Scholastic books lexile levels
Leveling Chart | Scholastic Guided Reading Program for the Classroom
Use the grid below to shop by Guided Reading, Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), and Lexile® Levels. This chart includes Lexile level recommendations and may also be used as a general leveling guide.
Click on links to shop the Teacher Store!
| Grade | Scholastic Guided Reading Level | DRA Level | Lexile® Levels |
|---|
| Grade | Scholastic Guided Reading Level | DRA Level | Lexile® Levels | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten |
| Beginning Reader | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1 |
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| 190L-530L | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 |
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| 420L-650L | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 |
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| 520L-820L | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 |
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| 740L-940L | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 |
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| 830L-1010L | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 |
|
| 925L–1070L |
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How to Determine the Reading Level of a Book
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Fountas and Pinnell, Lexile Level, Primer, Pre-primer, Beginning Reader are all terms you may have heard if you have a young reader in your house. Seriously, what does it all mean? Is there actually a way how to determine the reading level of a book? If your child can read The Cat in Hat, which is a level J in Guided Reading, can she independently tackle Diary of a Worm, which has a Lexile Level of 510L or is she ready for Keena Ford and the Second Grade Mix-Up, even though that one has a DRA of 30?
Through this post, I am going to attempt to elucidate and explain reading levels. So scroll through to find the system that your child’s teacher uses or pour yourself a large cup of coffee and sift through all of the various ways educators, librarians, and book publishers level and categorize books for young readers.
Reading Levels Are Like Starbucks Sizes
I admit, I don’t visit Starbucks unless I have a gift card.
I am also that person who goes to Starbucks and still tries to order a large iced tea. The barista calmly asks if I would like a venti or a trenta and then explains that I need to choose between Passion Tango, Matcha Green, or Guava White Tea. Then comes the question of sweetened, unsweetened, or added lemonade.
For the young reader, finding a book that can be read independently can be as tricky as remembering all of the variables in a Starbucks order. Little readers who are not familiar with reading levels or taught to find a “good fit book” often go for books that are too easy and boring, too difficult and frustrating, or, like my kindergarten son, books that have too many unreadable Star Wars planet names like Kashyyyk. If a child knows her reading level, she can find books that contain sight words she knows, plot lines that are not too advanced, and vocabulary that is manageable.
Explain the Levels, Please
There are many different ways that books are leveled. Here are the three most popular methods for how to determine the reading level of a book.
Developmental
Children become readers by moving through different developmental reading stages. These stages range from the emergent pre-reader to the expert fluent reader. Typically, the emergent pre-reader is between six months and six years of age, while the expert fluent reader is 16 years and older. The developmental categories are broader categories than many of the other leveling systems.
Letter Levels
When I taught first and second grade, I found letter levels to be the most kid friendly way to organize a classroom library. If your child’s school levels books using Fountas and Pinnell, Reading A-Z, Scholastic Books, or Guided Reading Levels, then books will be leveled using a letter system. While it would be nice, these leveling systems do not always correlate. A book that is a Reading A-Z Level P, is not always a Level P using the Guided Reading Levels.
Number Levels
Books can be leveled through such systems as Lexile Numbers, The Direct Reading Assessment (DRA), and Reading Recovery.
These systems measure texts by complexity and a reader’s skill level and then assign a number.
I Have My Child’s Reading Level, Now What?
Throughout the school year, your child’s teacher will probably perform reading inventories or assessments with your child. These will determine your child’s reading level.
If you homeschool or your child’s school does not use leveled reading, then use a simple test called the “five finger test” to roughly determine your child’s reading level. Have your child choose a book and open to the second page. Ask your little one to read the text out loud. If your child struggles with independently reading five or more words on that page, the book is too difficult and is not a good fit. You should also ask some comprehension questions to make sure that your young reader understands what she is reading. When a book passes the five finger test, use one of the links below to determine that book’s reading level.
Once you have the reading level, take a look at these five helpful websites, apps, and charts that will help you and your child find or level the perfect book:
- Book Wizard : Type in the title of a book to retrieve the Guided Reading Level and grade level.
