From Near and Far: Short Fiction for ESL

This is a reproducible intermediate level ESL reader for high school and adult students. The book features sixteen original, illustrated stories set in cultural and geographical contexts from around the world. This revised and enlarged edition builds on the very features that made students, teachers and reviewers so enthusiastic about the first edition. It provides carefully designed activities in purposeful, confident reading for teenaged and adult readers at an intermediate level. Includes: Full support for thoughtful and contextualised intensive reading: jigsaw reading/discussion materials as advance organisers before each set of four stories; extension activities and non-fiction readings to follow up; forty-eight attractive illustrations. Development of inter-textual reading skills, through repeated opportunities to compare and contrast a number of fiction and non-fiction passages on related personal and cultural themes. Central focus on narrative, a familiar genre through which intermediate readers can most readily approach quite challenging tasks... leading toward additional non-fiction readings for expanded critical skills and confidence. Wide range of integrated activities, from vocabulary study and sentence-building all the way up to interpretation, personal response, and out-of-class application; and including a large number of tables, charts, puzzles and discussion questions. Full, clear instructions on all questions and exercises, and an extensive answer key. Informative introduction with practical advice on how the text works, and on how to adapt the materials to the needs of particular groups.