Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts

Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Book review: Mastering American English by Grant Taylor

Mastering American English


Title : Mastering American English
Author : Grant Taylor
Place of Publication : New York
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Book Company
Date of Publication : 1956
Number of Pages : 226
ISBN : 0070629420




Introduction 
Mastering American English is a comprehensive exercise book for use with adult students at the intermediate and advanced levels of language learning.

Purpose
The purpose of the book is to help students in studying English grammar without the aid of a teacher.

Content
The book does not cover the entire grammar and structure of language, but it just deal with the major features. The book consists two sections, each on grammatical topic. Special attention is given to those points which are often a problem for learners.
  1. Intermediate Section
This section gives an effective and concise review of the fundamental language materials. It includes tenses such as present tense, past tense, and future tense. There are also possessive forms; order and request; irregular verbs; question words; expression of place and time; word order, and so on.
  1.  Advanced Section
This section gives extensive practice with those more complex features of English. It includes tenses, adjectives and adverbs; passive verbs; expression of  advisability and necessity; gerund and infinitive; clauses; connecting words; direct and indirect speech; conditional sentences; word order; prepositions, and so on.

Evaluation
  • The book is understandable, easy to follow, and useful for both students and teachers.
  • The book is complete with exercises, but there is no explanation in it.
  • Types of the exercises includes fill in the blank space (close), make statements/sentences, answer questions, matching, finding a location on the map, and reading passage.
  • The exercises are given from easy to difficult. In my opinion, it is a good way to guide the readers in learning a topic.
  • The answer key in the end of page can be used to check the reader’s ability if they are doing well in exercise or not.
  • I think the writers has done the work well by put them into the book.
 Interpretation
An example can help the readers to understand the material easily.
And a picture can interest the readers to imagine what happen in the story.
But they are not given at all in the exercise. Some of them are included, some of them are not.
It will be better if each exercise is completed with a picture and an example in it.

Summary
For all, it is good enough to get this book and find all the information out of the book.
This book can help you in improving your skill and increase your knowledge about grammar.
It will be useful to guide you in writing anything correctly.
It may be happen someday when you must write an essay, a report, or a final project for your study.

Book review: Noun Phrases A set of comprehensive facts and some theoretical tendencies by Dr. Jumanto

Noun Phrases
"A set of comprehensive facts and some theoretical tendencies"


Title: Noun Phrases "A set of comprehensive facts and some theoretical tendencies"
Author: Dr. Jumanto
Year of publication: 2008
City : Semarang
Publisher: WorldPro Publishing
Number of pages: 119 pages








Introduction
The book entitled Noun Phrase by Dr.Jumanto is a book contains the description of English and Indonesian noun phrases and of how the two differ from each other, the content of which is based on the results of contrastive analysis between the NPs of the two languages.
The book is intended to be some supplementary material for classes of General Linguistics, Syntax, Structure, and Translation at language colleges.

The purpose
The purpose of the book is the readers are able to understand, analyze the use of, the principles in, the differences between English and Indonesian NPs, and how they are formed and applied in linguistics study.

Whom this book is for?
This book is very beneficial to be used by:
  • College students learning English, especially those in the classes of General Linguistics, Syntax, Structure, and Translation at language colleges.
  • English teachers of high schools, especially those in need of clear description of English NPs.
  • Authors, especially those who are writing English text-books.
  • English native speakers who are trying to learn Bahasa Indonesia.
  • Linguists
 Content
Part 1 English and Indonesian Noun Phrase
  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
  • Chapter 2 – English Noun Phrases
  • Chapter 3 – Indonesian Noun Phrases
  • Chapter 4 – English and Indonesian Noun Phrases
Part 2 A test of Comprehensive Facts and Theoretical Tendencies
  • Chapter 5 – A set of comprehensive facts
  • Chapter 6 – Theoretical Tendencies
Evaluation
  • Understandable
The book simplifies our understanding about English and Indonesian noun phrases. There are no such difficult words that can be found in this book. The book also provides a brief explanation about NPs
  • Complete
This book provides so many examples and details of NPs. Begin with the function of NPs in a sentence, the structure of NPs, and the kinds of NPs.
  • Informative
It contains knowledge and insight in understanding English (Indonesian as well), especially the formation of the noun phrases.

