I NTR O D U C TI O N

American English File Starter is for true beginners who need

a slower, more supportive approach. It gives you and your
students the complete American English File package, with all
the in-class and out-of-class components your students need
to learn successfully, and with all the teacher support that
accompanies other levels of the series.
The aim of every level of American English File is to get students
talking and Starter is no exception. To achieve this, beginners
need two things above all else: motivation and support.
Beginners language level is low, but they need interesting topics
and texts just as much as intermediate or advanced students.
Support is also vital beginners need clear aims, clear material,
and clear reference. Weve also incorporated new Student
Book features, including listen and repeat in the Grammar
Banks and Vocabulary Banks so that students get plenty of
opportunity to pronounce new language.
Students who complete American English File Starter could
go on to study American English File 1 with real confidence,
knowing that they have a solid grounding in the basics of
English. We very much hope that you enjoy using it.

What do Beginner students need?

Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation
If we want students to speak English with confidence, we need
to give them the tools they need Grammar, Vocabulary,
and Pronunciation (G, V, P). We believe that G + V + P =
confident speaking, and in American English File Starter
all three elements are given equal importance. Each lesson
has clearly stated grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation
aims. This keeps lessons focused and gives students concrete
learning objectives and a sense of progress.

Grammar
Beginner students need
clear and memorable presentations of basic structures.
plenty of regular and varied practice.
student-friendly reference material.
We have tried to provide memorable contexts for new
language that will engage students, using real-life stories and
situations, humor, and suspense.
The Grammar Bank gives students a single, easy-to-access
grammar reference section, with clear rules, example
sentences, and common errors. The example sentences are all
on the Class Audio CD so that students can listen and repeat,
and practice the pronunciation of the new structures. There
are then two practice exercises for each grammar point.
Student Book page 88.
The photocopiable Grammar activities in the Teachers
Book can be used for practice in class or for self-study,
especially with slower classes.
Teachers Book page 121.
When explaining grammar rules to students, and sometimes
when setting up complicated activities, teachers who know
their students mother tongue may wish to use it. Although
you should try to keep these occasions to a minimum, we
believe that very judicious use of students L1 can save time
and help build good teacherclass rapport. Contrasting how
English grammar works with the rules in students L1 can
also help students to assimilate the rules more easily.
8

Vocabulary
Beginner students need
to expand their knowledge of high-frequency words and
phrases rapidly.
to use new vocabulary in personalized contexts.
accessible reference material to help them review and
consolidate their vocabulary.
Every lesson in American English File Starter focuses on highfrequency vocabulary and common lexical areas, but keeps
the language load realistic. Many lessons are linked to the
Vocabulary Banks, which contain pictures to help present and
practice the vocabulary in class, and provide a clear reference
bank to enable students to review and test themselves in their
own time. As students are beginners, they are not asked to
match words and pictures (as in higher levels of American
English File) but simply to listen and repeat the words and
phrases. All the lexis in the Vocabulary Banks is on the Class
Audio CD to make it easier to drill the pronunciation. Where
we think the pronunciation of a word may be especially
problematic, we have provided the phonetic script.
Student Book page 102.
Students can practice the pronunciation of all the words
from the Vocabulary Banks using the MultiROM.
Photocopiable Vocabulary activities can be found in the
Teachers Book.
Teachers Book page 191.

Pronunciation
Beginner students need
to learn the English vowel and consonant sounds and
practice them intensively.
to see where there are rules and patterns in sound
spelling relationships.
systematic practice of other aspects of pronunciation, e.g.,
stress and sentence rhythm.
American English File has its own unique system of teaching
the sounds of English, through simple memorable pictures of
key words that illustrate the sound and also incorporate the
phonetic symbol. Students visualize and remember the words
and sounds together, and the word is then used as a reference
point when learning the pronunciation of other words with
the same sound. It is up to you to decide whether you wish
your students to use phonetic symbols actively, or simply to
become familiar with the symbols through the pictures.
American English File Starter has a pronunciation focus in
every lesson that focuses on either sounds, word stress, or
sentence stress.
Student Book page 5.
In the Review & Check sections, students are sent to
the Sound Bank, a reference section where they can see
common soundspelling patterns for the sounds which they
have practiced in the File.
Student Book page 117.

Speaking
Beginner students need
regular opportunities to use new language orally.
topics that will arouse their interest and prompt them to
express their own experiences and ideas in English.
realistic and achievable tasks.

The ultimate aim of most students is to be able to

communicate in English. Every lesson in American English
File Starter has a carefully controlled speaking activity that
activates new grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, giving
students the chance to personalize the target language.
Student Book page 5.
The Communication section of the Student Book provides
information gap activities to give students a reason to
communicate.
Student Book page 76.
Photocopiable Communicative activities can be found
in the Teachers Book. These include pairwork activities,
mingles, and games.
Teachers Book page 160.

Listening
Beginner students need
to be exposed to as much aural English as possible.
to build their confidence by listening to short and simple
utterances.
to learn to get the gist of what is being said by focusing on
the key words in an utterance.
Most students at the beginner level need to start by
listening with the audioscript in front of them and progress
to listening to simple exchanges from which they can
extract the key information. Most lessons have a listening
comprehension task, and these become increasingly
challenging as the course progresses. After students have
listened two or three times without an audioscript, they are
sometimes asked to listen one final time with the audioscript
at the back of the Student Book. This helps build students
confidence and shows them that they do not need to
understand every word to get the message of what was said.
Each File also contains an authentic listening task in the
Practical English lesson where students listen to miniinterviews with members of the public. This task is carefully
staged so that students know exactly what information they
have to listen for.
Student Book page 11.
American English File Starter also contains seven songs that
we hope students will find enjoyable and motivating. For
copyright reasons, these are mainly cover versions.

