Publisher: Pro Lingua Associates
The purpose of this book is to develop the skills of reading, critical thinking, and discussing, which are essential skills in academia and the workplace.
The lessons also offer an opportunity to develop the learner’s vocabulary and to gain additional insights into contemporary American culture.
This photocopiable collection of “lessons,” is intended for high-intermediate and advanced learners of English. It is particularly valuable for learners in college preparation or other intensive English programs. The “lessons” are selected from one person’s journal of observations on events and people in contemporary daily life, and his conclusions on the meaning and significance of his observations. Most of his observations focus on everyday aspects of contemporary American life.
Part One of the book includes 94 of the author’s observations, and Part Two includes his conclusions. The challenge to the learners is to read the brief observation, think about what can be learned from the observation, and then discuss their conclusions with classmates.
Then, ultimately, after discussing their own conclusions, the learners can compare their conclusions with the author’s in the second part of the book. This process strengthens both the learners’ language and academic skills.
In Part Two, in addition to the author’s conclusions, there are brief cultural notes and potential lexical challenges for each lesson. These notes and challenges may be useful for preparing for the lesson and/or summarizing the entire activity.
