Encounters Abroad
Michael P. Critchley. Tokyo: Nan 'Un-Do,
2007. pp. 96. Y2,200.
lSBN : 978-4-523-17567-4.
Reviewed by Pino Cutrone,
Siebold University of Nagasaki

Encounters Abroad has many appealing qualities for use in EFL and ESL contexts. While the book may be designed specifically for Japanese students in an EFL context, it seems best suited for students who aspire to travel as the situations and language used in the book take place in an ESL context. Four things particularly impressed me about this book.

First was the clear and coherent manner in which the lessons were structured, which makes this a user friendly book for teachers and students alike. Second, as this book is available in both English and Japanese, teachers have the flexibility to use it with multiple proficiency levels ranging from false beginners to upper intermediate students. Twenty one low-intermediate level university students that participated in a pilot study of the English version of this book responded well. Third, the 10 units and 2 review units are designed to be covered in 36 hours; thus, the time structure of this book would seem to fit in well with the time frame that many colleges and universities offer for a class during the academic year (i.e., 90-minute classes that meet twice a week for a 15-week semester or classes that meet once a week for 30 weeks). Fourth, illustrating with photos, diagrams, and cartoons, all in color, Critchley has managed to achieve the perfect balance in making this book fun for students, while at the same time producing a serious and pedagogically sound course book for teachers.

The units in Encounters Abroad gradually increase in difficulty, and the language presented in each unit is recycled through the text, giving the students the reinforcement that is essential for SLA to occur (Kinoshita, 2003). Each unit begins with the statement of an explicit communicative function. Subsequently, students are shown a model conversation of how an advanced speaker might achieve this objective. Students then have an opportunity to become more familiar with the unit's target language by practicing language patterns and communication points in a range of exercises that directly support this objective. The goal of each unit is to have the students, on their own, ultimately create and carry out a conversation that achieves the unit's objective. While there is some focus on grammar in each unit, lessons do not rely on rote learning to achieve their objective. Rather, consistent with current trends in ELT methodology, the negotiation of meaning in personalized and authentic situations is seen as the most important factor in helping students develop their proficiencies (Cutrone 2004).

Each unit in the book is centered on a model conversation which allows students to see how the unit's language focus, vocabulary and communication points might look when assembled and used in a complete conversation. The model conversations used in this book are especially effective due to the authentic and realistic nature of the language and situations presented. For instance, in the first conversation in unit 1, a Japanese vacationer is sitting next to an English-speaking person on a trip to Canada, and a conversation between the two ensues. This is the type of situation that can actually occur in students' lives, and as my pilot study of this book revealed, students' realization of this will go a long way towards increasing their motivation, which has long been documented as a problem area in Japanese universities (Shimizu, 1995). Other situations in this book that students will likely experience in their travels include ordering a meal, renting a car, getting directions, hotel situations, and dealing with immigration issues.

This book is supported in every way imaginable. Each book has an attached mini-phrasebook and CD, on which all of the dialogues in the book are recorded. Listening transcripts for these dialogues can be found at the back of the book. This textbook is available in a Japanese and an English version. This allows a teacher to use the same textbook in multi-level classes; the Japanese version provides extra support for beginners, while the English edition would be the choice for higher level students. There is a teacher's manual that can be used with either version of the book. For further assessment tools, quizzes, and other teaching resources, teachers can access the Encounters website <www.encounters.jp>.

In conclusion, Encounters Abroad is ideal for use in the introductory English Communication (i.e., speaking and listening) and travel courses that are widespread in the private sector and in universities and colleges in Japan. In my opinion, teachers will find this book to be a good alternative to the usual EFL texts because it presents the material in a different way which is sure to energize EFL classes in Japan.

References
Cutrone, P. (2004). Designing and implementing a task-based syllabus for a business EFL class. The Journal of Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, 7, 57-67 .

Kinoshita, C. Y. (2003). Integrating language learning strategy instruction into ESL / EFL lessons. The Internet TESL Journal, 9(4). Retrieved September 24, 2007, from <iteslj.org:80 / Techniques / Kinoshita-Strategy.html>

Shimizu, K. (1995). Japanese college student attitudes towards English teachers: A survey. The Language Teacher, 19(10). Retrieved August 17, 2007 , from <www.jalt-publications.org /tlt/files/95/oct/shimizu.html>