- Lexile Find-a-Book :Visit this site to find the Lexile Number for a specific book or to generate a list of books with a particular Lexile Number.
- Reading A-Z Level Correlation Chart : This is the best conversion chart out there for reading levels.
- Reading Levels Explained : Check out this very clean and user friendly site if you are still feeling overwhelmed by all of the reading level systems.
- Literacy Leveler app : Download this app and then use it to scan a book’s ISBN to see its Lexile, DRA, and GRL.
Levels Should be Helpful, Not Stressful
Reading levels should not feel restrictive. They should be used as helpful tools and not as a draconian system that kills the love of reading. Encourage your child to read books on her level, but don’t be upset if she chooses to reread an old favorite or picks up a nonfiction book that has some advanced vocabulary. Imagine how horrible it would be if adults had to always adhere to a reading level.
I am well aware of the fact that some of my beach reads are probably a fourth grade reading level, with a Guided Reading Level of Q, 820L, and DRA of 40. I may not always be challenged as a reader, but it is still fun to sip my trenta Passion Tango unsweetened iced tea and enjoy a book simply for the fun of reading.
Need some books to practice leveling? Help yourself to 50 Must-Read Books for Beginning Readers, 20 Must-Read Books for First Graders and Second Graders, The Best Chapter Books for Kids: Engaging with Words, and 70 Must-Read Books for 3rd Graders.
Top 8 Books ‹ Inglex
A wide vocabulary is something every English learner should strive for, because the more words you know, the more you can say. However, in addition to learning new words, you also need to learn how to combine them correctly, make sentences from them and use them in your speech. And all these tricks you will be taught by textbooks on the vocabulary of the English language. We'll cover 8 of the most popular vocabulary building aids and explain how to work with them.
We have already compiled a detailed review of the 4 best English textbooks for our readers. At the same time, we wrote that these comprehensive manuals help develop all English language skills, as well as expand your vocabulary. Below we will explain why it is worth adding a book to a universal textbook to increase vocabulary. In this review, we will present you 8 vocabulary guides.
Why additional textbooks on English vocabulary are needed
1. Learn words effectively
Each of the textbooks on English vocabulary is focused on learning new words in context. You learn new vocabulary and immediately use it in practical exercises, see how it "works" in natural speech. This is the most productive and fastest way to improve your vocabulary.
2. Expressing Your Thoughts Accurately
Knowledge of grammar and a good vocabulary is essential to speak English confidently. In addition, if you are going to take an exam or emigrate, a large vocabulary will make your life much easier.
Of course, the basic textbook provides a good supply of vocabulary for every level of knowledge, but if you want to make your speech more natural and expressive, vocabulary replenishment books will come in handy.
3. Better listening comprehension
Obviously, the more English words you know, the more you can understand. Therefore, we advise those who complain that they can hardly perceive English speech by ear to pay attention to such manuals. Quite often, the reason for such a misunderstanding is that a person has a limited vocabulary, so our brain plays a cruel joke with us - we simply do not hear all unfamiliar words.
4. Activate vocabulary
A huge plus of such manuals is that they focus not so much on learning new words as on the practice of using various words of the English language. Surely you have heard people complain: “I already read English texts, but I speak very badly.” The thing is that such students have an extensive passive vocabulary of the English language - they recognize the word when they hear it or meet it in the text.
At the same time, their active stock is very small - they cannot use words that they seem to know in their speech. English vocabulary books help to solve this problem: through practical exercises and constant repetition, words move from passive to active vocabulary.
5. Reach the next level of English knowledge faster
It happens that it is a poor vocabulary that "slows down" a person, does not allow him to move to the next level. In this case, working with additional aids will help speed up the learning process.
At what level is it necessary to take such a study allowance? Each of the series of books includes textbooks for different levels of knowledge, so at any level you can pick up good material for vocabulary replenishment. If you are learning English with a teacher, you can ask him to take additional material from the textbook you like. If you study English on your own, try to regularly complete tasks from the selected manual.