Practical English
Beginner students need
to learn high-frequency functional phrases.
to know what to say in common situations, e.g., buying a
coffee.
The Practical English lessons introduce students to areas
like spelling their names, asking and answering personal
questions, telling time and saying dates, asking about prices,
asking and giving opinions, and understanding simple
directions. The lessons build up to a speaking activity where
students practice the language learned in the lesson and
listen to authentic mini-interviews in the People on the
street section.
These short interviews are also on the American English File
Starter Video, which teachers can use instead of the class audio.
Using the Video will make the lessons more enjoyable and
will help students understand faster speech with the help of
paralinguistic features. On the MultiROM students have the
opportunity to watch and listen to more street interviews.

Review
Beginner students need
regular recycling of grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation.
motivating reference and practice material.
a sense of progress.
However clearly structures or vocabulary are presented,
students will usually only assimilate and remember new
language if they have the chance to see it and use it several
times. Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation are
recycled throughout American English File Starter.
At the end of each File there is a Review & Check section.
What do you remember? reviews the Grammar, Vocabulary,
and Pronunciation of each File. What can you do? provides a
series of skills-based challenges, including Writing tasks, and
helps students to measure their increasing competence. These
pages are designed to be used flexibly according to the needs
of your students.
Student Book page 12.
The photocopiable Grammar, Communicative, and Vocabulary
activities also provide many opportunities for recycling.
Teachers Book page 121, 160, and 191.

Reading
Beginner students need
engaging topics and stimulating texts that will motivate
them to read in English.
manageable tasks that help them to read.
to learn how to deal with unknown words in a text.
Many students need to read in English for their work or
studies, and reading is also important in helping students
build vocabulary and consolidate grammar. The key to
encouraging students to read is to give them motivating but
accessible materials and manageable tasks. American English
File Starter reading texts are staged so that they progress
from one-line sentences to short articles adapted from
a variety of real sources (the press, magazines, and news
websites). These articles have been chosen for their intrinsic
interest. Students are frequently encouraged to guess the
meaning of new words from their context.
Student Book page 29.
The Review & Check sections also include a short text where
students develop their reading skills and measure their
progress in this area.
Student Book page 33.

Study Link
The Study Link feature in American English File Starter is
designed to help you and your students use the course more
effectively. It shows what resources are available, where they
can be found, and when to use them.
The Student Book has these Study Link references:
from the Grammar Bank
MultiROM and Website.
from the Vocabulary Bank
MultiROM and Website.
from the Sound Bank
MultiROM and Website.
These references lead students to extra activities and
exercises that link with what they have just studied.
The Workbook has these Study Link references:
the Student Book Grammar and Vocabulary Banks.
the MultiROM.
the Student Website.
The Teachers Book has Study Link references to remind you
where there is extra material available to your students.

Student Book organization

G review of simple past; object pronouns: me, him, etc.

V common verbs 3
P sentence stress

6
C

The Student Book has seven Files. Each File is organized like this:

2 R E A D I N There
G & werent
L I S T Eany
N Ihotels.
NG

a Can you remember? Complete the

Dream
town?
questions with
a verb from the list.
arrive buy learn meet rent say stay

G there is / there are

V hotels; in, on, under
P &S and *S

Part 1 see
Part 2 drink
Part 3 drive
Part 4 read

3 GRAMMAR

6.14 Read and listen to the story. Answer the questions

after each part.

Part 1

leave
tell
give
S&E send

her

think

4 READING

me

them

you

.
1 She sat down next to
home, she said.
2 I can drive
3 I have two tickets for Chicago. Can you get
from the box office at 7:15?
4 I called
, but her phone was off.

5 LISTENING

there was / thered werep.116 Vocabulary Bank

6.12 Jeffverbs.
a Irregular
and Kelly are from
the United States. They are on
a Look at the sentences in Benidorm
vacation in
the UK. Listen
to Kelly
today and Benidorm in the 1950s
Strangers
on a train
talking to an English friend.
on page 56. What is the past of there
Partthere
3 isnt and
Did they have a good weekend?
is and there are, and
Her car was in the parking lot.
there arent?
b Listen again. Circle the right

Strangers on a train

another language?

1 Do you want to

a Look at these sentences from the story.

Complete them with a pronoun from the list.

6.16 Find the simple past of these irregular verbs. Then

listen and repeat.

There was a beautiful beach.

1 V O C A B U L A R Y common verbs 3

3 G R AM MAR object pronouns: me, him, etc.

6.15 Why didnt Olivia come to the theater? What do you

think? Now listen to the end of the story. What happened?

I saw her on the platform.

She sat down next to me.

Strangers on a train

G there was / there were

V places
P the letters ea

b Complete the chart with the pronouns in a.

Subject pronoun

Object pronoun

I
you

isnt a TV, but there are some books.

It was an Audi TT.
Benidorm inThere
the 1950s
When the train stopped, I opened my eyes and looked out of the
him
he
your
answer, a or b.
Look at
photos
of threeb unusual
window. I saw her on the platform. A tall, blonda woman
with
dark blue
p.98hotels.
GrammarNice
Bankcar,
6B.I said.
Read the
she
eyes. The train left the station. As usual, the 6:20 was
full. the photos and information.
drove fast. Very fast.
Match
rules and do the She
exercises.
1 a They went to Benidorm.
b They went
it to Blackpool.
it
Excuse me. Can I sit here? I opened my eyes
at work
She stopped outside my apartment.
2 a They went in April.
b They went
we in May.
us
b Read the information about the
again. It was the tall, blond woman.
We said good-bye, and I gave her
they
3 a Some restaurants werent open. b Some restaurants
were very expensive.
4 Pthe
R Oboxes.
N U N C I AT
N number.
myI O
phone
Sure, I said. She sat down next to me. There three hotels. Check ()
was a nice smell. Chanel Number 5, I thought.
The next morning there was a text4 a Jeff wanted to stay in a hotel. b Jeff wanted to stay in a bed and breakfast.
the letters
A B Cea
message from Olivia.
c wanted
p.98eggs,
Grammar
Bank
C. Read the rules and
I opened my book and started to read.
5 a They wanted cereal.
b They
sausage,
and6toast.
1 You can go with children.
 
