English the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language & Culture in the U.S. w/Audio CD & MP3 (English as a Second Language Series)

What a dismal task it must be for non-English speakers to choose from a dizzying array of unremittingly boring (and thus inevitably ineffective) guides to an alien language already difficult to grasp, set in a culture that---while somewhat familiar through popular music and film---is as foreign to those would-be students as the dark side of the moon. But the clever authors of "English the American Way" have wisely steered clear of that brain-numbing swamp of stilted dialogue and rote rules of grammar, employing instead a method and structure that are engaging, humorous, topical, and yes, lots of "FUN"! Dollops of American culture are served up in a delightful and enjoyable stew of real "street" dialogue, bits of important grammar, dialogues set in realistic social situations, vocabulary effectively but not excessively repeated for comprehension, and clever discussions of those all-important idiomatic expressions. The authors provide honest and often downright funny explanations of how Americans communicate through their own unique brand of English. Highly recommended for ESL instructors but especially for all those eager-to-learn folks abroad (and here at home, too) for whom, after all, the book was so thoughtfully and affectionately written. If you are looking for an English-as-second-language guide that will delight and teach without condescending to you or "boring you to tears" (that is, making you cry because it is so frustratingly painful to read), then this is THE guide for you. You will really learn a lot---and have FUN doing it. Enjoy!

English the American Way is exactly what the subtitle promises: a FUN ESL guide to Language and Culture in the U.S. The authors clearly enjoy their subject matter, and their classes must be excellent as well. The dialogues are witty and in real-life language, designed to smooth out bumpy areas in daily discourse. I work at a parish church that is 50/50 English/Spanish, where children are embracing English rapidly, but sometimes are called upon to interpret for their parents. This book would be a great tool for families as well as classes--the dialogues won't sound forced to the kids, and the families can have fun together improving their grasp of idiomatic American English. Many of the Spanish-speaking adults I work with are unsure of themselves in English (though their English is always far better than my Spanish!), and have trouble finding time for classes. This book would be a great resource for people to start to learn on their own, and have a really good time doing it. I also appreciate the effort taken to explain certain idioms and structures (why "I'll" is pronounced eye-ll and not ill, for example; or why "hanging around" doesn't literally mean hanging from rafters)--it's given me a greater love for my own native tongue (and a real sense of its complexity for those coming to the language for the first time). I love this book, and am recommending it to people in my parish and in the social service agencies around town. It's a real gift to the ESL canon!

This book is great for our students. Although they get grammar and vocabulary practice in class, the dialogues are very good at putting the language of everyday life into the American cultural context, colloquial speech included. They get better exposure to English as they will actually hear it. The CD lets them listen to the dialogues at home to practice their listening skills. Although we've just started using the book, I'm pleased with how it's going. I'm looking forward to progressing through it in the coming months. I view this book as more of a supplemental resource for our students since it assumes a working knowledge of basic English. That working knowledge is what our classes are developing. It would not be appropriate for true beginners. After three semesters of our once-a-week class, I find our students are ready to start with the book, albeit moving slowly at first. If you are working with English learners at an intermediate level, I would recommend you take a look at this book. Whether or not you use it as your primary resource, I think you'll find it's useful. Overall, it's a good value considering it includes the CD with the book.

This is a great book for helping non-native English speakers sound more native. I use the book to tutor Chinese people that already have an intermediate level of English ability. Many ESL folks think that the way to sound more native is to add more words to their vocabulary, the intent of teaching from this book is to focus on allowing them to communicate more like the native American English speakers do. You do this by understanding more of the idiosyncrasies in how we contract words or pronounce them a little differently than it's spelled. The book is chock full of well thought out dialogue that exposes new vocabulary that is useful for common situations (transportation scenarios in the big city, meeting old friends or new neighbors across the street for instance). Each dialogue is followed by tips and more detailed explanation of new concepts introduced in the dialogue.

I use this book as a reward after doing that "boring grammar and vocabulary." I call it the FUN BOOK. It is practical and the CD has clear, fast-paced audio of the written dialogues, which have all the idioms and jargon in normal speech. In the dialogues and other text, vocabulary words are in bold font, so the student can look ahead a half-page or so to see the word. The vocabulary has brief "meanings" rather than stilted definitions. The book is peppered with culture tips that are brief but effective. All in all an advanced but excellent book / CD combination.

Auch hier nützlich für Selbstlerner, die nicht von Internet Sprachkursen genervt werden wollen und die Sprache schon kennen, aber im amerikanischen Gebrauch noch Hilfe brauchen

If you are well versed in english taught in india and have been to the US even for a vacation or watch a lot of american tv shows and movies, this book has little to offer to you. You would only learn the difference between american and british english for daily use. It is a fun read though.. If you are not that good with enlish to begin with and have always had problem to understand what they are saying in tv shows and movies, this will help you a lot.. I brought it for my mom she was very happy with it. This is the first english speaking book i have actually seen her read consistently..

Buen libro, con ejemplos prácticos sobre el uso del idioma. Es nivel básico inicial.

O livro não vai a fundo na gramática mas dá uma "pincelada" para relembrar, caso você não tenha um conhecimento médio de inglês não compensa, porém se você tiver um conhecimento médio, vale a pena pois ele trás varias dicas de conversação com os termos atuais/casuais, além de varias dicas do comportamento americano. Pelos motivos acima recomendo, também comprei o Celebrate the american way, mas ainda não usei.

I purchased this book (with the CD) to provide realistic listening material for my private English students. Numerous topics have been covered and the recordings have been done professionally. The language in the dialogues is very realistic. I recommend this book and CD to English teachers working with intermediate speakers of English as a second or foreign language. It is far too advanced for beginners.