New Century English Speaking Course 1

Author: Li Huadong et al. (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Each unit includes five major sections:
Conversations (Conversations) – Provide one or more authentic cross-cultural context dialogue samples that demonstrate the unit's functions, suitable for listening practice, imitation, and role-playing, preparing for the following functional device learning and practice.
Functional Devices (Functional Devices) – Offer commonly used functional expressions. Some functional "devices" are not complete sentences but words or phrases. As is well known, some functions can even be achieved through non-verbal methods such as expressions, gestures, postures, or silence.
Functional Practice (Functional Practice) – This exercise model is similar to the "pattern drills" commonly used in the "Audio-Lingual Method." Although it may appear somewhat mechanical, it helps develop accuracy and serves as the foundation for flexible application of functional devices.
Communication Activities (Communication Activities) – Include highly flexible, contextually authentic cross-cultural communication activities. Students can flexibly use functional devices and unleash their creativity in language use to achieve communicative goals, thereby cultivating fluency.
Writing (Writing) – Combining cross-cultural contexts, it emphasizes the communicative purpose of writing, consolidates learned content, develops logical thinking skills, and enhances oral coherence. Additionally, each unit selects some wisdom quotes (Words of Wisdom) to deepen the understanding of the unit's theme. Teachers can use them as appropriate, such as having students memorize them, incorporating them into communicative activities, or using them to organize discussions and debates.
Some units also include English songs (A Song for the Theme), which not only liven up the atmosphere and boost interest in language learning but also significantly improve pronunciation and intonation, especially the rhythm, assimilation, elision, and linking of intonation. The song lyrics are related to the unit's theme, and fill-in-the-blank exercises are designed to train listening skills and deepen understanding of the theme.
This textbook can be used as a required or elective oral English course material or for self-study.
Target Audience:
University students (including English majors, foreign trade majors) enrolled in undergraduate or junior/senior college programs;
Master's and doctoral students currently enrolled;
Students preparing for the College English Oral Test;
English oral training participants for overseas study;
Various social English oral training participants; and
Self-study English oral learners.