Realistic scenarios for international students on a UK campus help this book stand out in the EAP crowd Let's get one thing straight: with their pie charts and graphs, most English for Academic Purposes (EAP) titles are dry as dust. Garnet's new Access EAP is different. How? By thrusting the reader into the lives of three international language students, Chen, Guy and Maysoun, each starting their first semester in the UK at the fictitious Gateway University in Summerford. Nothing else is made up, though: the book deals with reallife issues, charting the progress of our characters, their expectations and beliefs; in fact, all the baggage a newly arrived student brings to campus life. 'What issues?' I hear you ask. Let's take a closer look, shall we? Access EAP has ten core units, each consisting of five lessons, the first of which introduces an aspect of early-term university life which the remainder of the unit works around. Topics include developing conversations on a first meeting, finding one's way around campus and study preferences. Chen, Guy and Maysoun are heard discussing aspects of their studies and how they feel about them, although, considering how central they are to the book, I would have liked to see more illustrations of them in action. Aimed at intermediate-level students (Common European Framework level B1 and IELTS 4.0-5.0) Access EAP aims to develop the language students need ro cope with the demands of lecturers and courses. It focuses on comparing ideas, following cause-effect arguments, interpreting data and putting together emails in a variety of writing genres - which is exactly what a rock-solid EAP title should do. Focusing on one unit reveals how the books works. Unit seven - 'Something to Say' - opens with a scenario in which Chen has to give a presentation to his class. Adopting a task-based approach we first read then hear of the work of a student committee that Guy and Chen plan to join. After reading a flier and hearing the start of a meeting, the 'Thinking Critically' sections ask students to reflect on how such a committee will help Chen, and of course, indirectly, themselves. The second lesson focuses on contributing to a meeting; the 'Study Smart' section then explains the role of the chair. By lesson three, Chen feels confident enough to present in front of his friends, and in lesson five he is invited to speak to students in the foundation year. Clearly, we would wish such speedy progress for all users of this title. Hardened EAP experts can judge for themselves, but I got the impression there was a bias away from the view of EAP as writing-based, towards one where listening and speaking should be foremost in our minds. Wayne Trotman teaches on and coordinates the EAP Writing course at Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey. Wayne Trotman for the EL Gazette, October 2010 This is a long-awaited EAP course book for low-level learners - CEF B1 or IELTS 4.0-5.0. Whereas some other contributions focus on one or two skills per book, this publication covers all four, as well as providing a study skills syllabus. The course is aimed at pre-sessional and in-sessional learners and is designed not only to give students 'an accessible core of academic language and study competence' but to provide an introduction to university life and show what will be expected of them. One special feature is the narrative element following the lives of three students. This book is about university, and students are addressed in a refreshingly direct way as the authors proceed to guide their students through Gateway University's Freshers' week, first steps and new routines, and on to borrowing and using ideas, to give a flavour of the topic areas. The final focus, as a student would expect, is on exams. The emphasis on specific language and skills for academic contexts has been taken to a new level with what some would term a radical rethink of learner priorities and the delivery of input. This can be seen in the map of the book, where the categories are: Functions, Texts, Academic language, Writing and Speaking, Academic Competence and Thinking Critically. Where is the reading? The listening? On closer inspection it is clear that 'text' has been broadened to include listening, and that these texts are wholly authentic, including e-mails between tutors and tutees, website extracts, and student personal statements, as well as talks including laboratory health and safety and a committee meeting. Grading of difficulty has been achieved by task type and the gradual increase in length of the input. The receptive skills have thus been grouped together, which should encourage learners to see how similar skills can be applied to both reading and listening. The productive skills too have been combined for the same reasons. The course is organised into ten units divided into five lessons. Each unit can provide up to ten hours of teaching and learning. Although the lessons in each unit are intended to cover the previously mentioned language and skills areas in a similar order, in practice the degree of skills integration makes this impossible, so that advance planning of a course where the teaching is shared and skills areas are assigned to specific tutors may present a challenge. This is a minor disadvantage, outweighed by the evidently well thought out progression of skills, language and revision work. No tests are provided per se, but there is a practice exam and some tasks within the units could be adapted for progress testing. The writers' beliefs about EAP teaching are evident in the suggested approach to vocabulary learning where they advise against pre-teaching key words, preferring an inductive approach to encourage student independence, thus coming closer to their real study situations. Above all, the need for student interaction with the material is made explicit, and its relevance to students' needs has been thoroughly checked, and also informed by the Academic Word List (Coxhead 2006), amongst sources cited. The Teacher's Book is both comprehensive and informative, and is especially recommended for those teachers making the transition from general EFL teaching to ESP. Clare Anderson for the Professional and Academic English Journal, Issue 37, February 2011 Access EAP: Foundations is a ten-unit course book meant to assist language learners in their preparation for university in an English-speaking environment. The text follows three language learners from different parts of the world thought an academic year and the themes focus on situations, topics and potential problems students will face in their first year of university study. Language and skills-wise, Access EAP: Foundations covers receptive and productive skills, language as well as critical thinking and study strategies. Each of the ten units in the book includes five lessons, usually three pages in length. While each lesson has a different focus (for example, text-based strategies, language exploration, academic vocabulary usage, organisation of ideas, etc.), they all include opportunities for critical thinking, noticing language and practicing and processing he new ideas and language in a variety of ways. Students are encourages to brainstorm and discuss ideas with their peers, complete questionnaires and do their own research related to the themes. There are many thinks I liked about this text. Firstly, I appreciate areas that were covered in the ten units; for example, organising ideas, referencing accurately, paraphrasing appropriately, evaluating ideas and analysing data as well as working with feedback. Encouraging students to think critically is also a crucial for youth who are studying in Canadian and other English speaking universities, and this was covered in every lesson in each of the ten units. Asking students to reflect on their expectations or teaching them to write study plans prior to their actual university experience also paves the road to success. The authors included topics pertaining not only to the language-related skills needed to be successful in university, such as locating and using resources and the benefits of computer-based learning such as locating and using resources and the benefits of computer-based learning vs. classroom-based lessons, but also to topics related to the life of a university students. Unit two covers topics such as dealing with constructive criticism and communicating with professors and unite seven discusses the importance of contributing to seminars and responding to others' contributions. I liked Access EAP: Foundations. While my university preparatory courses start at the upper intermediate level, I recommend you consider this course book for your next intermediate EAP course. Argent and Alexander are experienced EAP teachers and have provided teachers and students with what they need to be successful. Sandee Thompson for IATEFL Voices, Issue 225, March / April 2012 A complete package for students starting their pathway program. Kerry Ryan, La Trobe University, Melbourne All in all, I am happy to give this book a strong recommendation. Given the level of the students who will be using it, I think the author's choice of focus and topics is entirely appropriate, and I strongly support the emphasis given by the authors to the voices and experiences of students. Rosemary Wette for the TESOLANZ newsletter, December 2012 It is a timely resource due to an increasing need for EAP materials that can prepare intermediate-level, EFL learners to commence tertiary studies in English-medium institutions. The course book's most notable features include an engaging narrative approach, a focus on cultural awareness and a multifaceted approach toward the development of critical thinking, study and academic language skills. It is driven by rhetorical functions presented in authentic academic texts which have been adapted for intermediate-level learners. The overarching goal of the course book is to empower EAP learners to become increasingly autonomous by training them in the effective use of resources (both materials and human) and encouraging them to participate in learning communities... This timely, principled resource offers EAP learners an excellent introduction to academic life and much of the training and tools needed to become autonomous learners within a learning community. G. Klassen for the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2013