The format of this textbook is similar to the editions of English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy, which we wrote about in the review "The 4 Best English Grammar Textbooks".
Each lesson-unit takes 1 turn: the theory is given on the left, practical exercises are given on the right.
There are two ways to work with this tutorial. If your vocabulary is rather poor, it is best to go from the first lesson to the last one and not skip anything. If you do not have enough knowledge on some specific topics, you can choose and study them.
Vocabulary replenishment exercises in English Vocabulary in Use are tasks for choosing a word, filling in missing words in a text, crossword puzzles, writing short texts, matching a word to a picture, dividing words into groups according to some criteria, selecting definitions for idioms and phrasal verbs, selection of synonyms, etc.
Features of the textbook
If you learn English on your own, then this manual will be convenient to use. At the end of the textbook there are answers to all the exercises, you can check yourself.
The undoubted advantage of the manual is the presence at the end of the book of a list of all the words found in the units.
The words are written in alphabetical order, each of them is given a transcription. Also, next to each word is the page number on which it occurs, so if you want to know how to use it correctly, just open the desired page.
2. Work on Your Vocabulary0003
We advise you to go through the textbook sequentially - step by step to analyze each of the lessons. However, there is a list of topics in the table of contents, so you can choose which vocabulary to learn first. In addition, at the end of the textbook, in alphabetical order, there is a list of all the words used in each lesson.
When completing tasks, you need to insert a missing word, underline the correct meaning, choose the appropriate option, or correctly sign the illustration.
Textbook features
Authors: Ruth Gairns, Stuart Redman.
Structure of the textbook and how it works
In this series of British vocabulary books, suitable material should be selected according to the following principle:
- Basic - for Elementary and Pre-Intermediate levels.
- Intermediate Manual - for Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate levels.
- Advanced Handbook - for Advanced and Proficiency levels.
Each book in this series contains 80 units. The lesson takes from one to three pages, depending on the topic. Practical exercises are immediately attached to blocks of theoretical material to consolidate knowledge. All units are divided by topic into groups-modules of 5 or 10 lessons. After each module in the textbook, you will be asked to take a test that will check how well you have learned the material of all the lessons you have completed.
As you work through this tutorial, you can also choose to go in order or select exactly those topics where you have gaps. However, if you are learning English on your own, the first option is preferable: this way you won't miss anything important.
Vocabulary tasks are diverse: fill in missing letters, find synonyms, answer questions, choose a word, insert a missing word in a phrase, etc.
In addition to written vocabulary training exercises, Oxford Word Skills has tasks for developing speaking and listening.
Textbook features
At the end of the manual there are answers to all exercises, as well as tests following each module, so this textbook can also be recommended for self-study. At the end of the manual there is a list of words in alphabetical order. For each of them, a transcription is given and the page number on which you will find exercises with this word is indicated.
Additional online exercises for this tutorial series can be found at elt.oup.com. Follow the link to the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced section, and the exercises for the corresponding manual will be available to you.
Sign up for a speaking practice course and practice vocabulary in dialogue with a teacher.
4. Test Your Vocabulary0039 Advanced
Authors: Peter Watcyn-Jones, Olivia Johnston, Mark Farrell.
The structure of the textbook and the principle of working with it
Each of the five books in the Test Your Vocabulary series consists of 60 units, which occupy 1-2 pages depending on the topic. These English vocabulary learning tutorials will appeal to those who like to take various tests. However, the books also contain theoretical material, it is presented briefly, in the form of a small historical or grammatical reference.
Despite the fact that this series is a series of books with vocabulary tests, the tasks are very diverse. You can solve different types of crossword puzzles, sign pictures, combine words into phrases, choose phrases for comic book characters, etc.
The authors suggest working with the textbook in the following way. To memorize new words well, you need to return to them repeatedly, so make all notes in the book in pencil. After completing the exercise and self-checking, remove all answers. After 1-2 months, return to the lesson and try to go through it again.
