'Touching, tender . . . filled with wonderful humour' Sarah Haywood 'A very special book' Katie Fforde The Sunday Times bestselling novel, perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Rosie Project. My name is Hope Nicely. Why am I writing this book? That's easy. This book is going to change my life. My boss, Karen, says a friend is a stranger you haven't met yet. I think that's right. Veronica Ptitsky and Danny Flynn are strangers, except I have met them now because they're in my writing class. Karen says friends always have your back. They don't mean your real back, of course. It's called an analogy. But I don't want any friends, actually (only dog ones). I have my mum, Jenny Nicely, who says adopting me was the best thing she ever did, even if my thoughts bounce a bit differently to other people's thoughts. She is proud of me for writing my book which will be a Big Achievement. I tell her that writing my story is going to change my life. Except when my life does change it isn't because of my writing but because something happens to my mum, Jenny Nicely, and she isn't here anymore. And, flip a pancake, this is not what I wanted. I'm not very good at being on my own and I wish she were here to tell me everything will be right as rain again soon. Maybe I do need some human friends after all . . . 'A gorgeous, funny, heartwarming read. Leaves you smiling' Ericka Walker, author of Dog Days

Academic and practitioner journals in fields from electronics to business to language studies, as well as the popular press, have for over a decade been proclaiming the arrival of the "computer revolution" and making far-reaching claims about the impact of computers on modern western culture. Implicit in many arguments about the revolutionary power of computers is the assumption that communication, language, and words are intimately tied to culture -- that the computer's transformation of communication means a transformation, a revolutionizing, of culture.
Moving from a vague sense that writing is profoundly different with different material and technological tools to an understanding of how such tools can and will change writing, writers, written forms, and writing's functions is not a simple matter. Further, the question of whether -- and how -- changes in individual writers' experiences with new technologies translate into large-scale, cultural "revolutions" remains unresolved.
This book is about the relationship of writing to its technologies. It uses history, theory and empirical research to argue that the effects of computer technologies on literacy are complex, always incomplete, and far from unitary -- despite a great deal of popular and even scholarly discourse about the inevitability of the computer revolution. The author argues that just as computers impact on discourse, discourse itself impacts technology and explains how technology is used in educational settings and beyond.
The opening chapters argue that the relationship between writing and the material world is both inextricable and profound. Through writing, the physical, time-and-space world of tools and artifacts is joined to the symbolic world of language. The materiality of writing is both the central fact of literacy and its central puzzle -- a puzzle the author calls "The Technology Question" -- that asks: What does it mean for language to become material? and What is the effect of writing and other material literacy technologies on human thinking and human culture? The author also argues for an interdisciplinary approach to the technology question and lays out some of the tenets and goals of technology studies and its approach to literacy.
The central chapters examine the relationship between writing and technology systematically, and take up the challenge of accounting for how writing -- defined as both a cognitive process and a cultural practice -- is tied to the material technologies that support and constrain it. Haas uses a wealth of methodologies including interviews, examination of writers' physical interactions with texts, think-aloud protocols, rhetorical analysis of discourse about technology, quasi-experimental studies of reading and writing, participant-observer studies of technology development, feature analysis of computer systems, and discourse analysis of written artifacts. Taken as a whole, the results of these studies paint a rich picture of material technologies shaping the activity of writing and discourse, in turn, shaping the development and use of technology.
The book concludes with a detailed look at the history of literacy technologies and a theoretical exploration of the relationship between material tools and mental activity. The author argues that seeing writing as an "embodied practice" -- a practice based in culture, in mind, "and" in body -- can help to answer the "technology question." Indeed, the notion of embodiment can provide a necessary corrective to accounts of writing that emphasize the cultural at the expense of the cognitive, or that focus on writing as only an act of mind. Questions of technology, always and inescapably return to the material, embodied reality of literate practice. Further, because technologies are at once tools for individual use and culturally-constructed systems, the study of technology can provide a fertile site in which to examine the larger issue of the relationship of culture and cognition.

Catherine Morland has little experience of the world. When a neighbour takes her to visit the fashionable city of Bath, her naivete leaves her vulnerable. Who should Catherine trust? Whose friendship is genuine and whose will be harmful?Catherine's adventure becomes sinister when she visits Northanger Abbey. What is hidden in the locked cabinet? Why are the General's children afraid of him? What terrible secrets does he keep in his dead wife's bedroom?Guided only by the gothic horror stories she so loves reading, Catherine stumbles through her adventures. Will hers be a happy ending? Will she find a hero to share her 'happily ever after'?Real Reads are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world s greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions."

