Learn real-life English to connect with others and the world.

This six-level General English course is designed with student output at the heart of the learning process, through a task-based approach for all four skills, as well as grammar and vocabulary acquisition.  

Geographically and culturally neutral, Connections can be used by any English learner around the world, no matter their mother tongue.  

How is Connections different from other General English courses?  

Connections aims to help students develop the confidence and real-life skills to connect with others and the world in English, regardless of their location.  

Authentic English  

The majority of the reading, listening and watching content in Connections is authentic. The course exposes students to the types of texts and audios they will encounter in real life, including written and spoken instructions, notices, emails, text messages, articles, PA announcements, and videos from various platforms such as YouTube and television news sites. Whenever the content is author-generated, it focuses on specific target language and is reviewed for naturalness and authenticity.  

Life Skills Development  

Each level of Connections contains five Life Skills videos. These videos serve as models and provide support and guidance for carrying out real-life tasks such as making appointments, following directions, asking for help, and pitching an idea. These Life Skills videos are unscripted and feature actors spontaneously engaging in real-life situations, in real time. The Life Skills videos are followed by comprehension, Useful Language, and speaking tasks that allow students to assimilate the skills. 

Project-Based Learning  

Every unit builds towards an extensive step-by-step project that requires students to do group work, engage in critical thinking, research, plan, design, build, and tap into many other 21st-century skills. These end-of-unit projects synthesize the unit theme and content, while recycling and applying key elements covered in the unit such as vocabulary and grammar notions. All four language skills are required to complete these projects.  

Learn and Teach In-class or Online  

Connections is available in print or online with e-space platform. The e-space platform is easy-to-use, flexible and comprehensive.  

With the Student Book, students have access to:  

• the fully interactive version of the Student Book;  
• all audios and videos from the Student Book;

In addition, access to instantly-graded activities with supportive feedback is available with the Student Book with Online Practice (with Digital Resources and App)  

Teachers’ access to the e-space platform space includes:  

• a front-of-class presentation tool for teachers with integrated activities;  
• online resources such as answers keys, audios, videos, transcripts and handouts;  
• a learner management system with results compilation in an online gradebook.

Reserve your copy of Connections today

To access and downloand the scope and sequences, click here.

To access and downloand the sample units, click here.

John Wiltshier has been teaching ESL for over 25 years and is currently a Professor at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University in Sendai, Japan. He has presented nationally and internationally in Asia, Europe and the US. John is co-author of the highly successful English Firsthand series – 5th edition, published in 2018. In addition, he was author and series consultant of the global six-level primary course Our Discovery Island (now adapted to Poptropica English).

Shawna Cole has spent more than 15 years in the education and ESL fields in various capacities including teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer. Her passion has always been teacher training and teaching excellence. She has had the pleasure of sharing this passion with hundreds of teacher trainees over the last 10 years as a TESOL instructor and by presenting and hosting workshops internationally. As a freelance consultant in recent years, she has been involved in the development of more than 30 programs and courses for various corporations, ESL schools, and private career colleges across Canada. She also provides professional development training for educators on instructional design locally and internationally.

Sonia Egron has been teaching ESL for 17 years and is currently a teacher at the Collège International Marie de France in Montreal, Canada. She has been authoring ESL material since 2012. Sonia is co-author of the enriched ESL textbook Raising the Bar 5, published in 2013, the ESL textbook On Track 3 published in 2018, as well as the ELT textbook Connections 1 published in 2022. She has also authored material used by the University of Ottawa for a special ESL teaching project in Haiti. She has an MA in curriculum development from McGill University.

Natasha Forgues has been teaching ESL for over six years in the classroom and online. She is currently teaching at Languages Across Borders in Montreal, Canada. Natasha has also contributed to various Pearson ELT publications including Leap 2, Avenues 3, and Goals, Second Edition.

Diego Pelaez Gaetz has been teaching ESL for eight years, and is currently a teacher at Languages Across Borders in Montreal, Canada. He has contributed to several ELT textbooks for Pearson ELT, including Avenues 3 in 2018. In addition, he was a co-author of Goals, Second Edition in 2017.

Ken Lackman started teaching EFL and developing materials in Prague in 1995. Since that time, he has also served as an academic director and a CELTA trainer. He is currently working as an EAP instructor at Ryerson University in Toronto and as a freelance writer. He has written or co-written over 20 books and has had several articles published in English Teaching Professional. He is a frequent presenter at conferences in Canada as well as at the IATEFL conference in the UK.

An avid traveller, Michelle McNaughton studied abroad throughout her undergraduate degree and upon graduating, Michelle started teaching in different parts of North America after earning her CELTA diploma. With over 10 years in the English Language Teaching field, Michelle has taught English to students of many levels, ages, and backgrounds. In that time, Michelle’s passion extended into the professional development of those in her field as both a TESOL trainer and practicum host. Michelle believes in the CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach and teaches language as a function at the core of her lessons. Michelle is currently continuing her lifelong connection in education in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Afshin Vatandoost is an English teacher, teacher educator, and curriculum designer, with an MA in ELT and over 28 years’ experience in the field of English language teaching. He has taught English, educated teachers in various programs including CELTA and TESOL, developed curricula and materials, and presented in Canada, Iran, and Mexico. Currently, he is an ESL and EAP teacher at ILSC Toronto, and he continues his other ELT-related activities internationally.

To request your desk copy, click here.