"A concise EAP transition course designed specifically for upper-intermediate through advanced students planning to undertake English-medium, undergraduate-level management studies.

Having spent many hours looking for the elusive perfect book to help students prepare to undertake English-medium university studies, I was excited to receive a copy of one of Garnet Education's series of subject-specific English for academic purposes (EAP) texts, English for Management Studies. This short text offers a coherent framework of materials for a very specific target market: English-language learners planning to enter a university level English-medium program in management studies on a short (50-80 hour) pre-sessional course. The publisher specifies that the book is appropriate for students who have a minimum of a high intermediate (CEF B2, IELTS 5+) level of English and who have previously completed a general EAP course.

English for Management Studies meets its stated goals. In 12 eight-page units dealing with management topics such as leadership, budgeting, developing people, and management information systems, among others, the authors introduce many essential academic survival skills ranging from understanding and taking notes during a lecture, through making effective contributions to a seminar class and writing academic essays and reports integrating correct use of citations and paraphrasing. It does so while introducing key topics and vocabulary entry-level management students are likely to encounter. It does now, however, cover each point extensively. Nor does it provide as much reference and extra practice materials as you might like.

According to the publisher, the teacher's book (not shipped for review) does provide 'detailed guidance' on each lesson and 'extra photocopiable resources'. Both are necessary. Teachers with little preparation time and/or limited EAP experience will need some explanation of the purpose and logic behind some of the exercises and are sure to find they need to offer additional information and practice. Most students at a B2 level will also need additional work on grammar and further practice with more general academic vocabulary, such as that offered by McCarthy and O'Dell's Academic Vocabulary in Use (Cambridge, 2008). To complete some of the exercises, students will also need a good advanced learner's dictionary.

The text is most suitable for students who fit the publisher's established profile: at a senior high school or university-entry level with solid language skills and a general knowledge of academic English and just beginning management studies. Unfortunately, my students don't quite fit. The graduate students I trialled segments of the text with (not having the audio was a real limitation) were at B2 level but had extensive knowledge of many of the topics. They found some of the exercises useful, if a bit dry. They appreciated the vocabulary and skills banks but, like many EAP students, needed more reference material, more extensive material, more extensive examples, and sample texts closer to those they actually deal with.

Graduate level students who already have extensive prior knowledge of management concepts may find the content too simple, and the student's book lacks the support (i.e., answer key and reference appendices) to be readily used for independent study. At just over 100 pages, not including transcripts, and a list price of £19.95, it may be a little too concise. Including more reference and practice material to reduce the need for supplementary texts might make the texts more appealing to cash-pressed international students who are unable to purchase not only a core text but also a dictionary and supplementary reference materials.

All in all, however, English for Management Studies is sufficiently general and complete to make an excellent core text for the pre-sessional type course it is designed for. By introducing key EAP concepts through thematic skills-based units, it provides a ready-to-use syllabus and, if the teacher's book provides the detail it promises, could be used effectively by even those teachers who have relatively limited EAP experience, preparation time, and/or knowledge of management."

"ESAP: Management Studies is the most recent title in Garnet's ESAP series, which at present consists of eight titles in which Garnet Education have done their best to bring out a specific focus on EAP, hence the amended acronym: ESAP - English for Specific Academic Purposes.

The titles of the other books in the series are: English for Environmental Science, English for Banking, English for Business Studies, English for Law, English for Language and Linguistics, English for Tourism and Hospitality and English for Medicine. English for Management Studies is divided into twelve chapters which deal with specific aspects of management studies, e.g., what is leadership?; culture and change; organizations and operations; production management; strategy and the business environment; finance for strategy; budgets, decisions and risk; people as a resource; developing people; industrial relations; marketing management; management information systems. Odd-numbered units deal with the topics via the semi-integrated framework of listening and speaking, whereas even-numbered units do so through a focus on reading and writing. Vocabulary work is an integral part of each unit, and is aided by vocabulary and skills 'banks' ('a reference resource to provide students with revision of the key words and phrases and skills presented in the unit'). The professional slant of the specialism is covered exceptionally well in individual units. For example, Unit 9 handles the minutiae of 'Developing people'. The listening task on page 72 requires the student to take notes in order to fill in the missing parts of a part of a lecture which deals with the topic in question. The skeletal notes feed in key concepts such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs (the 'needs' is in fact gapped), McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y or 'hygiene factors'. EAP/ESP teachers who may be new to this topic area are given detailed guidance in the Teacher's Book: page 153 contains a key for the listening exercise, with suggested model answers and methodological guidance. There is also a full verbatim transcript of that section of the lecture. The Course Book is attractively laid out with the full use of colour (this was not standard practice previously in traditional EAP or ESP course books), which makes it appealing to the user.

English for Management Studies is an excellent ESAP publication which can be used with pre-sessional, insessional, foundation and bridging international students who wish to study the subject at an English-speaking university. The book is also very useful for a general EAP teacher who is interested in management studies and may consider this sub-area as their future specialism in EAP teaching."