Used by permission and adapted from Speakout 2nd edition Intermediate Students' Book (ISBN: 9781292115948).

DVD-ROM includes clips and scripts as well as interviews and scripts.

"American Speakout is a new, comprehensive six-level General American English Course for adults. The course integrates authentic video from popular BBC programs and real life situations in every unit and builds the skills and knowledge learners need to express themselves confidently in a real English-speaking environment.

Adapted from the successful Speakout 2nd Edition and aligned with the Global Scale of English, American Speakout features tips on differences between American English and British English vocabulary, usage, and idioms as well as pointers on global English. While new audio focuses on students' acquisition of American English, a range of international accents in supporting material hones students' listening skills and readiness to communicate in our increasingly global world." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Unit 1 IDENTITY Interviews: What does family mean to you?

1.1 Me and My Languages
Grammar/Function: question forms
Vocabulary: language
Pronunciation: intonation: wh- questions
Reading: read about bilingualism
Speaking: talk about important dates in your life
Writing: write an email of introduction

1.2 Same or different?
Grammar/Function: review of verb tenses
Vocabulary: relationships; collocations
Pronunciation: word stress
Listening/DVD: listen to a set of instructions and do a test
Speaking: talk about the differences between men and women

1.3 Tell Me about yourself
Grammar/Function: talking about yourself
Vocabulary: interview advice
Pronunciation: intonation: sounding polite
Listening/DVD: listen to three interviews
Speaking: role-play an interview

1.4 The Blind Painter
Listening/DVD: The Blind Painter: watch a documentary about a blind artist
Speaking: speak about yourself for 60 seconds
Writing: write a personal description

Unit 2 TALES
Interviews - When is it OK to tell a lie?

2.1 Fact or fiction?
Grammar/Function: present perfect and past simple
Vocabulary: types of story; prepositions
Pronunciation: weak forms: have
Listening/DVD: listen to a radio program about films
Speaking: talk about life stories

2.2 What really happened?
Grammar/Function: narrative tenses
Vocabulary: the news
Pronunciation: weak forms: had, was, were
Reading: read an article about conspiracy theories
Listening/DVD: listen to news reports
Speaking: talk about an important news event
Writing: write a news report

2.3 I don't believe it!
Grammar/Function: telling a story
Vocabulary: say/tell
Pronunciation: intonation: sounding interested Reading: read a text about lying
Listening/DVD: listen to a woman telling a story
Speaking: tell a true story or a lie

2.4 Hustle
Listening/DVD: Hustle: watch a drama about an art thief
Speaking: tell a narrative
Writing: write a newspaper article

Unit 3 FUTURE
Interviews - Can new technology help communication?

3.1 Making Plans
Grammar/Function: the future (plans)
Vocabulary: organization
Pronunciation: fast speech: going to
Listening/DVD: listen to people making plans
Speaking: discuss your plans and arrangements
Writing: write a series of messages

3.2 Tomorrow's World
Grammar/Function: the future (predictions)
Vocabulary: future time markers; idioms
Pronunciation: stress in time markers
Reading: read an article about the future
Speaking: talk about predictions

3.3 In other words...
Grammar/Function: dealing with misunderstandings
Vocabulary: misunderstandings
Pronunciation: linking in connected speech
Listening/DVD: listen to a series of misunderstandings
Speaking: explain misunderstandings

3.4 YouTube
Listening/DVD: YouTube: watch a documentary about the rise of YouTube
Speaking: discuss how to create a video channel
Writing: write a proposal

Unit 4 JOBS
Interviews - Is your job a "dream job"?

4.1 Millionaires
Grammar/Function: must/have to/should (obligation)
Vocabulary: personal qualities; confusing words
Pronunciation: fast speech: have to
Reading: read an article about millionaires
Speaking: discuss how important becoming a millionaire is for you

4.2 Dream Job
Grammar/Function: used to, would
Vocabulary: extreme adjectives
Pronunciation: intonation: emphasis; linking: used to
Reading: read a cover letter
Listening/DVD: listen to people describing dream jobs gone wrong
Speaking: talk about past habits
Writing: write a cover letter

4.3 That's a Good Idea
Grammar/Focus: reaching agreement
Vocabulary: business
Pronunciation: sentence stress
Listening/DVD: listen to people making decisions in a meeting
Speaking: participate in a meeting

4.4 Gavin and Stacey
Listening/DVD: Gavin and Stacey: watch a comedy about a man's first day in a new job
Speaking: describe a day in your life
Writing: write about your daily routine

Unit 5 SOLUTIONS
Interviews - Are you good at solving problems?

5.1 Low-Tech Solutions
Grammar/Function: comparatives and superlatives
Vocabulary: technology
Pronunciation: syllable stress
Reading: read about some low-tech solutions
Speaking: talk about inventions over the last 100 years
Writing: write an advantages/disadvantages essay

5.2 Ask the Experts
Grammar/Function: question tags
Vocabulary: information; word building: adjectives
Pronunciation: intonation: question tags
Reading: read a book review
Listening/DVD: listen to people answering difficult questions
Speaking: present and answer questions about your area of expertise

5.3 It's Out of Order
Grammar/Function: polite requests
Vocabulary: intonation: polite requests
Listening/DVD: listen to conversations about technical problems
Speaking: explain/solve problems

5.4 Man versus Machine
Listening/DVD: Top Gear: watch a program about a race between a car and two people
Speaking: present a new machine
Writing: write an advertisement

Unit 6 EMOTION
Interviews - How are you feeling today?

