Customer Reviews

Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL(R) Test: Next Generation (iBT) with CD-ROM and Answer Key

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Although the Longman iBT TOEFL preparation book is generally well done, its main feature is one of the most deceptive sales practices I have ever seen in a textbook.

When you buy the book,it comes with a well done CD-ROM (although it was defective in two out of five of my student's book packages) and notes rather casually on Page xiii: "The recording program that can be purchased to accompany this book includes all the recorded materials from the Listening, Writing and Speaking sections and the Mini-Tests and Complete Tests."

In Clearspeak: In order for the textbook to be used in three of the four exam sections (Reading excepted), you have to buy a set of eight Audio CDs or cassettes which cost more than the book/ CD-ROM combo! In other words, when purchased, the book is essentially useless (The CD-ROM has separate material and can be used as a stand-alone,)

In Switzerland, we pay $75.00 for the book and then have to pay another $86.00 to use it! I cite Longman in my business English classes as a perfect example of odious business practice. I and my students were outraged when we discovered this little game.

It's a waste of money and time. You can only use the reading section of the book. For the listening part, for example, the book contains only the questions, but not the conversations related to them, so the questions are not usable. To use the other sections in the book, you need another audio series which is NOT available in the market. Also the audio series you need is NOT mentioned buy the publisher. They give a cd with the book but it doesn't match with any section in the book, so many sections in the book are not usable. I tried to contact the publisher but they didn't even respond. As a result, this book is waste of money.

The Longman Prep Course for TOEFL book is definitely first-rate.

The questions it contains are challenging, the structure makes sense, and it provides great strategies for test takers.

For each section of the iBT TOEFL (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing), it gives a list of specific skills that are being looked for in certain questions. This book lets students discover which skills they need to work on and also provides instruction and practice in those specific areas.

UNFORTUNATELY--and there's a reason I put that in caps--most of the questions and drill sets in the book need to be accompanied by AUDIO. This is especially evident in the listening section, but it's also necessary for the integrated components of the speaking and writing sections.

Guess what? The audio cd's (or tapes) are not included in this high-priced bundle (you know, the 'Next Generation (iBT) with CD-ROM and Answer Key'). Be forewarned. The CD-ROM does not include audio tracks for most of the drill work presented in the book!

(On its own, the CD-ROM IS a very valuable resource, but it's ultimately meant to supplement the material in the book.)

What does this mean?

Well, the scripts are provided in the back of the book. So, if you have a lot of altruistic, perfect-English-speaking friends with infinite free-time, you might be able to spend a few days making the tapes yourselves, and then you could use them to do the bulk of the activities in the book.

If not, you'd have to go track down the audio program--hopefully Amazon will be aware of it--and fork over an even bigger chunk of change for 6 audio tapes or cd's. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the cd's were all sold out, which means that my wife is subjected to the comparative incovenience of tapes and denied the possibility of using my computer to listen to the audio tracks.

Hmph.

Anyway, the material looks top-notch, so I bought the audio, and hopefully those clunky tapes will be arriving in a few days. When you factor in the shipping, I will have paid well more than I originally expected for this Longman setup.

Still, I feel confident that the cost will be worth it. That's why I only took off one star.

The price for the book is not bad, but it doesnt become complete book unless accompanied with Audio CD, so the total price of book would become around $110 which is very very expensive.
The author should have included audio cd with the book.

Again as Title, the book is really good, but we could not get Audio CD for this book.

Until I got the book , I found I need Audio CD too, this information should be told first before I make decision.

I try to contact with Longman hope to get Audio CD from them, but I am in Canada, they don't ship outside US.

Then I try to contact with Longman's training certer in Canada Local Office, they said they don't sell to individual.... Let me find it in book store, I don't like their services at all !!!

But I have to use this book, it's good after all.

I bought this book 5 weeks ago. It is not so bad, but there is a problem. There is no Audio CD, only CD-ROM which doesn't cooperate with book . Therefore you will not have the listening part .

I think that this book is useless without audio cds (except for reading section).
I'm Italian student; i would like audio cds, but it seems impossible to get them (because i live in Italy; in Pearson site the shipping is only to US addresses).

How can i get them????
I hope amazon sells cds soon!

Hello,everybody.I went through hell for those CDs.I hate it that they are not sold with the textbook.And it took me a week to find a way to buy them.Every bookstore I tried either didn't have them at all or were sold out.So for everybody searching for those Cds you can call the publishers and order with them.The number is 1 800 428 5331.Another weird thing.On the back cover of the textbook it says that there are 8 Cds,and i just hang up with the publishers,they've told me that the CDs are 6.Good luck to everybody.

P.S I got the CDs.They ARE 8,so i guess they made a mistake on the phone.

i am not able to pratice martirals that inside this book. it doesn't provide audio CD's and no place sell this item.Is anyone know where can i get it.

What a disappointment! This otherwise excellent book, is marred by not including the audio casettes or Cd's. To improve one's ability in listening and speaking , one must listen and imitate a variety of authentic native speakers!

The book should be sold together with its corresponding audio program in one bundle!