Book Background & Features

When I was in high school, or even college, if you had told me I would one day write a textbook, I would have laughed mightily, but here I sit! So, how exactly did I get here? That is the million-dollar question. Since I still consider myself the “accidental English teacher,” that is a challenging question for me to answer. Nonetheless, here goes:

I have been a teacher for over 20 years, spending time in both K-12 and Post-Secondary settings. I found my true love when I started teaching adult ESL classes. One thing that I noticed was that I didn’t really like to use textbooks. I used them sometimes, but only because the students had purchased the book, and I felt guilty that they had to buy them, so I thought I’d better use them! As a reader and a lifelong student, I find textbooks mind-numbingly boring, as do many of my students. Not to mention, textbooks can feel overwhelming. They are so thick, and the writing is so small! And if we are being truly honest, many times, students don’t even read textbooks!

So, when I decided to author a book on writing for my students, I knew the textbook had to be free, and it had to be “short and sweet” and easy to read. I wanted the book to read similar to a narrative. I wanted my readers to feel as though someone was explaining a concept to them in easy-to-understand terms. You will find the chapters of this book are short, and I frequently write as though I am speaking to you, using “I” and “we.”

Finally, I wanted my students to be a part of this textbook creation. So, I involved my current and former students in the formulation of the content and the student writing samples. The examples you will read were written by actual ESL students just like you! Hopefully, you will find the material relatable and reader-friendly.

Some of the features you will find within this textbook include:

• Teacher resource materials

• Student activities

• Lots of authentic student samples

• Short and concise chapters

• Composition and grammar lessons

• A variety of writing genres

• Chapter questions (can be used for homework or as a quiz over the readings)

• Loads of graphics for visual learners

Enjoy Concise Constructs, and here’s to doing things we never thought we’d do!