5
6
7
a 6.10 Put
the words
in want
the right
I really
to c u again! Friday?6 a There wasnt any coffee.
the exercises.
I loved that book.
b Theredo
wasnt
any tea.
2 Theres a swimming pool. column. Listen and check.
On Friday morning, she called me.
Excuse me? I said.
3 There is only one restaurant.
I
have two
tickets for Chicago
I said I loved that book.
beach
bread
please
breakfast
4
P
R
O
N
U
N
C
I
AT
I
O
N
sentence stress
4 You cant stay only one night.
S Pyou
E Aget
KIthem
N G from
& WtheR ITI
tonight at the Colonial Theater!6Can
box N G
We chatted about books until the train arrived
5 You arrive by boat or plane. eat east speakoffice at 7:15? We can meet in the theater cafe at 7:30. The show
at South Station.
a Match
15 with
5 when you want to learn something
a
Communication Good or bad vacation?
A p.78 Bquestions
p.80. Role-play
a answers ae.
6 You can see fish from your room.
starts at 8:00.
Coffee?
she
said.
6 when you want tobstay
the night
in questions with a partner.
Answer
the
1 Did you see the movie?
conversation about a vacation.
7 You can have a massage there.
I looked at my watch. OK, I said.
another town
2 Did you buy the books?
9 What kind of car does Olivia have?
8 You can have a meal in your
there is / there are c
p.113 Vocabulary Bank Common verbs 3.
b Imagine you stayed in a hotel last weekend.
It was
disaster.
3 Did
you ameet
Ana? Write
10 What did she write in the text message?
1 Where did the man first see the woman? room when you want.
Do part B.

Which language?
1 V O C A B U L A R Y places

2 When do you usually

a Can you remember? Do the quiz with

do you do?
Ona partner.
an island3 friends?
intimeWhat
Alaska
What
do you usually
/ school?

4 How do you
Places quiz
your language?

Nice to meet you in

Where do you go?

5 Do
youor1 dinner
1 hotels
when you want to have
lunch

your
house3/ apartment?
2
4
1 VOCABULARY
6 Did you
in a hotel on your last
2 when you have an accident
a Look at these things from
1
vacation?
Was it good?
a chair.
3 when you want to Its
park
your car
a hotel room. What are they?
7 Do
you
things on the Internet?
4 when you want to buy
something
What?
p.114 Vocabulary Bank Hotels.
b

A, B, and C lessons Three two-page lessons that form the core material of the
book. Each lesson presents and practices Grammar and Vocabulary and has a
Pronunciation focus. There is a balance of reading and listening activities, and
many opportunities for spoken practice. These lessons have clear references to
the Grammar Bank and Vocabulary Bank at the back of the book.

2 GRAMMAR

6.3 Listen to two people who arrive at a hotel

b
p.115 Vocabulary Bank Places.
on an island in Alaska. Are they happydwith
the
Complete
with the opposite verbs.
hotel and with their room? Why (not)? 1 The plane arrives at 6:00.

2 What was the womans perfume?

c Do you like the hotels? Which
dream one
3 What did they talk about?
do you prefer?
4 What did they do when the train arrived?

2 READING & LISTENING

The plane
at 6:00.
b Listen again and read the dialogue.
a Read about Benidorm and answer
2 Did you lose your bag?
Complete the missing words.
the questions.
Part 2Spain was a small fishing village. But the
Did you
your bag?
In the 1950s, Benidorm in southeast
c Read the dialogue again. Underline examples
We sat
at athe
station
and Benidorm
we drank coffee
name Poseidon Resort, Fiji
A talked.
UNDERHer
the water:
I send
lot1950s?
of e-mails. mayor of Benidorm, Pedro Zaragoza,
had
dream.
Hecafe,
wanted
to be and
Was ?Benidorm
big or3 small
in athe
of there is / are + , 1, and
.
was Olivia. She told me that she worked in Boston.

One mans dream

d
e
f

3
a

an e-mail to a friend. Use the information

feedback
form.
4 in
Didthe
John
call you?

11 What show did she have tickets for?

weather
12 Where did she want to meet him? What time?

Beach Hotel

5 Did Silvia tell you about the party?

FEEDBACK FORM

room

Part 4

small and
arrived at the theater at 7:00. I got the tickets,
andcold
I waited in the
Hotels with a difference Icafe.
no TV
I read a newspaper. Olivia didnt come.
I looked at my watch. It

a Yes, I bought them yesterday.

hotel b Yes, I met her yesterday.

