Reviewer: Rob Stuart
29 June 2011
The introduction in the teacher’s book to English for Management Studies states that ‘English for Management Studies is designed for students who plan to take a management studies course entirely or partly in English. The principal aim… is to teach students to cope with input texts, i.e., listening and reading, in the discipline.’
The introduction also states that ‘The aim of the titles in the ESAP series is to prepare students for academic study in a particular discipline.’
This textbook serves a number of functions. It is primarily a text seeking to introduce students to a number of key concepts in the discipline of Management studies. Each unit focuses on a specific issue such as: what is leadership; production management; budgets, decisions and risks; marketing management. These topics are presented through simulated lectures (delivered in a variety of native-speaker accents) and readings. As well as introducing discipline specific topics, the book also focuses on a number of key EAP skills over the four skill areas.
These skills are summarised at the end of each unit in a brief ‘Skills Bank’ and cover such topics as: signposting in a lecture; types of academic essay; writing a bibliography and introductions and conclusions. These skill areas have been presented and practised in the relevant unit but really only serve as an introduction and would need to be developed by the student at a later stage. Having said that, as the stated aim of the series is ‘to prepare students for academic study…’ then the book works within its remit.
So who is this book aimed at? Students with a IELTS level 5 who are planning to take an undergraduate degree in Business Studies. This book would be ideal for a short summer course where the EAP skills might be supplemented and expanded. It is a very useful and accessible introduction to core concepts of a basic Business Studies course.
At 275 pages the teacher’s book is twice the length of the coursebook and gives suggestions for how each activity in each lesson should be presented. While this is useful for teachers new to the profession, more experienced teachers will find their own way around the material and thus be unlikely to slavishly follow the suggested path. However, for a teacher in a hurry who hasn’t got the time or inclination to work out answers for themselves, the teacher’s book serves admirably as a quick reference.
