Materials for Learners

Baker, Ann, and Sharon Goldstein. Pronunciation Pairs: An Introduction to the Sounds of English. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print.

Student book, audio CD and teacher’s guide designed to promote active listening and speaking skills by pronouncing and saying English words through puzzles and games.

Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Inglés Para Hispanohablantes: Guía Para el Lenguaje Visual. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2003. Print.

Quick-reference guide designed to enhance Spanish speaker’s command of English. Black and white and color photos show images travelers may encounter when in the United States. In Spanish.

Bassano, Sharron. Sounds Easy! Phonics, Spelling, and Pronunciation Practice. Provo, UT: Alta Books, 2002. Print.

Phonetic, spelling and pronunciation of English language taught through minimal print and pictures. Designed for beginning learners.

Beyer, Thomas R. 501 English Verbs with CD-ROM. 2nd ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2007.

Presents commonly used regular and irregular English verbs, focused on tenses and forms. Includes practice exercises and CD-ROM, geared toward beginner ESL students.

Beyer, Thomas R. Learn English the Fast and Fun Way for Russian Speakers with Audio CDs. 2nd ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2007.

Teaches basic English language, writing, speaking and grammar through cartoon illustrations, puzzles, flash-cards and games. Includes six CDs for auditory learning.

Bores, Jaime Garza. Conversando En Ingles. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.

In Spanish, includes quick glance diagrams on English vocabulary and grammar. Individual chapters focus on specific verbs, parts of speech, sentence patters, etc.

Breyer, Pamela P. Grammarwork 1: English Exercise in Context Vol. 1-4. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents, 1995. Print.

Series of four grammar exercise books focus on vocabulary structure; encourages students to practice. Straight-forward subject matter; easy to remember theme.

Bromberg, Murray, Julius Liebb and Arthur Traiger. 504 Absolutely Essential Words. 4th ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2005. Print.

Self-help pronunciation guide to strengthen and expand knowledge of everyday English words. Divided into 42 sections, uses repetition for easy understanding. 

Bromberg, Murray and Melvin Gordon. 1100 Words You Need to Know. 5th ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2008. Print.

Presents 1100 essential words seen in English novels, newspapers, television programs, plays, etc. Strengths vocabulary with games, puzzles, and exercises.

Brown, Tim, and Deborah K. Knight. Patterns in Spelling. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 1990. Print.

Spelling program specifically designed for adults who need to improve spelling skills.

Brown, Tim, and Deborah K. Knight. Structures in Spelling: Words with Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 1992. Print.

Student book and teaching guide for advanced learners focuses on phonetics and how English words are connected through prefixes and suffixes.

Chabot, John. Sequences: Picture Stories for ESL. New York: Full Blast Productions, 2006. Print.

Beginning book for any age ESL learner; includes 60 exercises and illustration activities for everyday activities. Also includes vocabulary building exercises.

Collins, Tim. Correct Your English Errors: Avoid 99% of the Common Mistakes Made by Learners of English. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.

Comprehensive guide addressing common misspellings and mispronunciations, verb tenses, grammar patterns and confusing prepositions. Includes grammar exercises and review passages.

Collis, Harry. 101 American English Idioms: Understanding and Speaking English Like an American with Audio CD. Chicago: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print.

Teaches contextual meaning of 101 American English idioms. Native speakers on audio CD pronounce and explain each idiom.

Collis, Harry, and Joe Kohl. Get With It: 101-Plus Pop Culture Idioms and Expressions. Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers, 2008. Print.

Humorous illustrations and examples help students understand common American idioms and expressions used in daily conversation.

Crichton, Jonathan. English Made Easy: Learning English Through Pictures Vol. 1-2. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle, 2006. Print.

Combines pictures and words to help learners visually and textually learn English language skills. Contains 20 lessons with pronunciation guide and vocabulary list.

Danesi, Marcel. Basic American Grammar & Usage: An ESL/EFL Handbook. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2006. Print.

Comprehensive grammar guide directed towards beginning learners. Fully explains complex grammar rules in a friendly simple way, and also addresses everyday writings like letters, resumes, and e-mails.

Diamond, Harriet and Phyllis Dutwin. Grammar in Plain English. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2005. Print.

Intended for advanced students preparing for GED, TOEFL, or TOEIC exams. Includes practice questions.

Diamond, Harriet and Phyllis Dutwin. English the Easy Way. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2003. Print.

Guide for beginners with tips on sentences structure, spelling, grammar and punctuation, capitalization and word usage.

Duncan, Patrice J. Ingles Hecho Facil. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print.

