Do reviews matter? Of course! As an author, it’s so affirming to think that what you create is actually working for learners and for teachers. Plus they really matter for librarians and other people who have to think hard about acquisitions. So hooray for reviewers; it’s quite a task to work your way through a book and offer a fair and insightful summary that goes beyond, ‘I liked it.’
I’ve just received the latest (and most interesting) TESOLANZ News – that ANZ stands for Aotearoa New Zealand, of course. I thought I’d quote from their review of Workwise English Puzzles here, for those of you whose organisations like to see a bit of ‘evidence of value’ before they invest in resources.
The first part of the review describes the book; then comes the evaluation:
Learners will be stimulated by the great variety of puzzles in this book; other puzzle type resources I have come across are often limited in their range. Most of these puzzles lend themselves very well to pair or group work, giving the teacher opportunities to build in speaking and listening opportunities. The language presented in this resource is useful and suitable for the workplace language theme. It includes useful job-related vocabulary and phrases as well as small talk topics, everyday language and some numeracy. Being an Australian resource means that it is easily applicable to the New Zealand context, however, there are some terms which may differ (such as resume for CV and references to the Australian school/education system), but these are minimal.
I would recommend this resource to anyone teaching workplace related ESL courses, individual learners seeking work or getting established in a job, or as a resource for a library. It is great to have on hand for a topic-related and fun activity, as a lesson warmer, as a break from more intensive work, or as a filler activity.
There you have it! I’m really pleased to read that last sentence, because those are exactly the ways I imagined the book being used. Thanks, TESOLANZ!
(All reviews are on the reviews page, by the way.)