receptionist
not very
c Yes,
she friendly
told us yesterday.
no restaurant
d Yes,
was 7:45. I looked at my phone. There was
text message.
no atowels
in the bathroom
a gym but
closedhe called me yesterday.
B IN a mountain: Elkep Evi, Turkey
C ON an island: Kamalame Cay, eBahamas
Yes, I saw it yesterday.
Sorry! In a meeting. See you in
the
theater.
Leave
myofticket
at now hotel
Ancient
caves in
the side
a mountain,
Luxury private island with three miles of
b the6.19
islandListen and check. Then listen and repeat ae.
beautiful beach. You can only get to
Copy the rhythm.
by our private boat or seaplane. Fantastic
I work for Citibank.
4 What did he build?
is to speak
perfect
English.
and
found
my
seat.
show
in a room 40 feet underwater.My
You dream
can watch
Turkish
breakfast
servedThe
in the
garden.
Caribbean cuisine, a perfect relaxing vacation.
5 Please turn
Man on the TV.
Hello. We have a reservation.
Thats interesting! said Olivia. Do you live in Boston?
c Practice with a partner. A ask 15 in a different
Practice the dialogue5inWhat
2b inrule
groups
of three.
started, but Olivia didnt arrive.
did he
change?
and feed fish from your room!Please
There are
eat your breakfast.
Location: rgp, Cappadocia, Central Turkey
Location: Kamalame Cay, Andros, Bahamas
Please ReceptionisttheLets
TV. see, yes, Mr. and Mrs. Robson. Yes. I have an apartment near the river. I told her
the street.
order.
B
answer from memory. Then change roles.
At
intermission,
I
called
her,
but
activities
on the island for children
and
adults.
Chris@talktalk.com
The weather at the Number
beach was
terrible.
of rooms:
21
Number
of rooms: 16
6.5 Listen to what happens next. Do they
Welcome
to the
island. Your
her phone was off.
Wow! Thats an expensive
part ofPoseidon
Boston!Mystery Island, Fiji
Benidorm
today
Location:
Price: Under $225
Price:
$840
$3,900
b 6.8 Listen to a journalist talking
1 rooms upstairs, number seven.
Last
weekend!
leave? Why (not)? Do you like this hotel?
IsSPAWITHMASSAGESANDTREATMENTS
sent her another text:
I looked at my watch. Its
late. Time
to go.73
5 6.20 S O N G Im a believer
Number
of rooms:
sGOURMETRESTAURANT
to a local historian. CompleteWoman
the
Is there an 2
?
Why (not)?
Where
r
u?
I can drive you home, she
I live $30,000
near per week
Price:said.
$15,000
s HOURROOMSERVICE
Hi Chriss HOURROOMSERVICE
information about Benidorm.Receptionist No, Im sorry, there isnt. But I can
you. She smiled. Her eyes
were very blue.
IsRESTAURANT
was angry. I left the theater and
Welcome to
sRESTAURANTS
sSWIMMINGPOOL
How are
you?
WORDS AND PHRASES TO LEARN
help you with your suitcases.
went
home. I opened the door of
sSWIMMINGPOOL
sCHILDRENWELCOME
sFAMILYBEDROOMS
P R O N U N C I AT I OBenidorm
N &Stoday
and *S
Benidorm in the 1950s
Last weekend I went to the Beach Hotel. full
It was
a complete
my apartment and turned on the
5 What does OliviasSPAANDGYM
do?
(opposite
= empty)
Thats interesting.
sCHILDRENWELCOME
Receptionist This is your room.
disaster! The room There wasnt a And it wasnt only
light
There
arewords
65,000and
people
living in Benidorm. There were only 3,000.
6.6 Listen and repeat
6 What does the man do?
the
sounds.
next to me
a text (message)
Woman
Its very small.
the room! The receptionist
There are four million
a year.
There were 300.
7 Where does he live?
platform
a show
Receptionist Yes, but theres a
13 What time did he arrive at the theater?
3
Theres an
35 miles
There
wasnt one.
view.
8 Where does Olivia
5 S live?
PEAKING
seat
angry
14 What happened at 7:45? What did the man do?
where therefromairport
Benidorm.upstairs
Man
There are 4
go.LEARN
AND is
PHRASES
a Write in, on, or under for pictures 13. 15 What did the man do at
c intermission?
Communication Is thereWORDS
a TV? Where
it?Time toTO
. We wanted
There are 128
.
There were three.
A p.77 B p.80. Draw thingshave
in the
hotel rooms.
a double
bed.
an accident
1
2
316 What did he do after that?
There are 264
.
There
werent
any.
6C
near
here
year
were
Receptionist Im sorry, there arent any
build (simple past built)
58
rooms with a double bed.
wear (simple past wore)
c Do you prefer Benidorm today
or in
Woman
Wheres the TV?
How was
your weekend?
WORDS AND PHRASES
TO LEARN
the 1950s? Why? Are there any
places There isnt one. There are
Make true + or sentences.
Receptionist
A
complete
disaster!
b Ask and answer in pairs about the remote control.
over there.
some 5
in your classroom in your country like Benidorm?
Welcome to the island.
typically English
Woman
Books!
a board windows a table a TV
on the first floor
1
2
3
4
5
6
a bed and breakfast
Receptionist This is the bathroom.
chairs a lamp pictures computers
upstairs / downstairs
Woman
There isnt a 6
.
Enjoy your stay.
in your school
56
.
Receptionist No, theres a 7
6B
57
in the cabinet
a library a cafe bathrooms a parking lot
It uses less water.
on the bed
Man
Can I use the Internet here?
Theres a board.
under the chair
Receptionist No, Im sorry you cant.
There arent any windows.
Theres a beautiful view.
near here?
Woman
Are there any 8
a boat
Receptionist No, maam, there arent.
Wheres the remote control?
Its on the TV.
Enjoy your stay.
a big tourist town. He started to build hotels. In the 1950s, women couldnt
a lot of e-mails.

I
2 Who was Pedro Zaragoza?