Intended for native speakers to learn simple, basic English with exercises about American grammar and vocabulary, culture, mannerisms and everyday activities. In Spanish.

The Editors of Think English! Magazine. Read & Think English. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.

Sections about American culture, travel, traditions, history, people, etc., teach learners about American life, highlighting difficult and important vocabulary.

Elbaum, Sandra N. More Grammar Practice Book 1. Heinle ELT, 2000. Print.

Practice book helps English language learners review grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary skills through recurring, comprehensive exercises.

Elizabeth, Mary. Painless Speaking. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2003. Print.

Guide on gaining confidence and communicating orally through reading aloud and practicing and performing. Includes guidelines for self-evaluation.

Elizabeth, Mary. Painless Spelling. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2006. Print.

Introduces letter patterns, vowel sounds, prefixes and suffixes, confusing words and other common spelling mistakes to beginning learners.

Elliott, Rebecca. Painless Grammar. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2006. Print.

Introduces punctuations, spelling and sentences structure with humorous and easy-to-understand examples.

Farrell, Edith R. and C. Frederick Farrell. Side-By-Side Spanish and English Grammar. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.

Presents Spanish language essentials with English language equivalents. Strengthens both English and Spanish vocabulary.

Figuerdo, D.H. and Margaret Fernández. Complete Idiot's Guide to Para Aprender Ingles. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha, 2003. Print.

Completely in Spanish, this guide of curriculum based learning has exercises and quizzes to boost English language comprehension skills.

Folse, Keith S., Jeanine Ivone and Shawn Pollgreen. 101 Clear Grammar Tests: Reproducible Grammar Tests for ESL/EFL Classes. University of Michigan Press/ESL, 2005. Print.

Contains 101 grammar tests for use in English language classes. For all types of learners, from beginner to advanced.

Fontaine, Dorothy A. Increase Your Word Power: Using Your Senses to Improve Your Vocabulary. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2007.

Program intended to increase vocabulary and learning for academic success. Each section tests speech and written skills by actively involving different senses.

Francis, Edward J. A Year in the Life of an ESL Student: Idioms and Vocabulary You Can’t Live Without. Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing, 2008.

Geared towards students, and focused on improving idioms and vocabulary of advanced learners.

Funk, Wilfred, and Norman Lewis. 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1970.

Aimed at quick learners, step-by-step guide increases confidence when speaking and writing English.

Galván, Javier A., and Helga Schier. Inglés Esencial Nivel Básico-Intermedio. New York: Living Language, 2004.

Teaches conversational English including introductions to presentations; family interactions and relationships; asking for information, clothing, color and size; time; weather, seasons, months and days; sports; and daily and ongoing activities. Spanish.  

Gilbert, Judy B. Clear Speech Student's Book: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in American English. 3rd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print.

Teacher’s resource book of quizzes and diagnostic tests with easy to photo-copy pages.

Gillett, Amy. More Speak English Like an American: Learn More Idioms and Expressions That Will Help You Speak Like a Native! Ann Arbor, MI: Language Success Press, 2009. Print.

Book and audio CD with over 300 American English idioms and expressions used in everyday conversation. Includes examples from American newspapers.

Gillett, Amy. Speak Business English Like an American: Learn the Idioms & Expressions You Need to Succeed On the Job! Ann Arbor, MI: Language Success Press, 2006. Print.

With audio CD, this book teaches American English that is used on the job and encourages career growth.

Greenberg, Michael. Painless Vocabulary. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2006. Print.

Focused on developing vocabulary for middle school and high school students. Informal narrative includes 20 chapters, each with 15 new vocabulary words.

Gutin, Julie. The Everything Learning Spanish Book: Speak, Write and Understand Basic Spanish in No Time. 2nd ed. Adams Media, 2007. Print.

With audio CD, features Spanish alphabet, pronunciation and pronouns, greetings and conversation starters, and concepts focused on gender and identity.

Harris, Tim, and Allan Rowe. Exploring English. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1995. Print.

Student books and workbooks for beginning learners. Helps teach basic English phrases, words and activities through illustrations and text.

Harvey, William C. Ingles Para Latinos: Primer Nivel. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2003. Print.

For teachers and students, this Spanish edition text focuses on informal conversations of normal idiomatic American English.

Henderson, Sheila. Learning English Made Simple. New York: Made Simple Books, 2002. Print.

Ideal for new learners, or those who look to refresh English skills. Provides information for everyday activities, such as visiting the doctor or the bank.

