Skills For Success Listening And Speaking May 2026

The access code provides a massive amount of extra material: auto-graded listening comprehension quizzes, vocabulary flashcards, and additional speaking prompts. The "progress tracking" feature is excellent for teachers monitoring homework compliance.

The 3rd edition has significantly upgraded its audio/video content. You won’t find slow, scripted dialogues. Instead, students hear real lectures, NPR-style news clips, and unscripted interviews with natural pace, hesitations, and accents (including non-native English speakers). This is brutal for beginners but excellent for real-world preparation.

Every unit explicitly teaches a Cornell-style note-taking strategy (e.g., using abbreviations, outlines, mind maps). Unlike other books that treat notes as an afterthought, this one integrates them directly into the listening comprehension tasks and speaking assessments.