This way you will fix the vocabulary in memory.
Features of the textbook
The main advantage of this series is interesting practice tests that help you quickly memorize new words and the specifics of their use. At the end of each textbook you will find answers to tests and a list of words to study in alphabetical order.
5. Key Words for Fluency0051
Publisher: Heinle.
Author: George Woolard.
The structure of the textbook and the principle of working with it
The Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate level textbooks in this series contain 22 voluminous lessons each, which are divided into several parts. Each part is devoted to 1 word. For this word, you will be offered about 10-20 options for phrases (collocations), that is, you will see with which words and how exactly the vocabulary in question can “work”. In the manual of the Upper-Intermediate level, words are not combined by topic, but the principle of presenting the material is the same.
You can learn and remember all these useful phrases during the practical exercises. They are quite the same type, but after completing them, you will learn in which cases which expression should be used. In addition, many phrases contain prepositions, and English learners will confirm that it is not always easy to remember which preposition to use in a particular case. Having learned the expression completely, you will well remember the preposition that is used in a particular phrase.
Features of the textbook
This series of textbooks differs from other manuals in that you do not learn new words, but entire expressions. To speak confidently, you need to know how words "cooperate" with each other, that is, in conjunction with which words they are used. Knowing such expressions will allow you to speak English faster, avoiding mistakes in the use of words.
We recommend this textbook for those who are preparing for the FCE exam, because when writing an essay or passing the conversational part, it will be easier for you to operate with expressions, and not with individual words.
The Pre-Intermediate manual provides tests after studying each group of lessons, the other two textbooks do not have such tasks for checking, but you can return to the lesson after a while and try to go through it again, so you will see what has been deposited in your memory.
At the end of the textbooks there are answers to all tasks, as well as a list of words in alphabetical order indicating the pages on which they occur.
6. 4000 Essential English Words
You will often see these words in articles, books, news, and casual conversation. 
| Basic | Elementary | Pre-Intermediate |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate | Upper-Intermediate | Advanced |
Publisher: Cambridge University Press.
Author: Glennis Pye.
The structure of the textbook and the principle of working with it
The content of the lessons fully corresponds to the name of the textbook - Vocabulary in Practice, that is, only practical exercises for expanding vocabulary are presented here, there is no theoretical information.
Each of the manuals in this series consists of 30-40 units (depending on the level). After 10 lessons, you will be asked to repeat the material and at the same time test yourself with a test.
The authors of the textbook suggest going from the first lesson to the last one, an option that will allow you to study all topics as well as possible. You can also skip lessons on topics for which you have a good vocabulary, and take only topics that are new to you for study. At the end of the course, take quizzes and, if necessary, review any misunderstood topics.
Various practical exercises: you will need to find synonyms, fill in missing words, solve crossword puzzles, label objects in pictures, make up dialogues from ready-made phrases, etc.
Features of the textbook
The peculiarity of this edition is the emphasis on grammar. It should be noted that the manual is structured in such a way that even without theoretical explanations you will understand everything. At the end of the textbook there are answers to all exercises and tests. There you will also find lists of words with transcription.
8. Boost Your VocabularyPearman Longman
Author: Chris Barker.
The structure of the textbook and the principle of working with it
The manuals include 12 lessons-units, each occupying 6 pages. After every four units, you will be asked to take a screening test. The author suggests the following scheme for working with it:
- Go in order or choose a topic that interests you.
- The first two pages of each lesson contain lists of words or expressions, this will be your reference dictionary. Next to the English words you need to write the translation.
If you are studying on your own, listen to the correct pronunciation in an online dictionary. - Do practice exercises without looking into a dictionary.
- Check the exercises against the dictionary you have compiled.
- Finally check your answers against the clues at the end of the textbook.
- After passing four units, take a test and, if necessary, return to a misunderstood topic.
There is no theoretical reference in the textbook, but it is an excellent source of practical exercises. There are tasks in the form of tests, crossword puzzles, answers to questions, etc.
