The Best Coursebooks to Learn English Today

YouTube tutorials, podcast series, language apps, storybooks. Today, there are endless resources to learn English. However, in my own experience as a teacher, no other method is as comprehensive and effective as a great English book. Unlike most online language resources such as podcasts and language apps, modern coursebooks to learn English are designed by trusted teams of educators, and they present a carefully balanced lesson aimed at training students in all language skills.

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In order to know whether an English book is the best choice for you or your children, you have to ask yourself three questions:

• Is this book specialized for children, teenagers, or adults?

   

• Was it written by experts?

   

• Does this book present a balanced, flexible approach to learning?

Below, we will present you with a definitive guide to the most dynamic English book series to check out in 2022.

Best Coursebook for Children: Let’s Go

After more than ten years of teaching English, I am convinced that the greatest challenge for any language teacher is to keep children focused and motivated for one hour. Luckily, there is an English book for young learners that excels at doing this thanks to its attractive design and playful methodology.

The Let’s Go textbooks, which are targeted towards an age range of 5–13 years of age, were developed by Oxford University Press and released in 1990. Its fifth and latest edition, published in 2019, is one of the best-selling English books for children in over 160 countries around the world.

But what makes Let’s Go so special?

Unlike more traditional textbooks, Let’s Go is full of collaborative tasks that promote interaction, teamwork, problem-solving, and lots of fun. Thanks to a trusted methodology that keeps improving with every new edition, the authors present relevant linguistic content in digestible chunks, making every unit feel like a game with a clear goal.

Key features:

• Beautiful animated videos that bring color and energy into every class.
• NEW two-level Beginner series for young children with alphabet tasks and mnemonic activities to learn letters and sounds.
• Teacher’s Resource Center that allows teachers or parents to make the most out of each lesson with an easy-to-access library of teaching resources.
• Interactive games and catchy songs in every unit to make topics more fun and memorable for children.

Levels available:

• Level 1 – Beginner
• Level 2 – Elementary
• Level 3 – Pre-Intermediate
• Level 4 – Intermediate
• Level 5 – High Intermediate

Best Coursebook for Teenagers: The More! Series

As teenagers become increasingly immersed in the digital world, it takes a really great book that just bursts with brilliant ideas to catch their attention. More!, a four-level course for high school students, was designed by a team of experts with this goal in mind.

The course offers more than 80 hours of class materials that draw on a wide range of multimedia platforms to make every unit varied, engaging, and memorable. Besides up-to-date cultural debate sections, the book features an innovative cross-curricular approach that will have students exploring different areas of knowledge while they acquire English skills naturally. What is more, the book comes with a personalized testbuilder CD-ROM that creates interactive quizzes based on every student’s needs.

Key features:

• The Cyber Homework feature provides extra activities (which are automatically marked) on whatever subject students want to revise. This platform also allows students to message one another.
• Cross-curricular learning files that allow students to learn Geography, Maths, Technology, Science and Music “through English”.
• The “Read More for pleasure” section encourages students to delve deeper into the topics they enjoyed the most.
• The “Learn More about Culture” is a fascinating feature that allows learners to explore different cultural aspects of English-speaking countries.

Levels available:

• Level 1 (Elementary)
• Level 2 (Pre-Intermediate)
• Level 3 (Intermediate)
• Level 4 (Upper-Intermediate)

Best Coursebook for Adults: The English File Series

As an educator who specializes in teaching adults, I can tell you that English File is hands down the most complete English coursebook out there. Published by the Oxford University Press, the English File series is a four-skill course that explores engaging topics through a communicative methodology, without disregarding formal aspects of the language such as grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

What sets English File apart from more traditional textbooks is that it gets students talking from the very beginning. Thanks to its unique and proven approach that combines high interest, humor, motivation, and confidence-building, you will find yourself wanting to find the words to express your ideas about the varied topics presented in each lesson.

What’s more, the coursebook follows a unique approach to grammar and vocabulary that lets students explore structures and groups of words from an intuitive perspective, allowing them to reflect on what they already know before presenting them with theory and further practice.

Key features:

• A Writing Bank where students do real-life tasks such as writing an e-mail to a friend, an application letter, an academic essay, etc.
• A Sound Bank that learners can resort to every time they need help with pronunciation. In this section, they will find all English sounds with sample words, as well as spelling-to-sound rules.
• A Practical English section with engaging videos that focus on specific linguistic functions such as Checking into a hotel, Ordering food in a restaurant, and Asking for directions.
• Digital tools including Test Generator CD-ROMs, DVDs, and access to exclusive websites.

Levels available:

• Beginner
• Elementary
• Pre-Intermediate
• Intermediate
• Intermediate Plus
• Upper-Intermediate
• Advanced
• Advanced Plus

Go Beyond the Textbook!

Textbooks are invaluable resources for committed English learners, but they do not replace turos. On the contrary, the best way to capitalize on the many features that modern English coursebooks offer is to do a one-to-one course with a professional English tutor who can answer your questions, give you personalized feedback, and above all, can provide you with lots of opportunities for speaking.

At Lovlan, you can find qualified tutors who specialize in tailoring lesson plans according to every learner’s preferences and objectives. But instead of us choosing who we think is the best match for you, we let you make your own choice.

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Explore our online pool of teachers now, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about how our platform works!