The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) set standards that aim to create consistency in language teaching. These include the “Five Cs” and “Seven Curricular Elements”. The Five Cs are comprised of communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities. The seven curricular elements that are examined are language systems, communication and learning strategies, cultural knowledge, content from other subject areas, critical thinking skills, and the usage of technology.

              The textbook, “Say It Naturally” by Allie Patricia Wall is most effective in the communication aspect of the Five Cs. The entire textbook is focused around verbal strategies in order to achieve authentic English communication. The book does not seem to offer much new vocabulary, only a sparse amount of words introduced through the lesson and explained in a footnote. However, there is a good balance among the speaking, listening, reading, and writing. There are many practice opportunities throughout each lesson, including individual and paired work, as well as some that take place outside of the classroom. The book is from 1998, so the drawn images within the book are dated, yet still relevant. The information does seem age appropriate for intermediate level speakers.  There is a lot of room to grow in the comparison aspect of the Five Cs, as there is little to no references to other cultures within the textbook. There are also no role models offered for the students for personal interest or enjoyment.

              As for the seven curricular elements, there is still very little vocabulary provided, but it does do a great job covering grammar and speaking strategies. There are plenty of practice problems, as well as many reflections that ask students to analyze and evaluate responses to situations, as well as to synthesize their own responses. The cultural content is outdated, but mostly accurate and level appropriate. The book could do better on focusing on other subject areas, as well as incorporating a few learning strategies, but it is decent for a book focused on communication. There’s even an audio tape included that has most of the dialogues presented in the lessons on it.

              Overall, the book does a fair job of presenting students with ways to respond in certain situations while sounding authentic. If it was updated, it would be a great resource for a communicative learning course. With many opportunities presented for students to practice in and outside of the classroom, students should be able to learn the material well. The book really needs to add some references to other cultures. For example, in each section they cover different situations, and there’s plenty of opportunity to talk about how other cultures could react to these types of situations. It could also add some reflections for the student to think about how their own culture would react. If this were used in an L2 classroom, expect to use some sort of supplementary material, one that hopefully includes new vocabulary.