Features of the textbook
At the end of the textbook answers to tasks for self-examination are given. There you will also find brief lexical comments for each lesson. In the units you will see marks with a REF icon, this means that for explanations you should refer to the reference at the end of the tutorial.
We talked about eight textbooks on English vocabulary, tested by time and our methodologists.
You can use all of them both for self-study and in lessons with a teacher. Learning new words using such aids will allow you not only to learn unfamiliar vocabulary, but also to learn how to use it correctly in your speech.
Would you like an experienced mentor to help you expand your vocabulary and speak English fluently and competently? Choose a teacher you like and start studying today.
© 2023 englex.ru, copying of materials is possible only with a direct active link to the source.
4 best textbooks in English: a detailed review ‹ Ingleks
A good book is a person's best adviser and friend. And an English textbook is the best friend of someone who decides to learn the language of international communication. How to choose a "comrade" among several dozen manuals that flooded the book market? Today we bring you an overview of the 4 best English language study guides, according to our teachers and students.
Why you should study with a recommended English textbook
In this review, we present you 4 modern English language study guides:
- English File Third Edition
- New Total English
- Speakout
- Upstream
All of these textbooks implement a communicative approach, that is, they are aimed at developing the student's oral speech skills.
How to choose the best allowance? EF and NTE are comprehensive, universal courses for the methodical development of all skills. Speakout is suitable for those who want to focus on the development of spoken language. Upstream has a richer curriculum, so it is suitable for those who are going to take international exams in English.
In the review, we focused on textbooks from English publishers. Why the choice fell on them? We recommend these manuals because each of them is a comprehensive training course. The complete set includes the main textbook, a workbook, CDs with audio and video recordings, and a teacher's book. Thus, this training course allows you to improve all skills: you will learn to speak, read, write in English and understand foreign speech by ear. How is it implemented in the book? Any of the textbooks presented by us is divided into unit lessons, each of which contains the following sections:
- Speaking (Speaking) - questions for discussion, exercises for the development of oral speech.
- Listening comprehension - audio recordings and tasks for them.
- Reading - several texts that are taken as a basis for the development of speaking and learning new words.
- Writing (Writing) - tasks for practicing writing.
- Grammar (Grammar) - a block that explains any aspect of grammar in an understandable language, as well as exercises for practicing theory in practice.
- Vocabulary - A selection of new words and expressions, as well as exercises to practice their use.
- Pronunciation - exercises with audio recordings to practice the correct pronunciation of the sounds of the English language.
The form of presentation of material in these manuals is the same: a textbook presenting the material from simple to complex. The courses offered are suitable for teenagers and adults.
The principle of independent work with such textbooks for learning English is as follows: choose a set of books that matches your level of knowledge, and study it “from cover to cover”.
That is, go from the first unit to the last.
Benefits and Features of
The English File is one of the most popular textbooks in the world today. In our online English school, teachers tend to use EF materials when teaching students.
Why did we choose this textbook:
- Only contemporary topics relevant to real life.
- Most commonly used words and phrases by native speakers.
- Interesting texts and dialogues.
- Grammar is explained briefly and simply, constructions are used by native speakers in everyday communication. /
- Effective exercises for the development of oral speech.
English File is considered an easy to understand textbook for learning English, but this does not mean that it is "superficial". It's just that you don't have to delve into too complicated aspects of grammar or learn words that native speakers rarely use in everyday communication.
We recommend choosing EF for studying for those students who want to quickly “talk” in English. EF will teach you how to speak on any topic in modern English.
Textbook structure
The manual consists of 10-12 units, each of which is divided into several parts (sections may differ slightly in textbooks of different levels):
- 2-3 mini-lessons (files) - 1A, 1B, 1C and so on, each of which learns new words and phrases based on texts, dialogues and audio recordings, as well as new grammatical topics.
- Practical English / Colloquial English - a special section for improving conversational skills and listening comprehension. The authors offer colloquial phrases and useful expressions for learning that will help make your speech natural.
- Writing - a section in which you learn how to write letters, resumes, essays, etc.
