The text is Grammar Sense by Cheryl Pavlik. (2004), published by Oxford UP. 480 pp. 23 chapters in 9 units. Book 2 of a series.
This book is intended to be used for adult education according to the Oxford UP website. It is best suited for students operating on WIDA level 3 (Developing). It comes with a CD-ROM containing supplemental lessons and audio files. There is no online component.
The topics seem geared to a younger audience than the adults that the books website claim it is for, although there are some areas (one chapter contains a unit on the 1960s) which fit the age group. Chapters are arranged by grammatical lessons, not themes. A chapter may follow a theme briefly, switch to a new theme, followed by a series of exercises following no theme at all. Because the content is grammar, content and language instruction are one and the same. Evaluation and assessment are handled with regular exercises throughout each chapter.
Reading is the primary language skill used, although the exercises also use the CD-ROM extensively to practice listening skills as well. The most-used language function is determining facts, through the use of exercises such as true-or-false questions after a reading passage, or making judgments of fact or opinion, such as describing scenes depicted in illustrations. Grammar is presented in a variety of ways, including exercises involving filling in the blanks on charts conjugating verbs in sentences. New vocabulary is not introduced except as it relates to a given lesson, for example, an exercise using the phrase “used to.”
he exercises are presented in a logical order in relation to each other, but not in relation to any kind of overarching theme. For example, chapter 4, The Simple Past Tense, begins with a series of exercises about verb forms, then about their meaning and use, first in relation to a theme about the 1960s, then about the Wright brothers, and then a loose series of exercises without any theme. There seems to be little to no scaffolding done outside the book's own lessons – at no point did the book call on students to use their own knowledge or experiences in any noticeable way. Some exercises require listening skills from the CD-ROM to complement the reading exercises, which does take into account different learning styles. Some exercises do encourage hands-on activities, requiring students to engage in scripted conversations with each other using lessons from the chapter, but more such opportunities are needed. There doesn't seem to be any accommodation for learners of different levels of proficiency.
The book does provide some illustrations to build some background – a section on Iceland included a map of the country, and the section on the 1960s included a photo of a peace march, but not nearly enough illustrations were used. In one 20 page chapter, a total of 6 illustrations were used, not including an exercise which asked learners to describe events depicted in hand-drawn pictures.
I was disappointed in the presentation of this book. Although it would be a serviceable grammar book for a mainstream English class, it simply does not take into account the needs of ESL students. I would insure that the lessons were more strongly linked to themes, and not abandon those themes halfway through each chapter. I would also provide more hands-on activities which allowed students to use their own real-life experiences as a starting point for learning the lessons in each unit. I would also add more variety to the lessons to take into account multiple intelligences and learning styles, as well as suggestions for students at lower proficiency levels. Lastly, I would include more illustrations and realia to put content in context so students have a better idea what they are discussing.
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