Great Ideas Student's book: Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English [Paperback]

Leo Jones (Author), Victoria Kimbrough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1987 | ISBN-10: 0521312426 | ISBN-13: 978-0521312424

Great Ideas is a unique collection of absorbing and enjoyable fluency practice activities designed to improve listening and speaking abilities. The Student's Book includes such engaging topics as entertainment, current events, employment, strange phenomena, the future, and advertising. Photographs, advertisements, maps, drawings, cartoons, and excerpts from magazines and newspapers help stimulate the exchange. Specially designed communication activities motivate students to share information by providing each student with some information that another student does not have.

Editorial Reviews

Review

' ... Great Ideas remains faithful to its title. The listening and speaking activities provide plenty to talk about, covering a wide range of topics to suit a diversity of interest. Moreover, the text is enjoyable to use - both for students and teachers.' The Language Teacher

Book Description

The Student's Book includes such engaging topics as entertainment, current events, employment, strange phenomena, the future, and advertising. Photographs, advertisements, maps, drawings, cartoons, and excerpts from magazines and newspapers help stimulate the exchange. Specially designed communication activities motivate students to share information by providing each student with some information that another student does not have.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (August 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521312426
• ISBN-13: 978-0521312424
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #824,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Geared more toward adults, September 30, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Ideas Audio Cassette: Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English (Audio Cassette)

I bought this book to teach to high level middle and high school students of English in Korea. The topics are really focused more toward adult learners of English, and some of the themes are somewhat outdated (i.e. a speaker going to a Tina Turner concert). Also, for teaching students in another country (such as Korea) some of these references are totally lost. I see the potential in the book, but it won't work for my students.

Also, notice that the book and cassette are sold separately and are pricey when combined.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY, a great resource of ESL teachers out there!, July 25, 2001

By 

Esther Ortiz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Ideas Teacher's manual: Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English (Paperback)

This book and audiotape has been one of the most useful resources I've encountered thus far. The activities are very realistic in that they are the kinds of events and situations that ESL learners will encounter in the real world. I especially like the audiotape because the authors chose to use speakers that are very "normal" unlike other audiotapes where the speakers have a robotic tone to their voices. And, the speakers are involved in natural conversations. I also like that the authors chose to use speakers with other accents which again, are real-life people that ESL learners will encounter. As an adult ESL teacher I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching English - Easy Reading, June 8, 2009

By 

cafank "Chez" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Ideas Teacher's manual: Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English (Paperback)

This is a great book to add to your teaching library. At first I wasn't sure but it has lots of great ideas and suggestions. I have used it for all ages and have developed some great lesson plans. Many of the ideas are old and tried but easy to adapt.