of its ten chapters (entitled Things, Information, Help, Food & Money, Times & Places, The Body, People, Emergencies, Work, Fun) that focuses on Listening.  These sections contain "listening tasks" in which text-users look at and mark visuals or follow other instructions as they listen to the corresponding AudioScript or CD segmentThe following section of each chapter, called Grammar in Conversation is closely coordinated with the Listening practice.

At L/S Level 2 (English in Everyday Life), participants hear and see Vocabulary in context before reacting to the conversations they hear by following directions in PART ONE, Better Listening.  PART TWO, Pronunciation, presents and provides oral practice in groups of sounds; the Listening & Speaking Skills in PART THREE  include comprehension of details and of common "reduced forms" in fluent speech.  PART FOUR  offers dyad (information gap) and interactive small-group activities.  (The Chapter Topics are Getting There, Problems & Solutions, Moving, Food & Things, The Family, The Community, Work, Shopping, Health, The Community, The Weekend & Vacations.)

After a Getting Acquainted Intro, each PART ONE of the ten Chapters of L/S Level 3 (An Immigration Story) contains four stories to hear and react to.  On the CD and in the available AudioScript, four "newcomers to the U.S." tell their experiences and thoughts in regard to each  relevant Chapter Topic: The Arrival, Housing, Transportation, Work, Education, Money, Recreation & Entertainment, Health & Illness, Friendship & Romance, Family & Special Occasions.  Text-users cross out the "wrong information" in their accounts and then fill in the full words in the reduced forms they heard.  In PART TWO, they practice Clear Speech by noticing and imitating targeted sounds, syllables, stress patterns,  rhythm, and intonation.  PART THREE enhances Good Communication by offering useful "notions and functions" (common phrases classified according to their contexts and purposes) for everyday social situations; then learners create their own conversations for specified circumstances.  Each Chapter ends with PART FOUR Practical Listening Tasks that prepare participants to give information of their own and to express themselves on the relevant topic.

At L/S Level 4 (Cross-Cultural Communication/World Culture), participants address the introductory and chapter topics of The "Rules" of Culture, Beginnings, The Body, Dealing with Situations, Eating & Drinking, Solving Problems, Communication, Social Interaction, Home & Family Life, Work & Money, and Education  through Cross-Cultural Conversations, Practical Listening, Speaking Activities, and Questions & Answers.  They hear, get the point of, and summarize cross-cultural anecdotes (stories and conversations).  They acquire and demonstrate their ability to recognize effective uses of language and make inferences.  Then they are offered choices of language in "notional/functional categories" to use in practical tasks and classroom interaction.  Finally, they use their critical thinking and cultural knowledge to discuss situations involving interesting cultural truths or interpretations in everyday life. 

L/S Level 5 addresses Language & Culture in Depth in an intro and ten chapters with these titles: Learning to Listen; Meeting People;  Getting an Education; Money, Money, Money; Earning a Living; Getting Help; Going Places; Getting Along with People; Having Fun; The Media; and A Lifetime of Learning.  On hearing each PART ONE  Personal Narrative, participants develop their ability to grasp speakers' main points and relevant details, to ask and answer "real questions," to recognize people's points of view, etc.  The conversation or story that begins each PART TWO  illustrates a pronunciation principle that helps text-users complete exercises or role-play with a clear accent.   Then, in PART THREE, they learn how to make small talk; deal with chronological order; get real-life errors corrected; understand and discuss rights and obligations; use financial, legal, and relationship language; plan travel; make good use of education; and deal with other aspects of modern life.  PART FOUR offers aural/oral Language Games that involve Relating Socially,  Small-Group Decision-Making,  Brainstorming Solutions, Simulating Court Cases, Completing Tasks Cooperatively, Using Compatibility Measures, Teaching & Learning Game Rules, Having Class Debates, and
other innovative, interactive activities that have proven engaging and effective in an increasingly complex world.