- Revise&Check - a section for repeating the material of all parts of the unit.
Supplementary Materials
At the end of the manual are the texts of the audio recordings (Listening), exercises for the development of oral speech (Communication), a grammar guide (Grammar Bank) for each unit, additional exercises for expanding vocabulary (Vocabulary Bank), and table with reading rules (Sound Bank).
EF textbooks come with audio CDs and a dedicated iTutor app with additional exercises. You can complete the same tasks online at elt.oup.com. There are exercises for expanding vocabulary, practicing grammar, improving pronunciation, as well as tests, mini-games and other entertainment for each of the lessons of the textbook.
You will not find the answers to the exercises in textbooks. Therefore, if you want to receive an objective assessment of your knowledge, you should study either with an English teacher, or buy a book for the teacher (Teacher's book) with answers. :
Intermediate
Upper-Intermediate
Advanced
Authors :
- Jonathan Bygrave - Starter level.
- Diane Hall, Mark Foley - Elementary level.
- Araminta Crace - Pre-Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate levels.
- Rachael Roberts - Intermediate level.
- Antonia Clare, JJ Wilson - Advanced level.
Latest edition : 2nd edition 2012 - for all levels.
Benefits and features of the textbook
New Total English is a reissue of a series of popular Total English textbooks with additions and improvements.
The NTE series has the same benefits as the English File. However, the New Total English textbooks are slightly more complex than the above series, both in terms of grammar and vocabulary. Therefore, if you want to repeat the materials of an already completed EF course and deepen your knowledge, we advise you to opt for NTE.
Structure of the textbook
Any of the textbooks of the New Total English series includes 10-12 lessons (units). Their structure is similar to the structure of lessons in English File (sections may differ slightly in textbooks of different levels):
- 3 mini-lessons (1.1, 1.2, 1.3), in each of which you will find tasks for practicing grammar, text for reading and discussions, tasks for listening and pronunciation.
- Vocabulary - exercises for learning and practicing the use of new words and expressions.
- Communication - questions for discussion, tasks for the development of conversational speech.
- Writing bank - exercises in which you learn to write essays, resumes, business and personal letters.
- Reference - grammar rules with explanations, the theory from all 3 lessons is given and explained with examples.
- Review and practice - a review lesson, which is a test that checks how well you have learned the materials of the lessons you have completed.
Additional Resources
At the end of the manual there is a reference block containing information on pronunciation of English sounds (Pronunciation bank), materials for discussion in English (Communication activities), tips for writing various types of texts (Writing bank), and also texts for all audio recordings (Tapescripts). Answers to all exercises are in a separate teacher's book.
Each of the textbooks comes with a CD with audio recordings, from which you can learn useful expressions and phrases.
This English learning aid also has a nice addition in the form of an electronic application that allows you to learn words online. This is the Vocabtrainer site. To teach words here, you first need to register, then enter the book's ISBN (the 13-digit number on the back cover, starts with 978 or 979). After that, you will be able to work on the site. We advise you not to miss this opportunity: training will help you not only memorize new words well, but also learn the definitions for them in English.
Publisher : Pearson Longman (UK).
Authors : Frances Eales, JJ Wilson, Antonia Clare, Steve Oakes.
Latest edition : 2nd edition 2016 - for all levels.
Benefits and features of the textbook
The name of this English textbook speaks for itself: it is one of the best aids for overcoming the language barrier and developing fluent and competent oral speech.
It is in Speakout that the communicative approach is implemented in the best way: almost all exercises are somehow aimed at helping the student to speak English. Grammar and new words are studied in the process of communication on the topics proposed in the textbook.
The manual is published in close cooperation with the world famous BBC company. Therefore, interesting educational videos are attached to this manual in English. They are live interviews in English with ordinary people on the street, excerpts from films and TV shows. Also, the textbook uses articles from the BBC website, so you will receive only up-to-date knowledge.
Structure of the textbook
Each of the manuals includes 10 units, which in turn consist of the following parts (sections may differ slightly in textbooks of different levels):
- 2 mini-lessons are similar to the lessons in EF and NTE.
- Function is a practical English lesson where you learn useful conversational phrases.
- BBC mini-lesson - a lesson that includes an article from the BBC website, a video, and tasks for them.
- Lookback - review + interview podcast in which you will hear the natural English speech of ordinary people.
Additional materials
Reference materials, additional grammar exercises (Grammar practice) and materials for increasing vocabulary (Vocabulary bank) and developing speaking skills (Communication bank) are provided at the end of the textbook.
You can watch the video podcasts for all the Speakout tutorials here to get familiar with the authors submission form.
Advanced
Proficiency
Publisher : Express Publishing (UK).
Authors : Virginia Evans, Jenny Dooley.
Latest edition :
- 2008 - for Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced.
- 2005 - for Elementary and Beginner levels.
- 2004 - Pre-Intermediate.
Benefits and features of textbook
Upstream is one of the best English textbooks with a more in-depth curriculum than other textbooks.
Upstream textbooks contain more advanced vocabulary, reading and listening texts, and impressive grammar material.
Benefits of this English textbook:
- A rich learning program for in-depth study of the language.
- More complex vocabulary for the formation of a wide vocabulary.
- More volumes of materials on grammar.
- Tasks are similar to typical tasks in international English exams, they will help you prepare for the test.
Since Upstream is an advanced English language guide, in some cases it is recommended to take the textbook one level easier than you need. For example, if you were going to take an Intermediate course, you might try the Pre-Intermediate course in the Upstream series.
Despite the fact that we called this manual for learning English the most difficult of those presented in the review, it should be noted that knowledge is presented in an accessible form.
Grammar is presented clearly, you immediately consolidate the acquired knowledge with the help of the proposed exercises.
Structure of the textbook
All Upstream series textbooks consist of 10 units, which are divided into several parts (sections may differ slightly in textbooks of different levels):
- Lead-in (introduction to the lesson) - in it, the authors describe the topic of the entire lesson, provide a text from which useful words and expressions are to be learned.
- Vocabulary practice - exercises to practice the use of new words and expressions.
- Grammar in use - grammar exercises, the most impressive part of the unit.
- Listening/Speaking skills - tasks for listening and developing speaking skills.
- Writing - tasks for writing various types of written work, templates for formal and informal letters are provided.
Additional materials
At the end of the textbook you will find grammar reference information for each lesson (Grammar Reference), as well as additional materials, for example: a table of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs, etc.
In addition, texts for all audio recordings (Tapescripts) and a list of words that you should know after completing the tutorial (Word list).
The manual also contains tests to check the understanding of the material covered. They follow after every 2 lessons. There are no keys to the tests in the textbook, they are in the Teacher's book. If you are studying on your own, we strongly advise you to purchase a book for the teacher: it analyzes each exercise in detail, there are explanations for all tasks.
For each of the textbooks in the Upstream series, the authors have developed an additional booklet with tests (Test Booklet). You are supposed to take another test after every 2 units passed. We advise you to check your knowledge with this booklet, especially if you are studying on your own. So you can find out how well the material is absorbed and your skills develop, because each test has tasks for reading, vocabulary, grammar, listening, writing, knowledge of colloquial vocabulary.
Whatever English textbook you choose, the main thing is to study it regularly. However, we want to note that the presented training courses have one small drawback: the grammar is presented in them in a simplified way, so depending on your goals of learning the language, this set may not be enough for you. In this case, we recommend supplementing the selected English textbook with one of the grammar textbooks presented in our review. In addition, for the development of speaking skills, you can additionally choose an English textbook for the development of oral speech from our detailed review.
Do you think it is possible to learn English without textbooks? Then we recommend reading the article “English without textbooks: pros and cons”, in which we talked about the benefits of using teaching aids and explained who can learn the language without them.
And if you want to quickly overcome the language barrier and understand grammatical constructions, we suggest enrolling in a general conversational English course via Skype at our school.
