Includes sections for Grammar Reference, Irregular Verb List, Writing Bank, and Word Lists at the back of the book.

CEFR level: A2-B1

“Perspectives teaches learners to think critically and to develop the language skills they need to find their own voice in English. The carefully-guided language lessons, real-world stories, and TED Talks motivate learners to think creatively and communicate effectively.

In Perspectives, learners develop an open mind, a critical eye and a clear voice in English.
Every unit explores one idea from different perspectives, giving learners opportunities for practicing language as they look at the world in new ways.
Students learn the critical thinking skills and strategies they need to evaluate new information and develop their own opinions and ideas.
Students respond to the unit theme and express their own ideas confidently in English.
Exam-style task types and test-taking strategies prepare students for a range of international exams.” (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Unit 1. WHO ARE YOU?
Vocabulary: Personality — Vocabulary Building: Collocations
Listening: A conversation where students greet each other and discuss their interests
Grammar: Simple present and present continuous — Pronunciation: -s verb endings
Reading: It’s Written All Over Your Face — Tip: Previewing
Grammar: Verb patterns: Verb + ing or infinitive with to
TED Talks: Half a million secrets / Frank Warren (F. Warren’s idea worth spreading is that sharing secrets can help us connect with others and know ourselves better.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Word stress
Critical Thinking: Identifying the main idea
Speaking: Talking about likes and dislikes
Writing: An introductory postcard — Writing skill: Introducing yourself

Unit 2. WHERE THE HEART IS
Vocabulary: Describing where you live — Vocabulary Building: Suffix -ion
Listening: A news report about a special city
Grammar: Simple past — Pronunciation: [zd] and [st] endings of used
Reading: All the Comforts of Home — Tip: Skimming
Critical Thinking: Analyze fact and opinion
Grammar: Phrasal verbs
TED Talks: Magical houses, made of bamboo / Elora Hardy (E. Hardy’s idea worth spreading is that bamboo is an incredibly adaptable and strong building material that pushes the boundaries of what we can create with sustainable materials.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Listening for gist
Speaking: Giving reasons
Writing: A travel review describing a house — Writing skill: Answering Wh- questions

Unit 3. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Vocabulary: Being healthy — Vocabulary Building: Synonyms
Listening: A lecture about “whole-person” healthcare
Grammar: Quantifiers: How much / How many? — Pronunciation: Nuclear stress
Reading: Feeling No Pain — Tip: Identifying the order of events
Critical thinking: Making ideas clear
Grammar: Phrasal verbs
TED Talks: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern relief / Latif Nasser (L. Nasser’s idea worth spreading is that pain is a testament to a fully lived life, an essential part of the human experience that all of us – including doctors – must acknowledge and deal with.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Collaborative listening
Speaking: Agreeing, disagreeing, and conceding a point
Writing: An opinion essay — Writing skill: Hedging

Unit 4. LEARNING
Vocabulary: Education — Vocabulary Building: Adjectives with –ful and -less
Listening: A conversation about a school project where students videoconference with other students around the world
Grammar: Comparative and superlative adjectives — Pronunciation: Linking and elision
Reading: Nothing’s Impossible — Tip: Scanning — Pronunciation: Adjective stress
Critical Thinking: Analyzing quotations
Grammar: Comparative forms
TED Talks: Don’t eat the marshmallow! / Joachim de Posada (J. de Posada’s idea worth spreading is that children who pass the “marshmallow test” could potentially be more successful in life since the results show signs of patience and self-discipline.)
Authentic Listening Skills: English speakers with accents
Speaking: Asking about opinions - Making comparisons - Making a decision
Writing: An inquiry email — Writing skill: Responding to an ad

Unit 5. FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Vocabulary: How’s it going? — Vocabulary Building: Adjectives ending in -al
Listening: A podcast about how people greet each other around the world
Grammar: Present perfect and simple past — Pronunciation: [d], [t], [ɪd] verb endings
Reading: From Child to Adult – In One Day — Tip: Recognizing the topic and main idea
Grammar: Present perfect with for, since, already, just and yet
TED Talks: Why we laugh / Sophie Scott (S. Scott’s idea worth spreading is that laughter is an ancient behavior that we use to benefit ourselves and others in complex and surprising ways.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Dealing with fast speech
Critical Thinking: Recognize supporting evidence
Speaking: Talking about availability; Accepting and denying an invitation
Writing: Informal invitations and replies — Writing skill: Politely making and replying to invitations