Interpretation
  1. The writer in this book uses academic and scientific style.
  2. The materials are delivered not only in English (96%) but also in Indonesian (4%).
  3. The writer explains the materials by giving theories and comparing the applied examples in both languages. This is meant to enable the readers to understand the content quicker and well.
  4. The writer provides the content with a lot of examples and details, by visualizing words, phrases, clauses, and sentences comparison. Each of the details is explained in many forms such as table, diagram, etc.
Summary
The book explains about the differences between English and Indonesian NPs. For example, It is stated that the differences between English and Indonesian NPs are in their structures. In English NPs, the modifier precedes the head. Whereas in Indonesian NPs, the head usually precedes the modifier.
Example: English NP – beautiful house
         Indonesian NP – rumah indah
The author even provide some suggestions for English teachers in learning those phrases.

Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Book review: How to Teach Speaking by Scott Thornburry

HOW TO TEACH SPEAKING

 
Written by : Scott Thornburry
Series Editor : Jeremy Harmer
Year : 2005
City : London
Publisher : Pearson Longman
Country : England




What Is the Book About?
This book is about looking at speaking learning with easy way and understandable perspective : what is it that good teachers can do? And what is it that good teachers  know?

Who is this book for?
It has been designed for all teachers who wish to improve their knowledge and develop their classroom skills in speaking aspect.

The Purposes:
  1. To help the students (with teachers illustrasion) to become fluency.
  2. As a good guidance for teacher to teach in speaking area.
  3. Emphasize the teachers to be more critically and are able to face and understanding their each students` ability, well.
  4. This book is to convey information and facilitate the interpersonal function.
Content:
  1. What speakers do
  2. What speakers know
  3. Speaking in another language
  4. Awareness-raising activities
  5. Appropriation activities
  6. Towards autonomy
  7. Planning and assessing speaking
Evaluation:
  • The Strength

Simple, Easy to follow, and unserstandable.
The analysis is clear and accessible without being simplistic and be of particular use to pre-service teachers.
  • The Weakness

Weakness is lack of practical activities for the classroom (there are some but more is much better.

Intrepretation:
This book is an excellent overview of key concept in thie field , as well a grat source for ideas to help teachers put these concepts into actions. This book is also compact, so even a busy teacher can use it, or even read it prat per part.
Moreover, it is able to change the students paradigm, mental and phsycological proccess that English is hard so, it can be implicated in speaking area.

Summary:
Accordingly, in chapter 1 and 2 we start by looking at what skill spakers can do before looking at what they know. Chapter 3 addresses the problems faced by speakers of another language and maps out the number of priorities of teaching speaking. Chapter 4,5,6  deal with three passages of a general approach to skil development : awareness, rising, appropriation, and autonomy. Chapter 7 are able to look at ways that speaking can be integrated into the language curriculum.

Baca Juga:

Book review: Speaking Naturally "Communication Skills in American English" by Bruce Tillitt, Mary Newton Bruder

Speaking Naturally

Communication Skills in American English



cambridge.org

   Tittle:  Speaking Naturally "Communication Skills in American English"
   Authors: Bruce Tillitt, Mary Newton Bruder
   English Type: American English
   Format: Paperback | 128 pages
   ISBN: 9780521271301
   Date Published: January 1985
   Publisher: Cambridge University Press







Contents:
Acknowledgments
To the teacher
To the student
Openings and Closings
Introductions and address systems
Invitations
Thanking people and replying to thanks
Apologizing
Expressing anger and resolving conflict
Giving compliments and replying compliments
Getting people’s attention and interrupting
Agreeing and disagreeing
Controlling conversation
Getting Information

Introduction:
Speaking Naturally, written by Bruce Tillitt and Mary Newton Bruder, is designed to teach students how to perform certain language functions in English by presenting the social rules for language use. It is appropriate with ESL/EFL curriculum design and pedagogy that stress the importance of teaching communicative strategies and the use of language.

