Essential English for Foreign Students Book 4. [antikvár]

PREFACE It is now nearly ten years since the original Book IV of Essential English appeared. During that time many changes have taken place and some, at least, of the material in that volume has become outdated. It seemed wise, therefore, to overhaul the book completely and, while retaining those parts that the experience of teachers and students had proved to be of interest and value, to replace the rest by newer and, it is hoped, more interesting material. In this task I have had most generous and valuable assistance from teachers and students in all parts of the world both in conversations I have had with them and in letters they have written to me. One thing that particularly impressed me was the lively interest that was shown in the " characters " of the book—especially in Hob ! To hosts of students Mr. Priestley and his students were as real as, I must confess, they are to me. I have therefore tried to tell in this book something more about them: to reveal the mystery of Hob that has intrigued so many of my correspondents, to follow Jan's romance, to see Olaf and Pedro and Lucille leaving Mr. Priestley's class and starting out in life. One criticism that had, perhaps quite justly, been levelled against the books of Essential English was that we never left London, and that the background depicted was too exclusively " suburban middle-class." Well, in this volume—thanks to Hob's somewhat unusual relatives Uncle Albert, Uncle Ben, Aunt Eliza and young Ted—I have