Issues & Answers form the framework of L/S LEVEL 6.  The subjects of its Intro and ten chapters--Listening to the Media, Families, Health & Fitness, Government & Law, Business & Work, Science & Technology, Consumerism, Education, The Environment, Immigration, and Travel & Recreation--have long been considered "controversial"--or at least prone to differing points of view.  Each chapter begins with a simulated media segment (an interview, a lecture, a talk show, a soap opera, etc.) to which listeners/text-users react by demonstrating understanding, making inferences, responding to questions, and so on.  The objective of the second PART is Speaking Naturally; it "trains" students in the use of conversational gambits, notions/functions, and other aspects of effective oral communication.  PART THREE  adds to the development of communicative competence through Inferences & Listening Tasks.  And as usual, PART FOUR tends to be the most entertaining, engaging, and fun of all--as everyone exchanges views on the issues in a number of game-like formats.


The Teacher's Annotated Edition for Level 1, and the Instructor's Manuals for L/S Levels 2-6 include not only the correct answers to all aural segments of the accompanying CDs but also complete AudioScripts to be used for various purposesFor example, instructors and helpers can refer to the Script in conducting preparation and follow-up activities; in ensuring comprehension; in creating supplementary exercises, test items, or materials; and the like.  Students that progress in their aural/oral skills more effectively if they can see what they hear--before, during, and/or after a listening task--may be able to make productive use of a copy of the corresponding AudioScript. 

Text  ISBNs 978-1-891077-57-9, -60-9, -63-0, -66-1, -69-2, -72-2            CD Set ISBNs 978-1-891077-59-3, -62-3, -65-4, -68-5, -71-5, -74-6  
Instructor's Annotated Edition or Instructor's Manual  ISBNs 978-1-891077-58-6, -61-6, -64-7, -67-8, -70-8, -73-9


Feel free to get even more detailed information about an individual title and/or its ancillaries (CDs, Teacher's Annotated Edition/Instructor's Manual) in the Oral-Skills (Listening/Speaking) Strand of the HandsOn English, ETC PROGRAM.  On request, we can provide a copy of its Preface or Table of Contents, sample Try-Before-You-Buy material (even entire chapters), and other useful freebies.  At present, all elements of HandsOn English, ETC can be ordered on a "print-on-demand" basis.  Their pricing, therefore, will depend on many factors.  Don't hesitate to contact us for an estimate. 

(The six Student Texts + ancillaries of the Listening/Speaking Strand of the HandsOn ETC Program  can be used to great advantage on their own, of course, especially with language learners that need more instruction and help in Oral Skills than in Grammar or Written Skills.  In fact, in some learning situations, courses, and programs, participants might choose to use elements of more than one L/S Level simultaneously or sequentially.)

(On the other hand, many users of HandsOn English ETC L/S materials at any proficiency Level 1-6 might also be interested in the corresponding Student Texts  that comprise the other two Strands of the PROGRAM.  These Books have the same leveled themes as the Oral-Skills materials, as reflected in their subtitles:  
[1] "Getting Started with Life Skills," [2] "English in Everyday Life," [3] "An Immigration Story," [4] "World Culture/Cross-Cultural Communication," [5] "Language & Culture in Depth," and [6] "Issues & Answers."  Even though  the chapter titles are the same in all three Texts of each Level--and the content and vocabulary tend to reinforce one another across the curriculum, the specific language-skills competencies, pedagogy, and subtopics are different in each Book.  Considering that there are only two or three Student Texts with ancillaries per Level, there is a tremendous amount of unique, yet well-coordinated, material.)     

(To teach or learn phrase and sentence structure in practical competency-based contexts, take a look at the six HandsOn English ETC GRAMMAR Texts [ISBNs 978-1-934637-57-9, -24-1, -06-7, -08-1, -10-4, -12-8] with or without their Instructor's Annotated Editions or Instructor's Guides [ISBNs 978-1-891077-58-6, -04-3, -06-7, -08-1, -10-4, -12-8].  To focus on interesting reading/writing material on similar and related topics, try out the six HandsOn ETC Written-Skills Texts [978-1-934637-14-2, -77-7, -79-1, -81-4, -83-8, -85-2]. 
with or without their Instructor's Annotated Editions/Instructor's Manuals [ISBNs 978-1-934637-15-9, -78-4, -80-7, -82-1, -84-5, -86-9].)
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