A resort island in the Pacific Ocean. You arrive

What do you do? I asked.

p.98 Grammar Bank 6A. Read the rules
the
box
office.
wear a bikini on the beach in Spain. Mayor Zaragoza changed the bikini rule in by private boat or plane. Stay in6.11
on
rooms
with
modern
facilities. Most rooms have a
4 I get a lot
birthday presents.
b a room
Listen.
Practice
the
sentences.
3 What did he want Benidorm
toof
be?
I work in real estate apartments and houses. What do you do?
Iprivate
left her
ticketwith
at fantastic
the boxviews
office
Benidorm.
In 1959, the first tourists from Northern Europe started to arrive
and do the exercises.
terrace
of Cappadocia.
the island, or take an elevator down and stay
I
a lot of birthday
presents.

Benidorm

54

Practical English Two-page lessons that teach functional language and

vocabulary (aspects like telling time or asking directions). The lessons feature
interviews with people on the street and link with the American English File
Starter Video.

6A

Asking for opinions

Giving opinions
Strong stress

P R AC T I C A L
ENGLISH

g Write names in the spaces.

Try to think of songs / people
who are very famous.

What do you think of it?

I like it. Its great.

2 PEOPLE ON THE STREET

1 Whats the last movie you saw?
2 What did you think of it?

What do you think of it?

female singers

a
b

1 ASKING FOR & GIVING OPINIONS

6.21

Cover the dialogue and listen. Who likes the music?

6.25 Listen to Lauren. What was the last movie

she saw?
6.26

Listen. What did she think of it?

male singers

6.22

Listen and repeat the dialogue. Which two words have extra stress?

6.23

Listen and repeat the expressions in the chart for giving opinions about music (column 1).

D Mamma Mia!
E Wanted
F Indiana Jones

A Lars and the Real Girl

B WALL.E
C The Visitor

A Shakira. I really like her. Shes great.

Lauren

1
2 I thought it was
.

6.27 Listen and answer the questions for the

other five people.

A Listen to this. What do you think of it?

B I dont like it. Its awful. Who is it?

55

6.24 Listen to eight music extracts. What do you think of them?

Giving opinions: What do you think of?

I really like it.

Its fantastic / Its great.
I like it.

I really like her.

fantastic /
I like
.

.
I really like
fantastic /
I like
.

.
I really like
fantastic /
I like
.

Its OK.

great.

OK.

I dont like it.

great.

OK.

I dont like

Its terrible / Its awful.

terrible /

great.

Dax

groups

I dont like

terrible /

awful.

terrible /

Paul

1
2 I
a lot. It was
interesting.

OK.

I dont like
awful.

1
2 It was

Corinne

1
2 I
it. I
thought it was very
.

awful.

e Complete the expressions for columns 24.

What do you think of Rihanna?

f In pairs, ask and answer about the singers and groups in the photos.

I really like her. Shes great.

songs
What do you think
of Coldplay?

Justin Timberlake

Anna

I dont know them.

Enrique Iglesias

1
2 It was
The Rolling Stones

Bob Dylan

Joshua

1
2 I thought it was
.

d In pairs, ask and answer the questions in the box.

WORDS AND PHRASES TO LEARN

Shakira

Nelly Furtado

Coldplay

Rihanna

h Ask your partners opinion

of the singers and groups.

What do you think of ?

I really like it.
Its fantastic / great.
Its OK.
I dont like it.
Its terrible / awful.
Whats the last movie you saw?

Beyonc

60

Review & Check A two-page section the left and right-hand pages have
different functions. The What do you remember? page reviews the Grammar,
Vocabulary, and Pronunciation of each File. The What can you do? page
provides Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking Can you? challenges
to show students what they can achieve.
After File 7, a two-page board game provides review of the language
covered in the book. This gives students a chance to review what they have
learned and assess what they can now do in English.

61

Avril Lavigne

What do you remember?

Circle the correct answer.

call

Hello,
Alex.
a I
b Im
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

10

What can you do?

c Complete with a common verb from the list.

GRAMMAR

get

give

leave

send

1 CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THIS TEXT?

you for your birthday?

1 What did your sister
2 What time did you
home this morning?
3 Can you
me at home tonight?
4 Remember to
your cell phone before you
go into class.
5 Did you
her an e-mail about the party?

d Write the irregular verbs in the simple past.

know

knew

1 drink
2 take
3 tell
4 say
5 leave
.

e Complete the phrases.

Do you prefer tea or coffee?
.
1 Your rooms on the first f
2 My room has a beautiful v
of the
mountains.
3 We cant w
jeans at my school.
4 Its t
to go. Bye.
5 What did you think o
the movie?

VOCABULARY
a Write the missing hotel words.

P R O N U N C I AT I O N

I want to exercise. Is there a gym in this hotel?

1 I cant turn on the TV. I cant find the r
c
2 There isnt a p
on my bed.
3 We want a room with a d
bed.
4 Excuse me. There arent any t
, and I want
to take a shower.
5 You can leave your car in the p
l
.

a Can you remember these words and sounds?

vowels

a place where people can look at

old or interesting things
1 a place where you can get gas
2 a small place with only 1,000 people
living there
3 the place where you go when you want
to travel by plane
4 a place where you can send letters
5 a place where you can buy different
kinds of food

Our week in
a treehouse
In April last year, we stayed for a week at the
Safariland Treehouse Resort in southern India. It
was a wonderful experience!
Our room was up in a tree. We climbed stairs to get
to it! The room was very nice. We had a large bed and
pillows. There was a bathroom in the room. There
wasnt a bathtub, but there was a shower. We even
had hot water! It was hot at night, but we slept well.
We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the resort.
But there was a problem. You couldnt bring any
food to the resort. The meals were at the same
time every day. I was hungry late at night, but there
wasnt any food!
What is there to do at the resort? There arent any
TVs or computers, but there is a lot to do outside.
You can walk in the forest or climb a mountain. You
can play sports at the resort, too. They have soccer,
tennis, and volleyball games. Theres a park for
children at the resort. My daughter loved it!
We had a great time at the resort, but one week
was enough!
Neil Friedman

consonants

b Write the places.

museum

p.117 / 119 Sound Bank. Check the words and

sounds, and practice saying the example words.

c Underline the stressed syllable.

