Speak English Like an American

Remember your good old English textbook which started with an introduction of the characters who would be in the dialogs throughout the units? That's how this book is laid out. Idioms are contextualized and there are various consolidation exercises between units to reinforce them. The accompanying CD is very clear and the voices convey the moods of the characters - although I must say that the man who does Bob's voice sounds incredibly boring at times as his voice doesn't seem to show much pitch variation. Some of the idioms are already known to most high-intermediate students, but there are many others to learn, so it can certainly satisfy those students who resent not having enough "real-life" vocabulary in class. It may also be useful for the student working on his own, once the explanations are very clear. In a nutshell: It's worth buying if you're looking for a simple - yet effective - way to explore the most common idioms of American English.