Collins English for Life: Skills – serie

Do you understand ‘textbook English’ recordings but not what you hear in the real world?To improve your listening skills, you need to hear real conversations. That’s why Collins Listening is based entirely on 50 authentic everyday interactions to help you understand what is said to you, whatever the circumstances.From buying a mobile phone to asking for directions, joining a gym to understanding transport announcements, Listening will help you understand what is said to you in real life situations and make sure everything you learn is useful. Twenty 4-page units with exercises and vocabulary work to help you understand differences in pronunciation and vocabularyAuthentic recordings of both native and non-native speakers of English, covering a wide variety of accents from around the worldRecordings include face-to-face conversations, public announcements, telephone calls, bookings, shopping scenarios and moreAdditional real vocabulary for everyday life, taken from the COBUILD English corpusCollins Listening is part of the new English for Life series and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge FCE preparation. Suitable for Intermediate learners of English (CEF level B1+).

Are you comfortable writing English in the classroom but nervous about writing in the real world?To write confidently in English you need to practise different styles of written English.Collins Writing helps you recognize different styles and choose the right language to get your message across. The twenty units focus on a wide variety of texts so that you can feel just as comfortable writing a postcard or using social media online.Learn to write as fluently as you speak, use the right tone, and use persuasive language to get the response you need.Featured writing styles include: online reviewstweetsinstant messagingthank you lettersemailsjob applicationsCollins Writing is part of the new English for Life series and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge FCE preparation. Suitable for Intermediate learners of English (CEF level B1+).

Shortlisted at HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOK AWARDS 2013Develop key listening skills and become more confident when listening to English, however it is spoken.To improve your listening skills, you need to hear real conversations. That’s why Collins Listening (A2) is based entirely on 20 authentic recordings. It will help you understand what is said to you in a variety of situations, and make sure everything you learn is useful.Practise listening to real English in a range of accents by native and non-native speakers. Hear people talking about: Family • Where they live • Work, studies and career • Life in a town, city or another country • Sharing a house • Music and sport • Travel and tourism •Collins Listening (A2) includes:• Twenty units with a clear design in full colour.• Authentic downloadable audio recordings of both native and non-native speakers of English, covering a wide variety of accents from around the world.• Appendices containing detailed advice targeting specific listening skills.• Mini-dictionary with definitions of the most difficult words in each unit, taken from the Collins COBUILD dictionary.• Answer key.Collins Listening (A2) is part of the English for Life series. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge ESOL KET exam preparation. Suitable for pre-intermediate learners of English (CEF level A2).The English for Life series uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus. The 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus is the world’s largest database of the English language and is updated every month.Also available in the Collins English for Life series:For Pre-Intermediate (A2) learners:Reading • Writing • SpeakingFor Intermediate (B1+) learners:Reading • Writing • Listening • Speaking

Develop key writing skills and become more confident when writing in English.If you want to get better at writing in English you need to practise writing different kinds of texts. Collins Writing (A2) presents 20 styles of writing for everyday situations, to help you choose the right style of writing and the right words and phrases.Improve your writing for:• text messages • postcards • making plans • invitations • advertisements • job applications • social networking sites e.g. Facebook and Twitter •Collins Writing (A2) is part of the English for Life series. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge ESOL KET exam preparation. Suitable for pre-intermediate learners of English (CEF level A2). Twenty units with a clear design in full colourAuthentic and adapted texts in a wide variety of stylesAppendices contain detailed advice targeting specific writing skills, such as sentence structure and punctuationMini-dictionary with definitions of the most difficult words in each unit, taken from the Collins COBUILD dictionaryAnswer keyThe English for Life series uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus. The 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus is the world’s largest database of the English language and is updated every month.Also available in the Collins English for Life series:For Pre-Intermediate (A2) learners:Reading • Listening • SpeakingFor Intermediate (B1+) learners:Reading • Writing • Listening • Speaking

Develop key speaking skills and become more confident when speaking in English.To improve your speaking skills you need to learn how to get your message across in the right way and make sure people understand what you say. With Collins Speaking (A2) you will learn what to say and how to say it, by practising the right words, phrases and pronunciation.Includes practice on:• meeting new people • buying and ordering things • speaking on the phone • apologizing • asking for and giving opinions • making a complaint • agreeing and disagreeing • Twenty units with a clear design in full colour.Downloadable audio recordings of both native and non-native speakers of English, covering a wide variety of accents from around the world.Appendices contain detailed advice targeting specific speaking skills.Mini-dictionary with definitions of the most difficult words in each unit, taken from the Collins COBUILD dictionary.Answer key.Collins Speaking (A2) is part of the English for Life series. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge ESOL KET preparation. Suitable for pre-intermediate learners of English (CEF level A2).The English for Life series uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus. The 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus is the world’s largest database of the English language and is updated every month.Also available in the Collins English for Life series:For Pre-Intermediate (A2) learners:Reading • Writing • ListeningFor Intermediate (B1+) learners:Reading • Writing • Listening • Speaking