Hewings, Martin, and Sharon Goldstein. Pronunciation Plus: Practice Through Interaction: North American English. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print.

Student book includes pronunciation practice of English vowels, consonants, stress and rhythm, intonation, sound and grammar and pronouncing written words.

Hopper, Vincent F., Cedric Gale, Ronald C. Foote, and Benjamin W. Griffith. Essentials of English. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2000. Print.

Fully revised writing style guide to proper written communication; includes grammar and sentence structure, punctuation, and word usage. Good for at home or in the classroom.

Hopper, Vincent F., Cedric Gale, Ronald C. Foote, and Benjamin W. Griffith. Essentials of Writing. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2000. Print.

Classroom workbook intended for students in the beginning stages of writing English. Contains exercises and questions to reinforce confusing grammar and punctuation rules.

Jones, Darolyn E. Painless Reading Comprehension. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2004.

Intended for middle school and high school students, this guide is especially helpful for reluctant readers. Goes over reading attitudes and patterns, reading voices, and other useful skills kids can use to get engaged in reading.

Keating, Kevin Anthony. Grammar Wise. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 2004. Print.

Three book series designed for students in need of grammar skills; includes two workbooks and one teacher’s guide. Lessons include practicing with multiple-choice questions, fill-ins, and sentence completion.

Kerns, Trish, and Patty Long. English -- No Problem! Book  Series. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 2004. Print.

Literacy workbooks for student; used for gaining critical thinking, life and communication skills. Series has books and audio CDs, levels range low to high.

Kim, Minkyoung, and J.D. Hilts. Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook. Footscray (Vic.): Lonely Planet Publications, 2008. Print.

Popular guide book aimed at travelers but also useful for those seeking an understanding of Korean language, vocabulary, phrases, and customs.

Kipfer, Barbara Ann, and Robert L. Chapman. American Slang. 4th ed. New York: Collins, 2008. Print.

Updated version contains 1,500 slag words and phrases common daily American conversation. Features pronunciation guide, word origins and examples of proper word usage.

Klippel, Friederike, and Michael Swan. Keep Talking: Communicative Fluency Activities for Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print.

Guide for communication activities for students; beginner to advanced. Includes worksheets, indexes to language and alphabetical table of activities.

LearningExpress Editors. 501 Grammar and Writing Questions. 3rd ed. New York: LearningExpress, 2006. Print.

Introduction guide to capitalization and punctuation, sentence structure, agreement, modifiers, paragraph development and essay questions. Helps develop strong communications skills through writing.

LearningExpress Editors. Practical Spelling. 2nd ed. New York: LearningExpress, 2006. Print.

Enhances spelling skills and builds confidence with practice exercises and problems. Slow paced, encourages learners to work at their own speed.

Leis, Andrea, and Robert Chodos. Write All About It. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 1986. Print.

Student and teacher resource guide focuses on honing English writing skills through warm-up exercises, instruction and practice. Multiple levels for beginner to advanced.

Lewis, Marilyn, and Hayo Reinders. Study Skills for Speakers of English as a Second Language. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.

Focused on university and college life for students whose native tongue is not English. Simple writing style gives students advice on language topics they may encounter.

Ligon, Fred, Elizabeth Tannenbaum, and Carol Richardson Rodgers. Picture Stories: Language and Literacy Activities for Beginners. New York: Longman, 1990.

Written for students with little to no English literacy skills, this guide tells sixteen stories dealing with American cultural topics designed to reinforce learning, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Lim, Lida F., and Margaret C. Moran. Organize Your Writing Series, Levels F, G, H, I, and J. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 2007. Print.

Intended for grades 6-10, series uses scaffolding instruction method to help students learn to evaluate their own writing.

MacGowan-Gilhooly, Adele M. Achieving Fluency in English: A Whole-Language Book. Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2008. Print.

Contemporary book with chapters focused on reading and relating to novels, writing fiction, and other introductory methods to begin writing English.

Merriam-Webster, Inc. Webster’s Business Writing Basics. Springfield, MA: Federal Street Press, 2001. Print.

A guide to punctuation and style, business letter and memo writing, composition and word usage, mail and e-mail. Suitable for anyone trying to polish their writing skills.

Merriam-Webster, Inc. Webster’s Grammar and Punctuation Handbook: Good Grammar and Spelling Made Easy. New York: Gramercy Books, 2006. Print.

Organized for quick-reference, this comprehensive guide to grammar goes over parts of speech, usage and spelling.

Minor, James M., Ana M. Yepes, and Zvjezdana Vrzić. Ingles Curso Completo: Nivel Basico. New York: Living Language, 2008. Print.

