Spectrum 2. - Student's book [antikvár]

INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the new edition of Spectrum! Spectrum 2 represents the second level of a six-level course designed for adolescent and adult learners of English. The student book, workbook, and audio cassette program for each level provide practice in all four communication skills, with a special focus on listening and speaking. Levels 1 and 2 are appropriate for beginning students and "false" beginners. Levels 3 and 4 are intended for intermediate classes, and 5 and 6 for advanced learners of English. The first four levels are also offered in split editionslA, IB, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B.Spectrum is a "communicative" course, based on the idea that communication is not merely an end-product of language study, but rather the very process through which a new language is acquired. Spectrum involves students in this process by providing them with useful, natural English along with opportunities to discuss topics of personal interest and to communicate their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas.In Spectrum, understanding a new language is considered the starting point for communication. The student books thus emphasize the importance of comprehension, both as a useful skill and as a natural means of acquiring a language. Students begin each unit by listening to and reading conversations that provide rich input for language learning. Accompanying activities enhance comprehension and give students time to absorb new vocabulary and structures. Throughout the unit, students encounter readings and dialogues containing structures and expressions not formally introduced until later units or levels. The goal is to provide students with a continuous stream of input that challenges their current knowledge of English, thereby allowing them to progress naturally to a higher level of competence.Spectrum emphasizes interaction as another vital step in language acquisition. Interaction begins with simple communication tasks that motivate students to use the same structure a number of times as they exchange real information about themselves and other topics. This focused practice builds confidence and fluency and prepares students for more open-ended activities involving role playing, discussion, and problem solving. These activities give students control of the interaction and enable them to develop strategies for expressing themselves and negotiating meaning in an English-speaking environment.The Spectrum syllabus is organized around functions and stmctures practiced in thematic lessons. Both functions and structures are carefully graded according to simplicity and usefulness. Structures are presented in clear paradigms with informative usage notes.This student book consists of fourteen units, each divided into one- and two-page lessons. The first lesson in each unit presents a series of authentic conversations, providing input for comprehension and language acquisition. A preview activity prepares students to understand the cultural material in the conversations. New functions and structures are then practiced through interactive tasks in several thematic lessons. A two-page comprehension lesson pro^des further input in the form of a dialogue, pronunciation activity, listening exercise, and a role-playing activityall related to the storyline for the level. The final lesson of the unit presents authentic documents such as advertisements and news articles for reading comprehension practice. There are review lessons after units 4, 7, 11, and 14. An accompanying workbook, audio cassette program, and teacher's edition are available.For the preparation of the new edition, Regents/Prentice Hall would like to thank the following long-time users of Spectrum, whose insights and suggestions have helped to shape the content and format of the new edition: Motofumi Aramaki, Sony Language Laboratory, Tokyo, Japan; Associacao Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos (ACBEU), Salvador-Bahia, Brazil; AUA Language Center, Bangkok, Thailand, Thomas J. Krai and faculty; Pedro I. Cohen, Professor Emeritus of English, Linguistics, and Education, Universidad de Panamá; ELSl Taiwan Language Schools, Taipei, Taiwan, Kenneth Hou and faculty; James Hale, Sundai ELS, Tokyo, Japan; Impact, Santiago, Chile; Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos (IBEU), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos No Ceará (IBEU-CE), Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura, Santiago, Chile; Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano (ICANA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Christopher M. Knott, Chris English Masters Schools, Kyoto, Japan; The Language Training and Testing Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Anthony Y. T. Wu and faculty; Lutheran Language Institute, Tokyo, Japan; Network Cultura, Ensino e Livraria Ltda, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Seven Language and Culture, Sao Paulo, Brazil.