If suddenly on the cover of the textbook you are about to buy, there is a phone booth, a hairstyle from the past and a farmer with a haystack and a pitchfork - don't buy it! This book is out of date. To make the choice a little easier, we have selected 15 of the most suitable textbooks for effectively learning English.
There are several facts to keep in mind when choosing the right study guide.
- Refine your level of English. Any tests from the Internet can help (we recommend the British Council test).
- After determining the level, we proceed to the next stage: the formulation of the goal, that is, the final result of language learning - mastering business English, entering an English-speaking university, etc. You can find a lot of educational literature, specialized and general, the most preferable in a particular situation.
- Additional resources should be examined and selected. For example, for people whose main channel of perception is the auditory one (information is well remembered by ear), as well as those who want to work out English pronunciation or listening skills, manuals with audio versions will be most suitable. If the visual channel of perception is the main one, then illustrated educational literature will do.
- It is imperative to check yourself, so be guided by tests and exercises where there are keys and correct answers. And for lovers of interactive learning, online components will be most suitable: exercises in the form of games and videos.
Any textbook can be supplemented with, for example, the FluentU multimedia learning tool. It allows you to learn the language by immersion, through music videos, trailers and movie clips, lectures. Such individual lessons with the help of interactive subtitles, vocabulary cards, text transcripts help to actively master new material. This is an effective method that makes it easier to start applying the knowledge gained in practice; videos are categorized by genre and difficulty level, and views are compiled.
15 best textbooks for every level
Since there are a lot of English textbooks on store shelves, it is rather difficult to find the most suitable one. We offer a ranking of 15 tutorials that meet our high requirements!
We'll start with five beginners' textbooks, continue with four intermediate tutorials, three grammar books, two business English, and topping the ranking is an academic English textbook.
5 tutorials for beginners
English for Everyone Course Book: Level 1 Beginner
A series of textbooks by the renowned British publishing house DK "English for Everyone" specializes in nonfiction and teaching aids. Main topics: work, leisure, home and life. These are self-explanatory activities for self-study and implementation. The book includes vocabulary and texts + useful audio lessons (via the mobile application and online).
Cutting Edge: Elementary
An excellent tutorial is Cutting Edge, which can be purchased in different combinations:
- interactive electronic textbook
- basic tutorial
- workbook with keys
- teacher guide
- online audio
- access to the online English laboratory
- DVD or CD.
The Basic Tutorial from DVD includes 12 lessons and consists of speaking exercises, video and audio exercises. Topics - global issues and cultural phenomena.
The main advantage of this course is the online English laboratory MyEnglishLab, which contains audio and video materials for learning, interactive lessons with the ability to record your own speech: this is useful for self-study of the language, while developing pronunciation and speaking skills.
Practice Makes Perfect: Basic English
Practice Makes Perfect is a training course with a wide variety of interactive exercises. This textbook is like a large workbook with short lessons and extended hands-on activities for fun.
The course includes 53 lessons focused on the study of possessive pronouns, verb tenses, prepositions + 40 exercises to practice pronunciation + tasks for speaking and a graph of achievements. There is an application for a smartphone or PC.
English Made Easy: Volume One
The English Made Easy series of textbooks will be especially useful for those who are better at comprehending visual images. The entire tutorial is based on visual content containing numerous illustrations. It consists of 20 lessons, at the beginning of which there is a mandatory list of active vocabulary, grammar, phonetic recommendations. Lesson topics: acquaintance, conversations on general topics, shopping, professions, time.
Global Beginner Coursebook
Macmillan English publishes the textbook "Global Beginner: Coursebook". This manual is intended for an adult audience and includes a variety of materials on global and global topics. The course includes an electronic workbook with audio assignments for pronunciation, additional exercises and resources.
4 tutorials for intermediate level
American English File: Level 4
The American English File series presents a wide variety of learning topics, from the grammatical phenomena of American English to writing conversational phrases in e-mail. The main goal is to increase the speaking ability of students, therefore, special attention is paid to pronunciation skills, exercises are illustrated.
The training course includes a workbook with practical assignments and a disc with video content.
English Unlimited: Intermediate Coursebook
English Unlimited is an excellent series of textbooks aimed at developing communication skills. The topics of the course are suitable for residents of different countries, and the language of instruction is lively and spoken. It includes a conversational trainer, background information, a self-study methodology, and other essential resources, such as a DVD for building your own portfolio and tracking progress.
Insight: Advanced
Oxford University Press's Insight textbook series focuses on English literature and culture. There are already more complex tasks, after studying which you can apply your knowledge in an academic and professional English-speaking environment.
The manual includes 10 lessons, each of which contains repetition exercises and a list of active vocabulary. At the end is a glossary of active vocabulary throughout the textbook. Additionally, you can purchase an audio CD, online exercises and a workbook.
High-Level Everyday English
"High-Level Everyday English" - a textbook that is useful for the advanced level with the assimilation of active vocabulary, idioms and fixed expressions. It is ideal for self-study of business English, for students of English-speaking universities and teachers, for translators. It uses real-life dialogues and practical examples, self-test exercises, and an audio CD.
3 English grammar textbooks
Oxford English Grammar Course
The Oxford English Grammar Course is available for three levels of language proficiency. These grammar aids consist of written and oral reading exercises, illustrated examples, and short explanations. The tutorial includes an electronic teacher's guide with additional materials, available for free download. The manual with the help of tasks on an audio CD allows you not only to master grammar, but also to work on intonation and pronunciation.
Clear grammar
The Clear Grammar series consists of four books focusing on English grammar, speaking and reading skills. The book includes spreadsheets, short lessons, and assignments, and online exercises can be used to track your progress.
ESL Grammar
ESL Grammar textbook - for advanced students. The training is based on short and simple grammar lessons with practical tasks for mastering the material. The course includes an audio disc with additional resources and vocabulary games.
2 business English textbooks
New International Business English
New International Business English is suitable for Upper-intermediate level. It includes 15 lessons for different types of business interaction: telephone conversations, business meetings, reporting, vocabulary in sales and marketing.
ESL Business English
A course from Lucas Burns, a business English teacher. The ESL Business English textbook covers the main aspects of Business English: letters and emails, public speaking and presentations, telephone calls, marketing and banking fundamentals, etc.
The Ultimate Guide to Academic English
Cambridge Academic English
The Cambridge Academic English curriculum is designed for three levels of difficulty and is intended for students of English-speaking universities and colleges with a wide range of academic disciplines. It includes audio and video interviews with Cambridge University students, seminars, lectures and lessons that can be taken in any order. One of the main goals of this textbook is to develop listening skills, the ability to take notes in English and lead a discussion.