6.1 Feeling stressed?
Grammar/Function: real conditionals
Vocabulary: -ing/-ed adjectives; multi-word verbs
Pronunciation: weak forms: pronouns + 'll
Reading: read about basic emotions
Listening/DVD: listen to a radio show about therapies
Speaking: talk about emotions

6.2 The People Watchers
Grammar/Function: hypothetical conditional: present/future
Vocabulary: verb-noun collocations
Pronunciation: connected speech: would
Reading: read about a program The People Watchers
Speaking: discuss what you would do in different situations
Writing: write an email of advice

6.3 That's great news!
Grammar/Function: giving news
Vocabulary: life events
Pronunciation: intonation: giving bad news
Reading: read about good ways to give bad news
Listening/DVD: listen to conversations where people hear news
Speaking: give/respond to news

6.4 My Worst Week
Listening/DVD: My Worst Week: watch a program about a man's terrible day
Speaking: talk about memorable moments
Writing: write a website entry

Unit 7 SUCCESS Interviews - What has been your greatest achievement to date?

7.1 The Secret of Success
Grammar/Function: present perfect simple versus continuous
Vocabulary: success; verb phrases
Pronunciation: weak forms: have
Listening/DVD: listen to a radio program about success
Speaking: talk about success

7.2 The Memory Man
Grammar/Function: present and past ability
Vocabulary: ability
Pronunciation: word stress
Reading: read a biographical text
Listening/DVD: listen to a conversation about memory
Speaking: talk about your abilities
Writing: write a summary

7.3 Are you qualified?
Grammar/Function: clarifying opinions
Vocabulary: qualifications
Pronunciation: stress patterns: short phrases
Reading: read about three job candidates
Listening/DVD: listen to a discussion about intelligence
Speaking: give/clarify opinions

7.4 Andy Murray
Listening/DVD: Andy Murray: watch a documentary about Andy Murray
Speaking: describe an achievement
Writing: write an Internet post

Unit 8 COMMUNITIES
Interviews - What makes a good neighbor?

8.1 Neighbors
Grammar/Function: articles and quantifiers
Vocabulary: getting along; compound nouns
Pronunciation: stress patterns: compound nouns
Reading: read an article about neighbors
Speaking: describe your neighborhood

8.2 My Place in Cyberspace
Grammar/Function: relative clauses
Vocabulary: the Internet
Pronunciation: pausing for effect
Reading: read about the rise of YouTube Listening/DVD: listen to descriptions of online communities
Speaking: compare real-world and online activities
Writing: write a website review

8.3 Make Yourself at Home
Grammar/Function: being a good guest Vocabulary: welcoming
Pronunciation: linking words
Listening/DVD: listen to people describing guest/host experiences
Speaking: discuss social situations

8.4 Tribe
Listening/DVD: Tribe: Anuta: watch a documentary about a remote community
Speaking: design a community
Writing: write a web advertisement

Unit 9 HISTORY
Interviews - Do you think life is better now than in the past?

9.1 Giant Leaps
Grammar/Function: hypothetical conditional: past
Vocabulary: history
Pronunciation: word stress: contractions
Reading: read about important moments in history
Speaking: talk about important events in history
Writing: write a short essay

9.2 In Our Time
Grammar/Function: active versus passive
Vocabulary: periods of time; collocations
Pronunciation: weak forms: are, has been, was and were
Reading: read about time travel
Listening/DVD: listen to descriptions of past decades
Speaking: talk about your own history

9.3 I Have No Idea!
Grammar/Function: expressing uncertainty
Vocabulary: describing people
Pronunciation: intonation: showing interest
Reading: read a quiz about famous people in history
Listening/DVD: listen to people taking a quiz about famous people in history
Speaking: compile and take a quiz

9.4 Michelangelo
Listening/DVD: The Divine Michelangelo: watch a documentary about the life and work of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Speaking: describe a person who influenced you
Writing: write a wiki entry

Unit 10 WORLD
Interviews - What are the biggest problems facing the world today?

10.1 Ethical man
Grammar/Function: reported speech
Vocabulary: the environment; word building: prefixes
Pronunciation: weak forms: auxiliary verbs
Reading: read about a man who tried to live ethically for a year
Speaking: discuss ideas for reducing plastic waste

10.2 World Food
Grammar/Function: verb patterns
Vocabulary: reporting verbs
Pronunciation: weak forms: to, for, that
Listening/DVD: listen to descriptions of the world's best food cities
Speaking: recommend a city for food
Writing: write a restaurant review

10.3 When you travel, ....
Grammar/Function: giving advice/warnings
Vocabulary: airports
Pronunciation: individual sounds: vowels
Reading: read advice about what not to do in an airport
Listening/DVD: listen to people giving advice/warnings
Speaking: ask for/give travel advice

10.4 The Great Melt
Listening/DVD: Nature's Great Events: The Great Melt: watch a documentary about the Arctic's melting ice caps
Speaking: talk about an endangered place
Writing: write an email campaigning for action

Irregular Verbs

Language Bank

Vocabulary Bank

Communication Bank

Audio Scripts