Analysis:
It provides the differences between informal and formal speech:
In English we tend to use formal speech with strangers and people of higher status, and informal speech with family, friends and colleagues. The level of formality speakers choose depends upon their relationship, setting, the topic being discussed etc.

Analysis:
This book performs step-by-step materials and exercises.
  • Material:

Dialogues and Discussion
Reading
Phrases
  • Exercise by small group practice:

Using what you’ve learned
Cued Dialogues
Mini Roleplays

Evaluation:
  • Easy to follow

This book is easy to follow because it uses well-known words that very common by the reader. The conversations are well constructed.
  • Complete

Speaking Naturally contains many kinds of phrases that is used in daily conversations especially in American English and also the level of formality.
  • Useful

This book is very proper to intermediate and high intermediate ESL/EFL who are interested in using English in social interaction.

Summary:
Speaking Naturally helps students learn to make appropriate linguistic choices in a variety of real- life situations. Each unit focuses on a language function such as requesting information, thanking, complimenting, and inviting, while readings explain the cultural rules students need to know to communicate naturally and effectively.

Baca Juga:

Friday, 8 December 2017

BOOK REPORT AND REVIEW: LET’S COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH (A Speaking Course for Intermediate Level) Written by: Prof. Dra. Kasihani K.E. Suyanto, M.A.,Ph.D and Dra. Sri Rachmajanti, Di. TESL, M.Pd

BOOK REPORT AND REVIEW

LET’S COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH
(A Speaking Course for Intermediate Level)
Written by:
Prof. Dra. Kasihani K.E. Suyanto, M.A.,Ph.D
Dra. Sri Rachmajanti, Di. TESL, M.Pd
Year: 2013
City: Malang
Publisher: Bayumedia Publishing

Let’s communicate in English is designed to enable the students at the intermediate level to become active, responsive, and resourceful participants of various roles in the debate of pre-arranged topics. It is also designed to enable the students to express their ideas spontaneously in a group discussion and in the other activities such as storytelling, role-playing, reporting, and public speaking etc. The topics of the units are well selected for these communicative activities.
This course book consists of ten units, each of which is commonly preceded by an introduction of language functions ad followed by some practice. In unit 1 and unit 4, students are supposed to read some ideas on group discussion and debate. Prior to practice, they can talk about the ideas orally in a class discussion. The last unit, unit 10 contains various communicative tasks functioning as a review of previous speaking materials in Let’s Communicating in English, Book 1. Each unit is preceded by a specific instructional objective.
This book is about how the learners can speak in English actively. This book has ten units that contains about the materials, practices, and pictures how to speak in many activities. Each unit has its expertise in improving speaking skill. After finishing Unit 1, Group Discussion, the learners will be able to give opinions on a certain problem and clarify a problem for a solution. Unit 2, Problem Page, the learners will be able to give solution to some daily problems and prepare a certain problem to be solved by others. Unit 3, Record Work and Some Ways of Learning English, learners will be able to report the information you have obtained from an interview and use some wh-questions and yes/no questions. Unit 4, Debating, the learners will be able to: put forward your arguments on a particular topic and give responses using appropriate expressions for a debate. Unit 5, The Job Interview, the learners will be able to give responses on questions related to a particular job and ask questions about particular items related to a job. Unit 6, Language Games and Songs, you will be able to use some language functions in language games and sing some English songs. Unit 7, Meeting and Small Talk, the learners will be able to give your opinion on the topic of the meeting and have a social talk with the participants of a meeting. Unit 8, Describing Organizations, the learners will be able to provide a description or picture of the organization structure of bank/company/school/office/particular organizations and use some particular expressions used in describing an organization chart. Unit 9, Public Speaking, you will be able to ask questions referring to any public speaking and end up a speech using appropriate expressions. Unit 10, Panel Discussion, the learners will be able to use some particular language function to be used in panel discussion and express your ideas on a particular topic in the panel discussion. Unit 11, Miscellaneous Activities, you will be able to carry out many communicative tasks with various language functions.
After reading this book, Let’s Communicate in English, we can find many activities that will improve our speaking skill. It is because actually this book emphasize in speaking skill as the main purpose of this book itself. By learning this book, it will increase the activeness of students. Students will have many experiences of speaking activities like discussion, debate, public speaking, etc. This book contains little materials and many practices. It will be more effective for students than just give the material. So, the learning process between students and teacher will be more communicative.
Let’s Communicate in English is a good book as a lesson book for communicating in English that tended for intermediate level. It is proper to be applied in Indonesian education to build active, responsive, and resourceful students in many topics in English speaking. This book is also very useful for students to express their ideas spontaneously in a group discussion and other activities in English speaking. The topics of the units are well selected for these communicative activities that can be applied in daily life. Each unit of this book is preceded by a specific instructional objective. The strength of this book is this book provides less material and more exercise each of unit in specific instructional objective and provides the specific purpose of each unit. The weakness of this book is this book does not provide many materials and theory, so the learners will have less material to be learned, unless the teachers explain it.
After reading and reviewing this book, we recommend you to read this book because this book is very simple and very effective to improve the students speaking skill well. The purpose of each unit also provides clearly on this book. Thus, the purpose of learning process can be reach specifically. So, if you want to be a teacher, this book is very proper for you as hand book to teach more active and communicative. 

