Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q:  Why do you publish the answer key for Reader's Choice in the back of the book?

   The Authors' A:  All Reader's Choice titles have the answer key. As teachers, the authors stress that having the right answer is not what is important to us nor essential for students' improvement. They tell students that the process of trying to get the answer is what matters most. When the students learn that there is less concern about whether their answers are right or wrong, they usually try to work the exercises themselves before looking at the key. Making sure to ask students HOW they got the answer they have helps students see that they can't really get by just by looking in the answer key.

   
   
   

2. Q:  How did you come to select Denny's as the menu to include in the book?

   The Authors' A:  One of the authors was teaching a materials development seminar to international students in the United States. When they were asked where they ate, and what menu they would recommend, they unanimously recommended Denny's. The menu works well in two respects. First, it offers a wide range of fairly generic (affordable) North American food. This is in contrast to the many specialty restaurants that serve only regional or ethnic food. Second, the Denny's story is an important one. Accused of bias in the early 1990s, by the end of the decade, it was honored by national organizations as one of the best companies in the United States for minorities and women. Denny's became a poster child for improving corporate diversity policies and for managing a corporate crisis. This context allows for critical reading as well as going beyond the text to Web work.

   
   
   

3. Q:  What is ESL about Reader's Choice? Can it be used with native-speaking students?

   The Authors' A:  Reader's Choice has been written and classroom tested with nonnative-speaking students in mind. In particular, we focus on vocabulary items that would be unfamiliar to nonnative speakers. Over the years, however, teachers of native-speaking adult basic education and high school students have reported success with the text. This is not surprising. We were certainly influenced by native-speaking texts when we started out. And the reading and vocabulary skills are transferable. Moreover, we have tried to frame discussion questions in terms of "communities," not simply a home "country." Teachers are the experts when it comes to their students and will need to decide on a case-by-case basis if the book is appropriate. Minimally, teachers of native-speaking students may want to adapt or omit some of the vocabulary activities.