ACHIEVE! GCSE Spanish skills. By T Murray, S Crosslandand C Woods

ACHIEVE! GCSE French skills

S Crossland and C WoodsHandbook pound;4.99 each. Cassette pound;17.99 each plus VAT. Hodder amp; Stoughton

This is a useful and economical GCSE series for all modern language departments. The three books share the same format and their aim is simple: to help students studying for OCR GCSE languages and RSA examinations to score well in all the tested language skills.

The books are unpretentious, clear and very structured. The introduction states clearly the aims and objectives of the revision guide, which may be used in conjunction with any appropriate course book. There is a meticulous breakdown for the student of the components of the examination, how the marks are calculated and who is involved in the process. The students are encouraged to think about whether they are better suited to foundation tier or higher and the ramifications of that decision.

The assessment schemes are provided so that students can work out exactly what is required. Such transparency is quite refreshing. The hints at the beginning of each section are extremely useful and tackle the approach to revising skills in a realistic way. The answers and tips section is also valuable in pointing out why a mistake may have occurred. There is a grammar section in each of the language books and a practice exam paper.

The cassettes are an integral part of the guides and provide good practice in the listening skill. The series has been written by experienced language teachers who are also examiners and it shows.

MO