This textbook will help intermediate students gain advanced levels of proficiency in Urdu. By learning about the mechanics of word-building through contextualising explanations and practical exercises, learners will develop their comprehension skills in reading, writing and speaking.

Most 'How to write/publish' books are aimed at the scientific community and medical professionals as a whole. To date none has ever been dedicated to surgeons alone. This book is aimed specifically at surgeons who wish to have their work, observations, novel ideas to be published, but do not know the route leading to successful publication in the various leading and reputable journals. Each chapter (21 in total) will attempt to guide the budding writer, using simple and brief language and taking examples from daily life.

Written for today's diverse student body, THE PURPOSEFUL ARGUMENT: A PRACTICAL GUIDE, 3rd Edition, empowers you with essential negotiating skills for everyday life -- tools that will serve you well wherever your career takes you. Vivid explanations, detailed examples and practical exercises guide you step by step through the process of building an effective argument. The text equips you to argue in response to issues in a variety of environments: school, workplace, family, neighborhood, social-cultural, consumer and concerned citizen. It provides thorough treatments of Toulmin-based and Rogerian approaches and emphasizes the value of understanding the opposition, aiming for the middle ground and using a microhistory to forge an unconventional position. In addition, a rich anthology of arguments covers a wide range of current issues. Also available: MindTap digital learning solution.

Planned as a companion volume to Writing Latin by Richard Ashdowne and James Morwood, this brand new guide to writing Greek will be useful both in the upper forms of schools and for those starting Greek prose composition at university. Part 1 deals with the constituent elements of the simple sentence, and in Part 2 all major constructions are covered, each with thorough explanations and clear examples. Each chapter has either two or three exercises of practice sentences, further supplemented throughout Part 2 by passages for continuous composition. 100 important irregular verbs with their principal parts are listed at the back of the book, and there is a complete vocabulary for all the exercises, a useful learning and revision resource in itself.

This book offers new insights into the language gains of adult learners enrolled in an English-medium instruction (EMI) degree programme. It provides longitudinal empirical evidence of the phonological gains of the learners; discusses which individual factors contribute to the changes in the learners' pronunciation and investigates whether and to what extent increased exposure to the target language in EMI classrooms leads to incidental learning of second language pronunciation. Furthermore, it expands on the discussions surrounding the Critical Period Hypothesis, the native-speaker norm, foreign language accent and the role of English as a Lingua Franca. The comparative and longitudinal design of the research study fills a significant gap in the literature and the book offers considerable original and important research-informed insights into the fields of EMI, bilingual education and second language acquisition. As such, it is a valuable resource and must-read book for researchers, practitioners and policymakers in these areas.

This book argues for the value of digital literacy in the multilingual writing classroom. Against the background of huge changes in literacy practices prompted by online communication, and a growing acceptance of a broader definition of academic literacy that encompasses multimodality, the book examines the relationship between digital and print literacies and addresses the design of literacy spaces for multilingual classrooms. The author critically evaluates the latest developments in the use of technology in multilingual writing spaces, and focuses on the role of teachers in their design; it also addresses areas that are not often discussed in relation to multilingual students, from blogging to publishing and intellectual property. The book will help teachers meet the challenges created by rapidly shifting technology, as well as making an innovative contribution to research on multilingual writing classrooms.

This book argues for the value of digital literacy in the multilingual writing classroom. Against the background of huge changes in literacy practices prompted by online communication, and a growing acceptance of a broader definition of academic literacy that encompasses multimodality, the book examines the relationship between digital and print literacies and addresses the design of literacy spaces for multilingual classrooms. The author critically evaluates the latest developments in the use of technology in multilingual writing spaces, and focuses on the role of teachers in their design; it also addresses areas that are not often discussed in relation to multilingual students, from blogging to publishing and intellectual property. The book will help teachers meet the challenges created by rapidly shifting technology, as well as making an innovative contribution to research on multilingual writing classrooms.

English has one of the most complex orthographic systems of all the alphabetic languages. This text is a comprehensive resource for teachers of spelling across the age range, for general use in the teaching of spelling, for teachers of learners with dyslexia and for teachers of English as a foreign or additional language. It enables teachers to plan intervention to meet the individual needs of learners through structured testing and provides them with groups of related words for use in teaching.