Real English for life beyond the classroomWriting in English at advanced levels involves more than just words and grammar – it requires knowledge of the audience, context, environment and more. Being able to communicate in an appropriate way will help you to make a great impression when you write in English. Using real life examples and language Collins English for Life: Writing (B2+) will help you to sound natural, clear and confident when you write.> Study the language people really use when they are writing> Compare and contrast writing styles in lots of different environments> Useful tips to increase your understanding of tone, slang and social contextIncludes practice of writing in the following contexts:• Writing a blog• Contributing to an online forum• Making a complaint• Writing notesPlus each context helps to develop valuable writing skills including:• Structuring your thoughts• Being polite but firm• Being light-hearted• Editing your own workAbout the series:What is it? Collins’ innovative English for Life series adds the extra bit of authenticity to your studies that traditional coursebooks often lack. The series includes helpful up-to-date and relevant topics needed to get by in English and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language.How can the series be used? The series can be used for independent study (self-study) and extra assignments, it's a great supplement to existing coursebooks, and the books can also be used as stand-alone coursebooks for short courses. All books have accompanying teacher resources available online.What levels are available? There are three levels available:A2 (Pre-intermediate)B1+ (Intermediate)B2+ (Upper intermediate)

Real English for life beyond the classroomReading in English at advanced levels involves more than just words and grammar – it requires an interpretation of tone, context, aims and more. But sometimes the English you can learn from your coursebook just isn’t enough for real life. Using real life examples and language English for Life: Reading (B2+) will help you to appreciate the finer details of a reading piece and so to get much more out of reading in English.> Study the language people really use when they are writing – and why> Compare and contrast writing styles in lots of different environments> Useful ‘language notes’ to increase your understanding of tone, slang and social contextIncludes practice of reading in the following contexts:• Correspondence• Products and services• Out and about• Facts• Reading for pleasureAbout the series:What is it? Collins’ innovative English for Life series adds the extra bit of authenticity to your studies that traditional coursebooks often lack. The series includes helpful up-to-date and relevant topics needed to get by in English and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language.How can the series be used? The series can be used for independent study (self-study) and extra assignments, it's a great supplement to existing coursebooks, and the books can also be used as stand-alone coursebooks for short courses. All books have accompanying teacher resources available online.What levels are available? There are three levels available:A2 (Pre-intermediate)B1+ (Intermediate)B2+ (Upper intermediate)

Real English for life beyond the classroomEnglish in the real world is constantly evolving, and learners need to move with it. But sometimes the English you can learn from your coursebook just isn’t enough for real life. Being able to understand English as it is really spoken will give you the confidence to succeed in any English-speaking environment. Using a wide range of authentic, unscripted recordings of everyday people from around the world, Collins Listening (B2+) will help you to feel confident and prepared for anything.> Hear the language people really use when they are speaking> Free downloadable audio with over 40 authentic recordings in a wide variety of scenarios> Useful tips to increase your understanding of tone, slang and contextUnits are divided into the following themes:• Lifestyle• Practical advice and information• Attitudes and behaviour• Passions• Memorable experiencesEach of these areas includes analysis of high-level, natural recordings between one, two and three people. Some conversations took place face-to-face while others were over the phone. All are 100% unscripted and unedited and do not use actors.About the series:What is it? Collins’ innovative English for Life series adds the extra bit of authenticity to your studies that traditional coursebooks often lack. The series includes helpful up-to-date and relevant topics needed to get by in English and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language.How can the series be used? The series can be used for independent study (self-study) and extra assignments, it's a great supplement to existing coursebooks, and the books can also be used as stand-alone coursebooks for short courses. All books have accompanying teacher resources available online.What levels are available? There are three levels available:A2 (Pre-intermediate)B1+ (Intermediate)B2+ (Upper intermediate)

Real English for life beyond the classroomEnglish in the real world is constantly evolving, and learners need to move with it. But sometimes the English you can learn from your coursebook just isn’t enough for real life. Using real everyday language, English for Life: Speaking (B2+) will help you to sound natural, clear and confident.> Hear the language people really use when they are speaking> Free downloadable audio with over 100 model conversations and practice exercises> Useful tips to increase your understanding of tone, slang and social contextIncludes practice of: Dealing with difficult conversationsExpressing annoyance and angerShowing sympathyConvincingBeing tactfulAbout the series:What is it? Collins’ innovative English for Life series adds the extra bit of authenticity to your studies that traditional coursebooks often lack. The series includes helpful up-to-date and relevant topics needed to get by in English and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world’s largest database of the English language.How can the series be used? The series can be used for independent study (self-study) and extra assignments, it's a great supplement to existing coursebooks, and the books can also be used as stand-alone coursebooks for short courses. All books have accompanying teacher resources available online.What levels are available? There are three levels available:A2 (Pre-intermediate)B1+ (Intermediate)B2+ (Upper intermediate)