Italian
bedroom restaurant museum airport fantastic

REVIEW & CHECK

2 C A N YO U W R I T E T H I S I N E N G LI S H?
a Read about Masamis vacation. Answer the questions.

turn off

Did you get an e-mail from the hotel?

two beds in the room.

a There is
b There are
There arent
elevators.
a some
b any
Is there
lamp on the table?
a a
b any
a lot of tourists in the 1950s.
a There wasnt
b There werent
a gym in the hotel?
a There was
b Was there
There were
people on the beach.
a some
b any
I wrote to John, but
didnt answer.
a he
b him
She was in my class, but I dont remember
a she
b her
A What do you think of the Beatles?
B I dont like
.
a him
b them
I really like Mike, but I dont think he likes
a my
b me

a Read about a tourists experience at a resort.

Mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).
1 There was a shower and a bathtub in the bathroom.
2 It wasnt cold at night.
3 It was difficult to sleep at night.
4 Neil didnt bring food to the resort.
5 You cant watch TV at the resort.
6 Neils daughter liked the park.
7 Neil wanted to stay another week.

b Look at the highlighted words and phrases and

guess their meaning. Check with your teacher
or a dictionary.

Paragraph 1
1 Where did she go?
2 When did she go?
3 How did she travel?
Paragraph 2
4 Where did she stay?
5 What did she do?
6 What did she see?
Paragraph 3
7 Does she recommend
it? Why?

A Great Vacation
I went to Mexico last year with my husband.
We went by plane.
First we stayed in Cancn. Our hotel was really
nice, and there was a big swimming pool.
There was a beautiful beach, too. We swam
every day, and the ocean was very warm. Then
we traveled around the Yucatn Peninsula
by bus. We saw Chichen Itza. It was fantastic.
I recommend Mexico. Its a beautiful country,
the people are very friendly, and the weather
is great.
Masami Tanaka in Osaka

b Write three paragraphs about a vacation. Answer the questions

in a for you.

3 C A N YO U U N D E R S TAN D TH E S E P E O P LE?
6.28 Listen to a woman calling Vacation Homes Limited
and choose the right answer.

1 The village is
miles from Bordeaux.
a 13
b 30
VACATION HOMES LIMITED
2 The village is
.
a near the beach
b in the mountains Large house to rent
with pool in beautiful
3 There are
bedrooms.
French village. For
a three
b four
more information
4 One of the bedrooms is
.
CALL 
a very small
b very big
reference 4795
5 a Theres one bathroom.
b There are two bathrooms.
6 The woman wants to go on vacation from September
a 10th20th
b 12th22nd
7 She can meet the man from Vacation Homes on
.
a Tuesday
b Thursday
8 Vacation Homes is at number
Cowley Road.
a 86
b 68

Check () the boxes.

Can you?
identify things in a hotel room
ask about facilities in a hotel
say what there is in your town
describe how your town was in the past
give your opinion about people and things

Yes, I can.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I can.

62

63

The back of the Student Book

In the back of the Student Book youll find these three Banks of material:
Grammar Bank (pages 88101)
Two pages for each File, divided into
AC to reflect the three main lessons.
The left-hand page has the grammar
rules and the right-hand page has two
exercises for each lesson. Students are
referred to the Grammar Bank when
they do the grammar in each main A, B,
and C lesson.

6
6A

GRAMMAR BANK
6A

there is / there are

Singular

There are some pictures.

There arent any towels.

There isnt a lamp.

There arent any pillows.

Singular

?
?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

+ There are two beds.

Theres a bathtub.

There isnt a phone.

Plural

?
?

Is there a parking lot?  Yes, there is.

 No, there isnt.

Is there a gym?

Are there any elevators?

 Yes, there are.

Are there any cabinets?

 No, there arent.

t
Theres a TV in my hotel room. = the room has a TV

t
6TF
some and any + plural nouns.
t
some = you dont say how many.
t
some changes to any for and ? .
t

%POU
DPOUSBDU
there is in short answers, e.g., Yes, there is. NOT Yes, theres.

6B

Singular

Theres a big parking lot.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Plural

+ There were some hotels.

There was a road.

There were ten cafes.

There wasnt an airport.

There werent any big stores.

There wasnt a swimming pool.

Singular

?
?

 Yes, there was.

Was there a shopping mall?

 No, there wasnt.

?
?

 Yes, there were.

Were there any hotels?

Were there any restaurants? 
No, there werent.

6C

Numbers
A N u m b e r s 0 10

Vocabulary Bank (pages 102116)

An active picture dictionary to help
students learn, practice, and revise
key words. Students are referred to
the Vocabulary Bank from the main
lessons. The Vocabulary Bank includes
an irregular verb list (page 116).

and repeat

zero
one X7O
two UV
three
four
five
six
seven
eight F*U
nine
ten

C Nu m b e r s 21 100

1.34 Listen and repeat

the numbers.

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

eleven
twelve
thirteen 5!SUJO
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty

b Cover
the words. Say
the numbers.

0 = oh P6 in room numbers,

e.g., room 207 (two oh seven).

p.9

b Cover
the words. Say the
numbers.
p.5

2.31

Listen and repeat the numbers.

21
22
30
33
40
44
50
55
60
66
70
77
80
88
90
99
100

twenty-one

every night.

1.13

a sandwich, please?

7 I dont have my car today. Can I go with

99

VOCABULARY BANK
B Nationalities

Listen and repeat the countries.

2

a
3

1.24 Listen and repeat the countries and

nationalities.