Unit 6. DO YOUR BEST
Vocabulary: Goals and expectations — Vocabulary Building: Negative prefixes
Listening: A podcast about two stores with different takes on “perfection”
Grammar: Modals: obligation, prohibition, permission, advice — Pronunciation: Reduced have to and has to

Reading: Not So Fast — Tip: Recognizing cause and effect
Critical Thinking: Making inferences
Grammar: Zero conditional — Pronunciation: Conditional intonation
TED Talks: Teach girls bravery, not perfection / Reshma Saujani (R. Saujani’s idea worth spreading is that the world can benefit from all the innovations and problems women would solve if they were socialized to take risks and embrace imperfection.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Contrast
Speaking: Giving advice
Writing: An advice blog — Writing skill: Explaining problems and solutions; Essay structure

7. TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT
Vocabulary: Foods, drinks, and flavors — Vocabulary Building: Suffixes: Verb → noun
Listening: A conversation where students discuss classroom projects: the future of food and unexpected food facts — Pronunciation: Minimal pairs
Grammar: Predictions and arrangements
Reading: The Most Important Farmers — Tip: Identifying main ideas
Grammar: First conditional
TED Talks: The global food-waste scandal / Tristram Stuart (T. Stuart’s idea worth spreading is that good, fresh food is being wasted on a colossal scale – and that we have the power to stop this tragic waste of resources.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Prediction
Critical Thinking: Supporting evidence
Speaking: Planning a meal - Making suggestions, describing food, and making decisions
Writing: A restaurant review — Writing skill: Describing a place

8. BUYER'S CHOICE
Vocabulary: A product’s life — Vocabulary Building: Compound nouns
Listening: A fashion podcast about a clothing company that cares
Grammar: Second conditional
Reading: Saving the Surf — Pronunciation: Compound noun stress — Tip: Pronoun cohesion
Critical Thinking: Identifying supporting information
Grammar: Defining relative clauses
TED Talks: Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali / Melati and Isabel Wijsen (M. and I. Wijsen’s idea worth spreading is that when kids apply their energy and perseverance to improve the world, they can bring about amazing changes.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Content words
Critical Thinking: A speaker’s authority
Speaking: How to persuade
Writing: A persuasive blog post — Writing skill: Using persuasive language

9. ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
Vocabulary: Jobs — Vocabulary Building: Dependent prepositions
Listening: A conversation about a National Geographic explorer’s career and what students want to do in life
Grammar: Past perfect
Reading: Does School Prepare You for the World of Work? — Tip: Understanding different points of view
Critical Thinking: Identifying tone
Grammar: Reported speech
TED Talks: The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world / Dame Ellen MacArthur (E. MacArthur’s idea worth spreading is that we live in a world of infinite possibilities but finite resources – and this requires creative thinking about our global economy and our individual lifestyles.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Weak forms
Speaking: Talking about careers — Pronunciation: Question intonation
Writing: A formal email — Writing skill: Indirect questions

10. REMOTE CONTROL
Vocabulary: Technology — Vocabulary Building: Word forms
Listening: A lecture about the history of communication technology
Grammar: Passive voice — Pronunciation: Passive voice stress
Reading: Playing Against Computers that Learn — Tip: Chunking
Critical Thinking: Counterarguments
Grammar: Passives with by + agent
TED Talks: How to control someone else’s arm with your brain / Greg Gage (G. Gage’s idea worth spreading is that we can help use DIY neuroscience equipment to help more people understand and participate in brain science.)
Authentic Listening Skills: Reduced forms
Critical Thinking: Analyze how a message is delivered
Speaking: Talking about pros and cons — Looking at two sides in an argument
Writing: A formal letter of suggestion — Writing skill: Making a suggestion

Grammar Reference

Irregular Verbs

Writing Bank

Word Lists

For high-beginner to intermediate English as a second language learners (A2-B1 - CEFR)