ELT Author and Editor
EAP/Advanced Levels Specialist
Academic Editor/Proofreader

I am excited to share some details about the new edition of Critical Reading, now available from TC Media ELT.

 

The Old Book

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The first edition of Critical Reading (2015) grew out of my own teaching in a university EAP program. I was given a course called “Critical Reading” and I couldn’t find a suitable book, so I wrote all my own material. Pearson (as TC Media ELT was back then) liked what I was doing, and the rest is history.

 

Why a New Edition?

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While the old book had a lot of useful material, it was getting a little dated. It had readings about The Hunger Games and Lance Armstrong, and even one that referred to Donald Trump as the host of a TV show. A lot has happened since 2015! There were also things I wanted to add that were not in the first edition. It was time to revisit the book and bring it up to date.

 

What’s Still the Same?

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1. A systematic approach

The book takes students through a systematic approach to the critical analysis of a text. As they work through the book, students learn to approach a text critically in three stages: before, during, and after they read. They learn to distinguish academic from non-academic text; they consider who the author is and what biases might be present; they evaluate empirical research; they compare the text to other materials on the same subject; and they look at the text in the context of their own experiences and beliefs.

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2. Three sections in each unit

Each unit is divided into three sections: (a) a pre-reading section in which the unit’s main skill is taught; (b) the readings; and (c) a post-reading section, which introduces further skills and presents opportunities to move beyond the texts.

 

3. Authentic texts from around the world

Reading texts are authentic, coming from print and online materials published in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and South Africa.  

 

4. For advanced-level EAP students

The book is intended for students working at CEFR B2 and above. They could be students in the final stages of an EAP program in an English-speaking university or in a pre-sessional EAP course; or they could be students studying in English in their home country. The book gives students the analytical skills they need to succeed in their studies regardless of the location or subject area.

 

What’s New and Improved?

 

1. ​New subject areas

All subject areas have been changed. Subject areas in the new edition are mathematics; business; anthropology/geography; engineering; health sciences; psychology; media studies; computer studies; environmental studies; sociology/economics; and biology.

 

2. New and engaging content

I have tried to use topics that students find interesting and relevant to their own lives. Which jobs are threatened by AI (Unit 1)? How can we protect ourselves from scammers (Unit 8)? What should we say to climate change deniers (Unit 9)? These questions, and many more, form the basis of the book. Unit 7 looks at photographs and how they can be used to manipulate thought. This is one of the units that most clearly allows the teacher to bring in local content.

 

3. A new unit on website analysis

The first edition had ten units, each with three readings. The second edition has two readings in each unit. I did this to allow space for two new units. The first new unit (Unit 4) presents a model for website analysis. Students practice this by looking up health advice on the internet—something we have probably all done.

 

4. A new unit on non-academic text

The second new unit (Unit 8) focuses on the kinds of materials students might encounter when researching an essay topic, namely magazine and newspaper stories. What can be inferred from these stories? How is language used to manipulate thought?

 

5. More extensive pre-reading sections

While the skills presented in each unit mirror those in the first edition, they are presented more thoroughly and with more practice. Unit 3 addresses the audience and purpose of a text, with readings on why planes don’t fall out of the sky. Unit 6 is all about research, and students learn about a large-scale study comparing the skills of male and female soccer players. These pre-reading activities were some of the most fun sections to write.

 

6. New skills in the post-reading sections

Similarly, the post-reading sections are more detailed. A new addition here is a further skill in each unit: annotating (Unit 2); understanding fake news, conspiracy theories, and clickbait (Unit 4); recognizing false logic (Unit 6); questioning the connection between culture and critical thinking (Unit 10); and much more. Also in this section, students will find additional vocabulary work, as well as opportunities to carry out independent research projects.

 

7. A new focus on creativity

Along with critical thinking, creativity is recognized as a key 21st-century skill, and the extension activities at the end of each unit allow students to carry out surveys, design brochures, take their own photographs, carry out a citizen science project, come up with a new use for an old building in their own city, and more.

 

8. A stronger focus on language

Readers of the book will notice a number of charts and tables in the pre-reading sections. Here, I have added examples of the kind of language readers might look out for. For example, in Unit 2, students learn about the connotations of specific words, such as cheap vs. affordable, or unique vs. bizarre.

 

9. A stronger focus on academic vocabulary

There is a greater emphasis on vocabulary. I have emphasized the Academic Word List in a way that was not present in the first edition. Highlighting AWL words in the pre-reading sections allowed me to focus on nearly 100 words that appear in many subject areas; most are B2 or C1. Other AWL words are noted in the readings, and a full list is provided at the back of the book.

 

10. A new and much more extensive online component

When I wrote the first edition, we had little in the way of online materials: just a couple of tests. Now, students want and expect an extensive online component for extra practice. The online materials contain (a) a unit test for every unit; (b) a third reading for every unit; (c) extra skills-related exercises; (d) extra vocabulary practice; (e) extra practice in the follow-up skills presented in each unit; and (f) speaking and writing handouts on the same themes as the units.

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For More Information

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Visit the TC Media page here

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Find your local sales rep here

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