The Market Leader series text is possibly one of the best out on the market since it comes in an array of levels and it presents Business English with an understandable yet interesting approach.
The Market Leader series text is possibly one of the best out on the market since it comes in an array of levels and it presents Business English with an understandable yet interesting approach. Full of authentic business material, it will help any business person speak English. The third level in the series, Intermediate, is a nice step up from the Pre-Intermediate level despite its slight shortcomings.
"Overall, this is a great book, but for the learner focusing on speaking (like most people) it may not be the best course book to work with."
Overview
First and foremost the Market Leader books are aesthetically attractive, the cover and chapters in the book capture the student’s attention and maintain it all throughout the book. The Intermediate book uses engaging photos, charts, and texts in all of its 140 -pages so as to not come off as over- intimidating. Like most Market Leader books, the Intermediate book follows the same structure, as far as what’s presented in each unit. There are 14 units in total and each unit focuses on an appropriate topic for an Intermediate learner ranging from the simple “Change and Money” chapter, to the more in-depth “Innovation and Leadership”, and it works on all four language skills. Each unit kicks off with an interesting “Starting Up” discussion section relating to the unit, which is great if used in a class (but also very thought provoking if used alone). As far as grammar, there is a language point in each unit, which at this level mostly focuses on verb tenses and verb patterns. The reading activities as usual, are excerpts from The Financial Times newspaper which all relate to the topic of the unit but at the same time aren’t too difficult for learners at this level. There may be some confusing terms here and there but the concepts are perfectly appropriate for intermediate students.
The listening activities in each unit help improve skills on note taking and include detail- oriented listening comprehensions; the listening activities in my opinion seem to drag on a bit. Listeners may find them boring or similar to a lecture. The writing portions in each book are good for practicing things like email writing, reports, memos and more. One main advantage of this book is the wealth of vocabulary it offers. So many advantageous words are included in this book from business terms, common adjectives, idioms and much more. Definitely great for the student that wants to increase their vocabulary! The one thing that stands out with the book is that it is certainly geared to the classroom learner trying to improve their reading and writing. The majority of the activities involve working in groups and writing things out, which is good for students who want to improve on these skills. The main advantage to the solo learner is the myriad of supplementary material outside the book, for example, the DVD-ROM which offers extra listening practice, videos related to the group activities, and an interactive glossary. There is also access to the online vocabulary trainer to supplement the abundance of vocabulary practice included.
Pros:
•The Writing File and Social Cultural Game in the back are great resources for improving writing and speaking.
•Useful vocabulary in every unit
•Supplementary material is a fantastic add-on to mix the learning style up
Cons:
•Not recommended for self-study for it has many activities requiring more student(s) or a teacher.
•Listening is very long at times and can sometimes be monotonous.
•Perhaps too focused on reading and writing with very little emphasis on speaking.
Recommended For:
•Business people who do a lot of writing/typing in English.
•Business people who want to increase their vocabulary and knowledge of common phrases.
•Classrooms of at least 3 people.
Overall, this is a great book, but for the learner focusing on speaking (like most people) it may not be the best course book to work with. However, it is a great book to help strengthen other skills such as listening and writing which in turn, strengthen your speaking ability. The extra resources are excellent for additional study and the group material in the book will enhance not only your English, but your business skills in the workplace as well. For a classroom, I cannot recommend this book enough for it will have the students brainstorming together, speaking, and taking part in role play activities that could very well mirror their actual jobs!