The manual, which is introduced by a chapter on the teaching of spelling, is divided into five sections: "Testing" - graded lists of words for testing spelling knowledge, with parallel lists for monitoring consolidation of learning; "Vowels" - word lists for use in teaching, covering all the vowel sounds of English and their related spelling patterns; "Consonants" - a similiar section covering all the consonant sounds and their related spelling patterns; "Homophones and Silent Letters"; and "Word Structure" - a section covering the more complex orthographic rules with lists of words for use in teaching.

There are page references throughout the manual and a complete word index at the end of the book, so teachers should have no difficulty in finding individual words.

7th edition coming soon! Improving Reading is perhaps the most comprehensive, useful reading resource available. It is full of ideas for professionals who work with whole classes, individual students, or groups of students. The eight Chapters correlate with the main components of a comprehensive reading curriculum and the Common Core. Sections within each Chapter provide teaching interventions, strategies, activities, and resources to help students overcome specific reading problems or to achieve the Common Core standards. Teachers can use Improving Reading as they plan instruction for the Common Core and interventions for struggling readers using the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Improving Reading and the Common Core includes: print concepts and phonological awareness phonics and word recognition fluency vocabulary acquisition and use basic comprehension skills more specialized comprehension skills and strategies needed for literary (narrative) and informational (expository) texts Improving Reading features: a quick reference guide inside the front cover that lists 71 student behaviors in reading. over 200 strategies and interventions, linked to the 71 student behaviors that can be used to help students become better readers. more than 400 practice and reinforcement activities that expand the strategies and interventions to help enhance student learning. specific references in each Chapter to the Common Core anchor standards and Reading Foundational Skills. references to reproducible student pages and teacher resources that can be printed through a dedicated website.

Providing a quick resource whenever and wherever you need it, CENGAGE ADVANTAGE BOOKS: THE SPEAKER'S COMPACT HANDBOOK, 5th Edition, equips you with the essential information, tips, and tools you need to be an effective public speaker. Its spiral-bound, quick-reference format makes the handbook easy to use. Each succinct chapter can stand alone, allowing you to easily jump exactly to the topic you need to help you create a great speech. Drawing from academic research and practical experience, the handbook walks you step by step through the entire speechmaking process. Five student-friendly features--Key Points, Quick Tips, Checklists, Web Links, and Critical Thinking Questions--help you stay on track throughout the speech-building process.

In the context of increasingly multilingual global educational settings, this book provides a timely exploration of the phenomenon of cross-linguistic transfer of writing strategies (in particular, transfer from the foreign language to the first language) and presents a compelling case for a multilingual approach to writing pedagogy. The book presents evidence from a classroom-based intervention study conducted in a secondary school in England on cross-linguistic strategy transfer. It suggests that even beginner or low proficiency foreign language learners can develop effective skills and strategies in the foreign language classroom which can also positively influence writing in other languages, including their first language. This book ultimately encourages more joined-up, cross-curricular, cross-linguistic thinking related to language in schools by exploring the potential for collaboration between languages teachers.

A charming, down-to-earth compendium of easy vocal exercises to help us listen deeply and develop a better sense of self. Just like a musical instrument, our bodies can go out of tune. When our inner harmony is blocked by stress or insecurity, it can affect one of the most essential parts of who we are: our voice. In The Little Book of Speaking Up, music teacher and breath therapist Jutta Ritschel builds on years of experience to teach readers how to relax their bodies and support their breathing, helping their voice become livelier and more resilient. With fifty-plus five-minute exercises - such as tongue twisters and even singing - this book asks and answers questions that include: How do we use our voice in everyday situations? Can a healthy voice improve our mood? How do we maintain clarity and confidence when we're tired or burned out? In what ways can we improve our voice under pressure? These simple daily exercises will help anyone develop better resonance, tone, clarity - and confidence!