In Spanish, this comprehensive program guide begins with simple words and then works up to phrases, conversations and sentences. Includes vocabulary practice, grammar reference guide, and e-mail and internet resources.

Mosteller, Lee, and Bobbi Paul. Survival English: English through Conversations Vol. 1-3. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Regents/Prentice-Hall, 1994. Print.

Series of three books designed to teach English language and coping skills in adults. Recommended for beginner to intermediate learners.

Murphy, Raymond, and William R. Smalzer. Grammar in Use Intermediate with Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of English. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.

With audio CD, grammar guide contains simple and clear questions and answers with cartoon drawings. Intended for intermediate learners of North American English.

Newman, Christy M. LifePrints: ESL for Adults. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 2002. Print.

Series of books, audio and video developed in literacy levels ranging from low to intermediate to high. ESL instruction that combines life experiences with language and communication skills.

Nordvall, Karl, and Hieram Weintraub. Everyday Survival English. Santa Fe Springs, CA: Compass Pub, 2005.

Teaches basic English vocabulary and phrases through comical story and illustration. Contains audio CD for auditory enhancement.

Pascal, Marianna. Say It Better in English: Useful Phrases for Work & Everyday Life. Ann Arbor, MI: Language Success Press, 2007. Print.

Real-life situations are examined through cartoon illustrations. Contains vocabulary exercises including puzzles and games.

Reynaga, Santiago. Inglés qué Buen Acento. Ann Arbor, MI: Language Success Press, 2005. Print.

English language course designed to solve beginner pronunciation problems and give learners a smooth accent when speaking English.

Schmidt, Dodi-Katrin, Michelle M. Williams, Dominique Wenzel, and Juergen Lorenz. French for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, 2000. Print.

Introductory guide to learning French that includes pronunciation and gestures, meeting and greeting, and a travel guide. Contains audio CD; ideal for new learners.

Smith, Bud E., and Arthur Bebak. Crear Páginas Web Para Dummies. Panamá: ST Editorial, 2003. Print.

Spanish edition with tips and instructions for creating webpages, including HTML coding. Ideal for new learners.

Straus, Jane. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples and Reproducible Quizzes. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008. Print.

Grammar and punctuation style guide focused on confusing words and homonyms, capitalization, and writing numbers.

Strausser, Jeffrey. Painless Writing. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2009. Print.

Written in an entertaining and easy-to-read style, geared towards middle school and high schoolers; offers tips to improve writing skills through practical exercises.

Swick, Ed. Practice Makes Perfect: English Grammar for ESL Learners. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

Focuses on gaining practical conversation skills to be used in daily life. Features different types of exercises to help build skills and confidence when using English grammar.

Swick, Ed. Practice Makes Perfect: English Pronouns & Prepositions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

Enforces the importance of practicing pronouns and prepositions in order to have a full understanding of English. Contains appendix of commonly used prepositions.

Swick, Ed. Writing Better English: ESL Workbook. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.

Exercise and activity book to help ESL students improve English writing skills. Includes appendix of irregular verbs in the past tense and past participle.

Torres-Gouzerh, Robin. Practice Makes Perfect: Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.

Designed for students at the intermediate level; contains practice exercises for skill building and confidence boosting.

Ur, Penny. Discussions That Work: Task-Centered Fluency. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981. Print.

Divided into two sections, the first discussing general guidelines of discussions, the second giving examples of effective discussion skills.

Wise, Jessie, and Sarah Park. First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind. Charles City, VA: Peace Hill Press, 2003. Print.

Step-by-step guide to implementing learning at a young age; includes writing, reading, spelling and storytelling. Good as supplemental to school materials or home schooling.

Withrow, Jean. Effective Writing: Writing Skills for Intermediate Students of American English. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987.

Practice book for students and teachers who seek additional English writing skills. For intermediate learners. Includes essay questions commonly seen on tests.

Yates, Jean. Practice Makes Perfect: English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.

Comprehensive and extensive collection of beginning English vocabulary words, including specific nouns, proper nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.

Yates, Jean. Domine lo Basico: Mastering the Basics of English for Spanish Speakers. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s, 2003. Print.

Meant as a self-teaching guide for intermediate to advanced students of English. Logically structured and written in an easy-to-follow style.

Yates, Jean. Pronounce It Perfectly in English. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2005. Print.

Language program designed to help students practice phonetically saying English words and listening for accuracy in speech. Includes audio CDs.

To Print and Digital Resources Table of Contents

This toolkit offers: