Just Listening and Speaking
is organized with 18 units of Listening, each with two authentic or
"semi-authentic" passages on the accompanying CD. There are a variety
of tasks: gap fill, charts, True/False, matching, as well as comprehension
questions, vocabulary work and an
occasional follow-up writing task. The answer key is included. The
Speaking section is divided into 4 parts and relies heavily on listening,
repeating, recording and comparing. The big plus is the variety of
speaking exercises the authors have included. From news reports and
answering machine messages to interviews and presentations, students have
the opportunity to practice
speaking in a meaningful way, even if they are studying on their
own. Especially good for those students who really want to work on perfecting their
skills outside the classroom. They are well designed for self-study and
could easily be used to supplement any main course text, including, naturally, the Just Right
course. They are a welcome addition to my bookshelf for those students who
say "Can you give me something extra?"