Country

Nationality
Brazil

Brazilian

China

Chinese

England

English

Italy

Italian

forty-four

Japan

Japanese

fifty

Korea

Korean

Mexico

Mexican

Peru

Peruvian

Russia

Russian

Spain

Spanish

Turkey

Turkish

thirty

forty

Brazil

sixty

China

fifty-five

England */HM!OE
6

Italy

Japan

Korea
9

sixty-six
seventy
seventy-seven
eighty

.
?

MultiROM www.oup.com/elt/americanenglishfile/starter

thirty-three

4 Emma said good-bye to Jack, and he kissed

twenty-two

Mexico

Peru

10

11

Russia S74!

the United States

12

American

the UK

British

eighty-eight

b Cover
the words. Look at the flags. Say the
country and nationality.

ninety
ninety-nine
a/one hundred

30 thirty
40 forty

b Cover

13 thirteen
14 fourteen etc.

the words. Say the numbers.

Spain

Turkey U!SLJ

Brazil

the United States

b Cover

Brazilian

c Write your nationality:

Practice saying it.

the US = the United States

the UK = the United Kingdom
Country names begin with a CAPITAL letter,
e.g., Brazil NOT brazil.

English, Spanish, etc. = nationality and

language. They begin with a CAPITAL
letter, e.g., English NOT english.

the words. Look at the pictures. Say the countries.

c Write your country:

Practice saying it.

p.20

d Complete the sentences about you.

Im
Im from

p.6

, and Im
in

. (name, nationality)
. (town / city, country)

p.8
MultiROM www.oup.com/elt/americanenglishfile/starter

Study Link

102

usual spelling

tree

10

3 My children love stories. I read to

6 We saw them at the airport, but they didnt see

A Countries
a

in the store.


+JN
MJLFT
4BSBI
CVU
TIF
EPFTOU
MJLF

5 Im hungry. Can you make

Countries and nationalities

B N u m b ers 11 20

Sounds and spelling vowels

Sound Bank (pages 117119) A threepage section with the American English
File sounds chart and typical spellings
for all sounds. Students are referred
to the Sound Bank from the Review &
Check lessons.

1 I bought a camera, but I left

I never talk to Tom.

Were lost! Can you help my friend and me?
I call my mother and father every weekend.
I read this book last year.
Cant you find your keys?
I dont like Jack Nicholson in that movie.
Do you love your wife?
Wait for Jane and me!
I dont know his phone number.
Did you tell Luisa about the meeting?

Study Link

98

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

You speak very fast. I cant understand you .

I didnt see Maria in class yesterday.

I didnt see her in class yesterday.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Object pronoun
Do you want to talk to me?
Can I help you?
I saw him.
Dont talk to her.
I want it for my birthday.
They dont speak to us.
Why dont you read them?

t
6TF
PCKFDU
QSPOPVOT
me, him
FUD

BT
UIF
PCKFDU
PG
B
WFSC
PS
BGUFS
QSFQPTJUJPOT

1.7 Listen
the numbers.

b $PNQMFUF
UIF
TFOUFODFT
XJUI
BO
PCKFDU
QSPOPVO

a Change the highlighted words to one pronoun.

Listen and repeat the examples. Then read the rule.

Subject pronoun
Im your teacher.
Youre lost.
He was at the party.
She never listens.
Its a beautiful coat!
We arent friends.
Theyre good books.

A Hi, Jack. How was the hotel?

B It was awful.
A Why?
B Well, 1 there wasnt an elevator, and our room
was on the third floor. The room was big, but
any
it was cold and dark, and 2
windows.
A 3
a restaurant?
B No, 4
.5
only a cafe.
A 6
a lot of people in the hotel?
B No. And Im not surprised.
A 7
a swimming pool?
B Yes, 8
, but it wasnt very clean.

Plural

Was there a park?

object pronouns

6.18

b Complete the dialogue with the right form

of there was or there were.

There was a big parking lot.

Is there an airport?
There arent any restaurants.
There are a lot of stores.
There arent any cafes.
Are there any tourists?
There isnt a spa.
Is there a bank?
Theres a hospital.

There werent any tall buildings.

t
there was / there were is the past tense of there is / there are
t
some / any
4FF
6A there is / there are)

6C

any free tables in the restaurant?

any elevators in the hotel.
a bathtub in the bathroom. Its very big.
a swimming pool in the hotel?
a remote control for the TV.
any pictures in the room.
a meeting room in the hotel?
some towels on the floor.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

cars in the parking lot.

pillows on the bed.
sauna in the spa.
chairs in the room?
TV in the restaurant?
table in the bedroom.
windows in my room.
stores in the hotel.

a Write the sentences in the past.

Listen and repeat the examples. Then read the rules.

+ There was a train station.

There arent
There are
Theres
Are there
Is there
There isnt
There arent
There are

6B

there was / there were

6.9

There arent any sodas in the kitchen.

Are there any elevators?

Plural

+ Theres a TV.

b Complete with the right form of there is or there are.

a Complete with a, some, or any.

Listen and repeat the examples. Then read the rules.

6.4

three meet
please read
she we

people key
piece

Italy six
is it
big window

English women
gym

fish

ear

bag thanks
black man
bad that

spell ten
seven twenty
Mexico

cat

egg

chair

full sugar
good book
look cook

computer
friend breakfast
bread
bird

what watch
want

owl

talk walk
saw draw
awful

water bought
daughter

or

short important four board

door

oo
u*
ew

too food
excuse blue
new

umbrella number son brother

bus husband
double
but

Many different spellings.

