News

« Headlines

Macmillan targets Poles

27.03.08 Tom Tivnan

Macmillan Audio is launching a new series on learning English aimed at eastern Europeans moving to the UK.

The first two titles in the Easy English for Busy People series (4th July) will focus on Polish and Russian speakers who need to pick up the basics of day-to-day British English quickly. Two levels will be available in each language: elementary and pre-intermediate. Each level contains two CDs with two hours of content, priced at £9.99. The series has been devised by Helen Costello, a long-time EFL and ESOL teacher.

The elementary level contains essential English vocabulary with Polish or Russian translations, accompanied by specially composed music that Macmillan says aids "embedding new information into your long-term memory, while reflecting the rhythm and stresses of the vocabulary". The level focuses on the new immigrants' experiences in the UK, with chapters on housing, registering with a doctor and opening a bank account.

The pre-intermediate level continues building on vocabulary with the music, and deals with more in-depth situations such as renting a house, acquiring a National Insurance number and paying a TV licence.

Publisher Alison Muirden said: "The series is a quick fix for people to learn the basics of the language quickly. What is unique is the music, which we found is an incredibly useful way of bedding in vocabulary."

The series will be sold by both Pan Macmillan's trade and ELT sales teams, focusing on the "usual high street retailers" and campus shops. Pan Mac’s export sales team will also be selling the series into Poland and markets where Russian is spoken.

If the series is successful, the publisher will roll out it out to other languages, with Urdu and Mandarin already being considered.

Book tom tivnan Macmillan

See Also