The Easy English Series (for Students who have little or no Experience of English) consists of eight books, all of which have been carefully constructed to increase the proficiency of ESL (English as a Second Language) and ESD (English as a Second Dialect) students’ use of standard English. The series immerses students in a language programme that is accessible and relevant to the lives and experiences of young people, regardless of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
The series is very well laid out with an appealing font, graphics that will appeal to all ages and text that is well-spaced and uncluttered. The activities in each book are suitable for ESL/ESD students or any student who is struggling with the English language. This Australian-originated series aims to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous and ESL students.
Book 1 – Easy Words: Thematic Vocabulary for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 1 introduces students to the basic vocabulary needed to communicate and function in life. It introduces this vocabulary through clear and precise illustrations and prompts the students to use and remember the vocabulary through carefully designed student activities. The solutions for these activities are provided at the back of the book.
Book 2 – Easy Read & Write: Reading and Writing for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 2 introduces students to six entertaining and engaging short stories which are delightfully and meaningfully illustrated. The stories are clearly and simply written, to help students develop some basic comprehension skills. They deal with characters spending time with their family and friends, not feeling well and interacting with wildlife. Carefully designed student activities are connected to each story and encourage careful reading and understanding of the texts. The solutions for these activities are provided at the back of the book.
Book 3 – More Easy Read & Write: Reading and Writing for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 3 introduces students to five entertaining and engaging short stories which are delightfully and meaningfully illustrated. The stories are clearly and simply written, to help students develop basic comprehension skills. They deal with characters participating in school events, visiting family, making new friends and going on a school excursion in an Australian setting. Carefully constructed student activities are connected to each story and encourage careful reading and understanding of the texts. The solutions for these activities are provided at the back of the book.
Book 4 – Easy Punctuation: Punctuation for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 4 encourages students to become familiar with the alphabet and helps them to understand how words are formed from vowels and consonants. It also introduces students to basic but important punctuation, such as: capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, speech marks and apostrophes.
Book 5 – Easy Grammar: Grammar for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 5 encourages students to become familiar with everyday grammar, such as articles, nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, determiners and connectors. The book provides students with clear and uncomplicated definitions of each grammatical term and models how each one is used in basic written texts.
Book 6 – Easy Text Types: Text Types for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 6 introduces the idea that not all texts are the same. The students are encouraged to read and become familiar with the features of narratives, recounts, procedures and information reports. All of the sample text types in this book are brilliantly illustrated and simply presented to motivate students to begin to plan, write and edit their own text types with enthusiasm and confidence.
Book 7 – More Easy Text Types: Text Types for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 7 continues to develop the idea, initially introduced in Easy Text Types (Book 6), that there are different types of texts. The students are encouraged to read and become familiar with the features of explanations, descriptions, expositions, discussions and poems. All of the sample text types in this book are beautifully illustrated and simply presented to inspire students to begin to plan, write and edit their own text types with enthusiasm and confidence.
Book 8 – Easy Editing and Proofreading: Editing and Proofreading for Students who have little or no Experience of English
Book 8 inspires students to practise careful reading and writing by highlighting the importance of drafting, editing and proofreading written work. The students are asked to identify a number of errors in short sentences and in longer texts and are encouraged to rewrite the texts correctly.
