"World Class is a new, two-level series from National Geographic Learning for high-intermediate and advanced English language learners. This integrated-skills program uses National Geographic content, images, and video to help learners expand their overall fluency while developing the tools and strategies necessary for effective, real-world communication." (Publisher's Website)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

UNIT 1: Language and life

Vocabulary
How do you communicate?

Grammar
Quantifiers

Listening
Lecture on communicating effectively
Strategy: Listening for definitions
Pronunciation: Stress on content words versus function words

Reading
What happens when a language dies? Language disappearing worldwide

Strategy: Working with restatement questions

Writing
Write a report summary
Strategy: Writing a report summary

Speaking
Present your report summary
Strategy: Interpreting the results and questioning the results

Video A hidden language recorded

UNIT 2: Money talks

Vocabulary
Your spending habits

Grammar
Noun clauses

Listening
Two big purchases: Are they worth it?
Strategy: Expressing an opinion (with connections)

Reading
Micro loans, macro impact
Strategy: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in a text

Writing
Write about advantages and disadvantages

Speaking
Convince a billionaire investor to loan you money

Video
Borrowing money

UNIT 3: Bright lights, big cities

Vocabulary
Cities of the world quiz

Grammar
Dynamic and stative passive

Listening
A trip to a 'green' city

Reading
Rapid urbanization: a case study
Strategy: Locating and reading statistics

Writing
Write a summary
Strategy: Guidelines on summary writing

Speaking
Talk about push/pull factors that impact migration

Video
Climate change drives nomads to cities

UNIT 4: You've got personality

Vocabulary
Daredevil or philosopher: What are you like?

Grammar
Making wishes

Listening
A challenging lab partner

Reading
Secrets of happiest places on earth

Writing
Compare and contrast yourself with another person

Speaking
Take a life satisfaction survey
Strategy: Making general specific comparisons

Video
The secrets of long life

UNIT 5: Mystery solved

Vocabulary
Animal mysteries

Grammar
Modals of possibility in the past, present, and future

Listening
A new story about a miraculous rescue

Reading
The boy with the amber necklace: 3500 years ago, Stonehenge was attracting visitors from all over the world. The question is: who were they?

Writing
Recount a story
Strategy: Using a graphic organizer to help you tell a story

Speaking
Explain mysterious places in the world
Strategy: Refuting a theory
Pronunciation: Differences between American English and British English

Video
Discoveries in a village near Stonehenge

UNIT 6: New horizons

Vocabulary
Robot revolution

Grammar
Predictions with future forms

Listening
The future of air travel
Strategy: Signal phrases

Reading
Making Mars the new Earth: What would it take to green the red planet, and should we do it?

Writing
Write a counterargument
Strategy: Making a counterargument

Speaking
Speak for a minute about space exploration

Video
Profiles in exploration

UNIT 7: Live and learn

Vocabulary
Kasparov versus the computer

Grammar
Noun clauses with wh- words and if/whether

Listening
Learning the different learning styles
Strategy: Understanding the meaning of know
Pronunciation: Reducing to schwa: to

Reading
The world is our classroom: traveller profile: Michael Palin
Strategy: Recognizing synonyms

Writing
Describe a life lesson
Strategy: Writing a thesis statement and a conclusion

Speaking
Sources of learning

Video
Student voices on university rankings

UNIT 8: The cult of celebrity

Vocabulary
Three famous people

Grammar
Reported questions

Listening
The most famous actress in the world

Reading
Celebrity endorsements: An interview with Ben Anderson, celebrity marketing expert
Strategy: Summarizing the writer's ideas

Writing
Write an opinion piece that contains both facts and opinions
Strategy: balancing facts and opinions

Speaking
Choose the perfect celebrity to endorse your product
Pronunciation: Intonation to show sarcasm and irony

Video
In the spotlight: Kate Middleton

UNIT 9: To your health

Vocabulary
Bad habits, healthy solutions

Grammar
Stating conditions: Other ways of expressing if

Listening
The importance of sleep
Strategy: Using visual aids

Reading
Nature's prescription

Writing
Write a cause and effect paragraph describing stress factors in your life
Strategy: Showing cause and effect

Speaking
Talk about factors that affect your physical and mental well-being

Video
How your brain handles stress
Pronunciation: Reducing to schwa: high frequency function words

UNIT 10: Our most precious resource

Vocabulary
Did you know?

Grammar
Articles: a/an, the, and no article

Listening
Water issues in everyday life
Strategy: Listening for the speaker's purpose

Reading
Majestic waters

Writing
Email for formal communication
Strategy: Using appropriate register

Speaking
Discuss how to restore a vacation spot to its former glory

Video
Jellyfish lake

UNIT 11: Inspired minds

Vocabulary
How we solve problems creatively

Grammar
Adjective clauses with object relative pronouns

Listening
A creative use of color

Reading
Lost Leonardo: The palazzo Vecchio is one of Florence's most beautiful public spaces, but its most important masterpiece isn't even there anymore... or is it?
Strategy: Identifying and understanding referents

Writing
Write a definition essay
Strategy: Writing a definition essay

Speaking
Evaluate different works of art: Are they art?
Strategy: The prominence of stress

Video
Urban Art: Graffiti

UNIT 12: What's so funny?

Vocabulary
The comedy of Jerry Seinfeld

Grammar
Tag questions
Pronunciation: Intonation in tag questions

Listening
What makes comedians funny?

Reading
Comic relief: The role of humor in society

Writing
Write a persuasive essay in support of a nominee for a prize

Speaking
A funny story using pauses and emphasis
Strategy: Using pauses and emphasis

Video
The immigrant

For Advanced (C1-C2 - CEFR) ESL learners.