I compared New Interchange to several other well-known ESL series. New Interchange is better integrated (level to level), and the video component is a big plus because of the applicability and realism it brings to the classroom.
New Interchange has more survival tips and vocabulary woven into the texts. These features become very important once you take the books out of the box and try to make them work in the classroom.
We are all very happy with New Interchange.
– Sandi Starr, Adult ESL Program Director,
Bellaire High School, Houston ISD
The Interchange series is a standard for the ESL publishing industry. Dr. Richards has created a very successful tool – useful for not only instructing your students, but also for inspiring them. The immediate benefits of using Interchange show themselves very quickly: while the students learn the language in a way that is natural and interesting to them, the teacher learns more about his or her own teaching style (as well as new and effective ways to instruct an ESL class) … a highly recommendable set of books to use.
– Korea TESOL Journal
One of the best things about Interchange is that the lessons always encourage the students to participate using information from their own lives. This makes class more fun and keeps students' interests high.
– International Language Training Consultants,
Tokyo, Japan
Teachers committed to providing the best opportunities for their students to learn English will find in Interchange a valuable tool.
– Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
New Interchange CD-ROMs
. . . last year we purchased both the New Interchange
1 and the New Interchange 2 CD-ROMs and
I just wanted to let you know how happy we've been
with them.
We're
using the software at all three of our campuses in
each of the language labs, and the software has been
a hit with everyone, even though our ESL students
are a diverse group with varying levels of education!
Students even have to be asked to return to their
classrooms because they don't want to stop using the
software.
The
software complements our academically focused ESL
program, which emphasizes reading and writing, but
the software also supplements listening and speaking
practice, which is limited in our program. The videos
that are a part of each lesson are interesting and
cover a number of important topics, including things
about American culture (the garage sale, for example).
In addition, the students can record their own voices
to work on their pronunciation. In one of our classes,
we have also bought the accompanying text, but without
the accompanying text, we have had just as much success
using the software. As the underlying grammar is covered
in any ESL course and the topics can pertain to any
class, it is easy to find units that match the class,
no matter what the text.
The
only other program that I've seen that is as complete
as the New Interchange software is the ELLIS
software. Of course, the difference is that the ELLIS
software has prohibitive costs while the New Interchange
software is quite affordable. Our grant has paid for
the software, but a student could purchase it just
as easily.
.
. . I get inspired every time I start to talk about
this software. I highly recommend it and I thank Cambridge
for such a great product. . . .
—
Liz Restivo, Language Instruction and Assessment,
Saint Augustine College, Chicago, USA
New
Interchange and Passages
Our
students love working with New Interchange
and Passages. We tried out several texts before
deciding on New Interchange and Passages
and we haven't been sorry. The tasks in the book get
the student enthusiastically involved. We use all
the components: Teacher's Edition, Workbook, Class
Audio, Student's Audio, Video, CD-ROM, and the Teacher-Training
Video. They definitely enhance our courses. After
working with New Interchange for several years
while searching for the ideal follow-up text, we welcomed
Passages, which really leads our students to
a high Intermediate level. The timely topics directly
involve our students, leading them to more mature
writing. The Teacher-Training Video provides a springboard
to discussion among our teachers. New Interchange
and Passages have definitely been a positive
addition to our program.
—
Gail Brown, Academic Director,
Instituto Cultural
Peruano Norteamericano, Peru
New Interchange Video 3
I
have received this video at almost the middle of the
semester; my students have seen units six and seven.
The students and I are very delighted to have this
added dimension to clarify many learning concepts.
This
video presents a wealth of information that reinforces
the student book and workbook. In unit seven ("Saving
Florida's Manatees") the video is tailored precisely
to the objective of the unit as it presents through
very clear examples an endangered species, the manatee,
and the environmental factors that threaten its survival.
The oral language used throughout this video unit
repeats over and over passive sentences in the present
perfect and progressive tenses, thereby giving an
added dimension of how this new academic structure
is utilized in everyday experiences by native speakers.
I
truly look forward to the upcoming video units.
—
Federico E. Fenn Grier, Esol Level 3 Instructor
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