! is always unstressed.
pocket seven famous about children
er
ir
ur

person verb
first third
nurse Turkey

window

ar

are park
start far

heart

train
two you
juice

a*
ai
ay

name late
e-mail Spain
day say

eight they
great

bike

oi
oy

coin noise
boyfriend enjoy

chess

gg
f
ph
ff

fifteen Friday wife

photo phone
office coffee

TV very
have live
seven five

of

time tell
start late
letter butter

liked finished

played cried

dd

did drink
study good
address middle

s
ss

small fast
stress waitress

nice city

z
s

zero Brazil
bags cars
husband easy

tt

jazz

shop she
Spanish finish
ti
information
shower (+ vowel) reservation

MultiROM www.oup.com/elt/americanenglishfile/starter

An unusual sound.
usually usual

Study Link

th

the father
weather their
brother they

dge

ll
r
rr
w

witch

! but also

children lunch
ch
tch
watch kitchen
t (+ure) picture

l
leg

right

wh

Japan juice
job
bridge

gym page

lamp listen
plan table
small umbrella
red rice
problem children
terrible married

write wrong

watch twenty
word we
what white where

one

yacht

yellow your
yes you
before u music university
m

monkey

sh

thing think
tenth birthday
month Thursday

snake

buy

th

mother
school

Youll also find:

SOUND BANK

usual spelling

thumb

go green
big blog
eggs

zebra
i* I Hi nice
y
bye my
igh night flight

television
Study Link

board British
remember job
rubber
come cold
ski take
back clock

d
dog

boy

* especially before consonant + e

118

bb

t
tie

! but also

paper pillow
sleep top
stopped happen

c
k
ck

vase

car

horse

girl

flower

open close
no hello
coat

oa

keys

work word
world

ou out house
pound sound
ow town down

pp
b

bag

o*
phone

al
aw

usual spelling
p
parrot

A very unusual sound.

euro Europe sure plural

clock

boot

woman could

up

their there
where

saw

! ! but also

u
oo

tourist

air airport upstairs

haircut
are careful
not hot
stop hospital

usual spelling

bull

eer cheer
ere here were
ear near year

103

Sounds and spelling consonants

! but also

ee
ea
e

MultiROM www.oup.com/elt/americanenglishfile/starter

Study Link

mm
n

nose
sugar sure

mountain Monday
September come
summer swimming
nine never
men piano
sunny dinner

know

ng

thing long
doing going
playing wrong

think thank

hello hi
how hotel
have hurry

who

nn

singer

house

MultiROM www.oup.com/elt/americanenglishfile/starter

119

4 C A N YO U SAY T H I S I N E N G LI S H?

Communication activities
(pages 7681)
Information gap activities and
role plays.
Audioscripts
(pages 8287)
Scripts of key listenings.

59

More for students

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your students everything they need
for successful learning and motivating
home study.

American English File Starter gives you everything you need to teach motivating,
enjoyable lessons, to save you time, and to make your life easier.

Workbook Each AC lesson in the

Student Book has a two-page section
in the Workbook. This provides
all the grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation practice and review
students need. Each section also has:
Words and phrases to learn, which
reviews vocabulary from the lesson
that is not in the Vocabulary Bank.
Listen and repeat, where students
listen and repeat dialogues that
incorporate key language from the
lesson. (The audio for these is on the
MultiROM.)
Each Practical English lesson also has a
two-page section in the Workbook and
includes full practice of the functional
language students have learned.

MultiROM
The MultiROM has two functions:
Its a CD-ROM, containing
review of Grammar, Vocabulary,
Pronunciation, Words and phrases
to learn, and Practical English (with
more video interviews).
Its an audio CD for students to use in
a CD player. It has the audio material
for the Workbook Listen and repeat
activities.
Student Website

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starter
Extra learning resources including:
grammar exercises
vocabulary activities
pronunciation practice
Practical English activities
a vocabulary calendar
the Study Link learning record

Teachers Book The Teachers Book has detailed lesson plans for all the lessons.
These include:
an optional books-closed lead-in for every lesson.
Extra idea suggestions for optional extra activities.
Extra challenge suggestions for ways of exploiting the Student Book material
in a more challenging way if you have a stronger class.
Extra support suggestions for ways of adapting activities or exercises to make
them more accessible for weaker students.
All lesson plans include keys and complete audioscripts. Extra activities are color
coded in purple so you can see extra material at a glance when youre planning
your classes.
Youll also find over 70 pages of photocopiable materials in the Teachers Book:
Photocopiable Grammar activities see pages 119150
There is a photocopiable Grammar activity for each A, B, and C lesson and a
review activity for each File. These provide extra grammar practice and can be
used either in class or for self-study.
Photocopiable Communicative activities see pages 151188
There is a photocopiable Communicative activity for each A, B, C, and Practical
English lesson. These give students extra speaking practice.
Photocopiable Vocabulary activities see pages 189197
There is a photocopiable Vocabulary activity for each File. These provide extra
practice using new vocabulary and can be used either in class or for self-study.
Photocopiable Song activities see pages 198206
American English File Starter has a song for every File in the Teachers Book.
All the photocopiable material is accompanied by clear instructions and keys.
Video The Video contains short
interviews with members of the
public answering questions from the
Practical English section of each File.
All the interviews are unscripted and
provide an opportunity for students
to practice listening to English spoken
at a natural speed. Each episode
can be used with the tasks in the
Student Book People on the street sections of the Practical English lessons as an
alternative to the Class CD.
The American English File Starter package also includes:
Class Audio CDs These contain all the listening materials for the Student Book.
Test Generator This CD-ROM includes over a thousand questions organized
both in ready-to-print tests (in PDF format) and in question banks, where they
can be selected and edited into tests customized to your students needs. The
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Teacher Website www.oup.com/elt/teacher/americanenglishfile this gives you
extra teaching resources, syllabus information, etc.

11