of English language newspapers, books and magazines is ireater than ever before. The language learner wi develops skill and confidence in reading in the classroom wil be more ‘motivated to read outside the classroom. Within the classroom, reading texts can also introduce stimulating topics and act as springboards for class discussion The reading strands in Speakout Second Edition focus on '© Authentic texts As with Speakout Second Eton listening ‘materials, there isan emphasis on authenticity and this is reflected in number of ways. Many ofthe reading texts in ‘Speakout Second Eaton ae sourced from the BBC. Where texts have been adapted or graded, theres an attempt to maintain authenticity by remaining faithful tothe text type in terms of content and style. We have chosen up- to-date relevant text to stimulate interest and motivate learners to read. The texts represent a varely of genres that correspond tothe text types that learners wll probably encounter in their everyday lives. ‘© Sub-akills ond strategies - In Spechout Second Edition we strive to maintain authenticity in the way the readers Interact with a text. We alvays give students a reason to read, and provide tasks which bring about or simulate authentic reading, including reali tasks such as summarising, extracting specific information, reacting taan opinion o following an anecdote. We also focus on strategies for decoding texts, suchas guessing the meaning ‘of unknown vocabulary, understanding pronoun referencing, and following dscourse markers. © Noticing new language — Noticing language in use isa key step towards the development of arch vocabulary and greater all-round proficiency ina language, and this is ‘most easily achieved through reading. In Speakout Second Edition, reading texts often serve as valuable contexts for introducing grammar and vocabulary as well as discourse features ‘© Texts as a model for writing - In the writing sections, aswell as the Writeback sections ofthe OVD spreads, the readings serve as models for students to refer to when they are writing, in terms af overall organisation as well as style ‘and language content. Invrecent years the growth of email and the internet has led toa shiftin the nature of the writing our students need to do Email has also led to an increased informality in written English, However, many students need to develop ther formal writing for professional and exam-taking purposes. It is therefore Important ta focus ona range of genres, from formal text types such as essays, letters and reports to informal genres such as blog entries and personal messages. There are four strands to writing in Speakout Second Edition which focus on © Genres In every unitat the our higher levels there is a section that focuses ona genre of writing, email, for example. We provide a model to show the conventions ofthe geare and, where appropriate, we highlight fixed [hrases associated with t, We usually then ask the students ta produce their own piece of writing While there isalway's ‘a written product, we also focus on the process of wating, including the relevant stages such as brainstorming, planning, and checking. At Starter and Elementary, \we focus on more basic writing sil, including basic ‘written sentence patterns, linking, punctuation and text ‘organisation, in some cases linking this focus to a specific genre, ‘© Sub-skils and strategies - While dealing withthe genres, Wwe include a section which focuses on a sub-skil or strategy that generally applicable to all writing Sub-skils include paragraphing, organising content and using inking words ‘and pronouns while strategies include activites ike writing ‘fist draft quickly, keeping your reader in mind and self- ‘editing. We present the sub-skill by asking the students to notice the feature. We then provide an opportunity forthe students to practise it ‘© Development of fluency ~At the end of every unit, following the DVD and final speaking task, we include a Wteback task. The idea behind these tasks i to develop fluency in their writing While we alvays provide a model, the taskis not tied to any particular grammatical structure. Instead the emphasis son using writing to generate ideas and personal responses. ‘© Writing asa classroom activity - We believe that writing ‘can be very usefully employed as an aid to speaking and a reflective technique for responding to texts ~akin to the practice of writing notes in the margins of books. t also provides a change of pace and focus in lessons. Activities ‘such as short dications, note-taking, brainstorming on paper and group story writing are all included in Speokout ‘Second Edition and additonal writing practice ls provided in ‘Speakout Extra ERNE In recent years attitudes towards pronunciation in many English language classrooms have moved towards a focus on Intelgibity students’ spoken language Is understandable, then the pronunciation is good enough. We are aware, however, that many leamers and teachers place great importance on developing pronunciation that is more than good enough, and that systematic attention to pronunciation ina lesson, however bref, can havea significant impact on developing learners speech, In Speokout Second elton, we have taken a practical, Integrated approach to developing students" pronunciation, Fighlighting features that often cause problems in conjunction with a given area of grammar particular vocabulary items and functional language. Where relevant to the level, a grammatical or functional language focus followed by a focus ona feature ‘of pronunciation, for example, the weak forms of auxiliary verbs or connected speech in certain functional exponents. Students ae given the opportunity ta listen to models of the pronunciation, notice the key feature and then practise it. ach input lesson looks ata specific feature of pronunciation and the folowing strands ae covered: = Sentence stress. We help leamers to identify which words ‘are stressed in a sentence. Thisis particularly important for helping learners to understand rapid spoken English where the important information is highlighted by the speaker ‘© Word stress - When dealing with new vocabulary, we ‘emphasise the importance of using the correct word stress patterns. This helps listeners to identify the word being Used and helps the speaker to use the correct vowel sounds,