Baca Juga:
  1. Noun Phrases A set of comprehensive facts and some theoretical tendencies by Dr. Jumanto
  2. How to Teach Speaking by Scott Thornburry
  3. Speaking Naturally "Communication Skills in American English" by Bruce Tillitt, Mary Newton Bruder
  4. Mastering American English by Grant Taylor
  5. “TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING (SECOND EDITION)” By DIANE LARSEN-FREEMAN

BOOK REPORT AND REVIEW: “TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING (SECOND EDITION)” By DIANE LARSEN-FREEMAN

BOOK REPORT AND REVIEW

A PAPER DICUSSING A REPORT AND REVIEW OF BOOK ENTITLED
“TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING (SECOND EDITION)”
By
 DIANE LARSEN-FREEMAN

Compiled By:
                                                             Name : Dede Purnomo
                                                             NIM : 2201413097
                                                             Class/ Rombel : 103/06

Lecturer: Mr. Djoko Sutopo, Msi




ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
STATE UNIVERSITY OF SEMARANG




Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (Second Edition)
Written by: Diane Larsen-Freeman
Year: 2000
City: New York
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0194355748
slideshare.net
TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING (SECOND EDITION)

As the introduction, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching is a kind of ways how we can teach language well in class. We can learn about how we know the theories in teaching language, especially English well based on the theories that have been provided. We also know what the principles in teaching language well. So it is very useful and helpful for us, especially for the teacher to be in improving our teaching skill, especially in English.
The purposes or the goals of this book are: One of the goals of this book is for you to learn about many different language teaching methods. I will use the term ‘language teaching method’ to mean a coherent set of links between actions and thoughts in language teaching. The actions are the techniques and the thoughts are the principles in the title of this book: Technique and Principles in Language Teaching. A second goal is to help you uncover the thoughts that guide your own actions as a teacher. They may not be ones of which you are aware. Seeking to determine which principles of the methods of you read about here are most (dis)harmonious with your own thinking will help you to uncover some of your implicit thoughts and beliefs about teaching. A third goal is to introduce you to a variety of techniques, some of which will be new. Although certain techniques may require further training, others can be immediately implemented. Feel free to experiment and adapt those techniques to your teaching context.  
There are 12 (twelve) units on this book. The units are about the method of teaching English. The contents of this book are: Acknowledgment; To the Teacher Educator; 1 Introduction; 2 The Grammar-Translation Method; 3 The Direct Method; 4 The Audio-Lingual Method; 5 The Silent Way; 6 Desuggestopedia; 7 Community Language Learning; 8 Total Physical Response; 9 Communicative Language Teaching; 10 Content-based, Task-based, and Participatory Approaches; 11 Learning Strategy Training, Cooperative Learning, and Multiple Intelligences; 12 Conclusion; Appendix. The content of each unit are: Introduction, Experience, Thinking about the experience, Reviewing the principles, Reviewing the techniques, Conclusion, Activities, References and Additional Resources. This is a complete book and a good guidance book for the readers.
This book is very useful for Students who want to be a teacher because this book provides the material of techniques and principles in language teaching. It can be a preparation for students as guidance. This book also can be references to write final project, thesis, journal, etc. This book is also very useful for teachers because the material of this book is proper to be applied in language teaching during the class, the techniques and methods of teaching language.