Your Voice Is Your Business: The Science and Art of Communication, Second Edition combines the latest in voice research and technology with the most powerful, state-of-the-art presentation skills and methods. The result is an integrated and comprehensive approach to connecting the technically based aspects of voice production with an applied, skill-based grasp of interpersonal effectiveness. This text serves as both a practical handbook and a resource on human vocal production in real-world settings. Relevant techniques of positioning, gesture, and paraverbals are incorporated in the study of successful voice presentation. Additionally, technical information is integrated into the text and reviewed at the end of each chapter.This second edition responds to the readers' desire for an expansion of the topics, illustrations, and techniques found particularly effective in the first edition, and provides new information reported in recent speech-language pathology literature in two brand-new chapters with vivid, powerful, and direct explanations and exercises.Your Voice Is Your Business The Science and Art of Communication, Second Edition has been designed for ease of use for the student of voice science or anyone eager to use their communication abilities to their best advantage at work, on stage, or in everyday life. This text includes terminology and references suitable to the serious student of the voice, as well as detailed, realistic scenarios to further any professional's knowledge on the art of human communication, and will be a staple in multiple fields including speech-language pathology, communications, theater and drama, and business.

Directed motivational currents (DMCs) are goal-directed motivational surges in pursuit of a much-desired personal outcome. This book introduces the reader to cutting-edge theory and research in second language learner motivation and presents empirical research which investigates DMCs in the context of language learning. The studies explore the wider relevance of DMC theory from participants recruited worldwide, answering questions such as how many (and which) participants reported having experienced DMCs and what emerged as common triggers initiating such experiences. The studies also discuss the pedagogical implications of DMC theory, investigating whether it is possible to design and implement a project (specifically, a project 'with DMC potential') in such a way that it may be able to purposefully facilitate a group-DMC with learners in a second language classroom. The book's accessible writing style makes it suitable for researchers and students who are interested in second language learning as well as for teachers and trainee teachers who are looking for classroom inspiration.

"Writing for the media" takes students through the journalistic process step-by-step: what news is; how publications are organized; the role of the journalist; and ways to get the most from interviews. It includes a style and grammar guide, as well as advice on how to put together basic news stories and complex features. In addition, this edition draws on journalism practice globally; emphasizes the new developments in information technology; considers the challenges journalists face in dealing with global demographic and ideological shifts; equips journalists to engage in the debate about the role and responsibilities of the profession; and includes a list of Internet resources relevant to each chapter.

An updated edition of the classic guide to technical communication

Consider that 20 to 50 percent of a technology professional’s time is spent communicating with others. Whether writing a memo, preparing a set of procedures, or making an oral presentation, effective communication is vital to your professional success. This anthology delivers concrete advice from the foremost experts on how to communicate more effectively in the workplace.

The revised and expanded second edition of this popular book completely updates the original, providing authoritative guidance on communicating via modern technology in the contemporary work environment. Two new sections on global communication and the Internet address communicating effectively in the context of increased e-mail and web usage. As in the original, David Beer’s Second Edition discusses a variety of approaches, such as:

• Writing technical documents that are clear and effective
• Giving oral presentations more confidently
• Using graphics and other visual aids judiciously
• Holding productive meetings
• Becoming an effective listener

The new edition also includes updated articles on working with others to get results and on giving directions that work. Each article is aimed specifically at the needs of engineers and others in the technology professions, and is written by a practicing engineer or a technical communicator. Technical engineers, IEEE society members, and technical writing teachers will find this updated edition of David Beer’s classic Writing and Speaking in the Technology Professions an invaluable guide to successful communication.

Paving the Way in Reading and Writing offers secondary teachers from across the content areas a structured approach for motivating reluctant and disengaged students to tackle difficult reading and writing assignments and thus boost their potential for academic success. Drawing on relevant theory and research and the author's extensive experience as a teacher and teacher trainer, the book presents an arsenal of practical instructional strategies along with teacher-tested tools, techniques, and activities for helping students improve their comprehension of informational and literary text as well as strengthen their written communications. Activities combining reading and writing tasks are emphasized along with graphic exercises for engaging the more visually oriented students. The book also provides guidance on using the computer as a literacy tool and on improving students' grammar, spelling, and research skills. In addition, it offers extensive listings of web-based instructional resources.

This book provides a research-led guide to public speaking in English, using the foundations of applied linguistics research to analyse elements of spoken presentation, including content, form, persona and audience interaction. The author also introduces and analyses case studies of what she calls 'the New Oratory', examining such modern speaking formats as the three-minute-thesis presentation, the investor pitch and TED talks, making this book a cutting-edge exploration of how public speaking is conducted in an increasingly digitalised world. It provides essential advice for non-native English speakers and speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) whose work or study requires them to present in English, but will also be of interest to students and scholars of applied linguistics and business communication.