As the evaluation, the Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching book is very good book to be a reference for students and teachers. Students can learn effectively about techniques and principles in language teaching, especially English. This book has strengths that very useful for readers to be read, but this book also has weaknesses that we can find as our evaluation. The strengths of this book are: (1) This book is very useful and has specific goals that it can be the readers’ standard to measure have they reached the purposes of book or have not yet, (2) This book is complete. This book provides 10 methods of teaching that very important for students and teacher to be applied in teaching process. Every unit also provides complete parts: Introduction, Experience, Thinking about the experience, Reviewing the principles, Reviewing the techniques, Conclusion, Activities, References and Additional Resources, (3) The content of this book is easy to be understood. Every unit in every method of teaching provides the experiences that can be read by readers and can be applied in teaching and explains the specific points of each method, (4) This book provides exact references, even in each unit the references are provided. So, it can be good references too for students or students to study more. It also can be references for students or teachers in compiling final project, thesis, journal, etc. The weaknesses of this book are (1) This book does not provide many pictures as illustrations, just some. So, it will not be too interesting for readers, especially for beginner because picture also has effect to explain the content of the book visually, (2) This book does not provide many exercises, just some. Exercises have role to know the readers’ understanding about the book. If the book lack of exercises, so the readers’ understanding cannot be measured specifically.  
As the interpretation, the Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Book is a useful book. We can find many methods of teaching language that will improve our teaching skill. It is because actually this book emphasize in teaching methods of teaching language as the main purpose of this book itself. By learning this book, it will increase the criticism of students as the teacher to be and the teachers themselves in organizing the class during the learning process. Students and teachers will have many experiences of teaching activities with variety ways of teaching like using The Grammar-Translation Method. In this method, vocabulary and grammar are emphasized. Reading and writing are the primary skills that the students work on. These are much less attention given to speaking in listening. The most of interaction in the class room is from teacher to the students and little interaction students to students. If the students do mistakes, the students will correct it. Students are emphasized in memorizing like vocabulary, synonym, antonym, and grammar, and students have to translate passage into other language. Then, The Audio-Lingual Method. Using this method, it is expected that the students to be able to use the target language communicatively. There is student to student interaction in chain drills or when students take different roles in dialogs, but this interaction is teacher-directed. So, using this method will make the students communicative actively. In this method, the memorization is also emphasized, etc. Each method on this book has its strengths and weaknesses in technique of teaching language. So, this book is very useful book.
As the conclusion, The Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching book is a proper book as a lesson and a guidance book for students as teachers to be and for teachers themselves. It is proper to be applied in Indonesian education to be good references in teaching language in variety of methods and techniques. This book is also very useful for students as teachers to be and teachers to uplift the criticism ways of teaching language with different ways and methods. This book provides many references that can be used for compiling final project, thesis, journal, etc, even each unit. Each unit of this book provides points that be explained in detail. Although there are some weakness of this book, but there are also many strengths of this book that make this book interesting to be read.  After learning these methods we know that in teaching language is not easy, it is need effort to master the method proper with the theories and principles that have been provided. So, it can be concluded that learning theories and principles in language teaching is very important for teachers to be and teacher themselves. It will improve the teaching skill in language well.
As the recommendation, after reading and reviewing this book, it is recommended for you to read this book because this book is very effective to improve the teaching skill well. The purposes of this book also can be afforded to be reached. Thus, the purpose of teaching process can be reached specifically. So, if you want to be a teacher or you are a teacher, this book is very proper for you as a guidance to teach more creative with variety ways of teaching, methods, and techniques that have been provided.

Baca Juga:

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