This book and audio compact disc program instructs students of English as a second language in the elements of grammar, presenting a grammar review that emphasizes speech and correct pronunciation. The compact discs include spoken dictations for each of the bookas ten chapters. Students start by writing out what they hear, and then comparing what they have written with the bookas printed version. In the process, they begin learning the elements of grammar, staring with the simple present tense of the verb ato bea and progressing to all other tenses and parts of speech. Students gradually learn how to use English words and pronounce them properly in grammatically correct sentences. Following each chapteras introductory sentence, they are given a brief story. A short test at the end of each chapter helps them determine their learning progress. The dictations start out quite simple and become progressively more difficult from one chapter to the next. The book is filled with charts and illustrations to facilitate studentsa learning progress.

Ann Cook is the author of the best-selling American Accent Training text, published by Barron's in 1991, 2000 and 2012. (Also published in China, Japan, Korea and India.) Her speciality is tailoring and expanding materials for specific situations, as in her three books for parents of elementary-age students, How Well Does Your Child Read? How Well Does Your Child Write? How Well Does Your Child Do Math?

Cook studied Spanish Literature at the California State University at Los Angeles, spent a year at the Institut d'Études Françaises in Aix-en-Provence, a month studying Spanish with the Peace Corps language program in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and five years in Japan at the Japanese Culture and Language Institute in Tokyo.

In addition to her regular teacher training, Cook has trained a dozen Americans to teach in Korea, and hundreds of Korean high school students who came to the US for her program. Her company, American Accent Training, Inc., has provided training for numerous heads of corporations, post-graduate students, engineers and IT personnel. American Accent Training is used around the world at public and private schools, universities and corporate training programs.

Cook also developed an online learning program for the American accent and culture for blended learning in the overseas call center market, including assessments, industry-specific modules, sales modules, and general cultural information, delivered via a Moodle platform.

American Accent Training, Inc., founded in 1986 and incorporated in 1997, is a virtual language training company with instructors across the United States. All AAT instructors have a masters degree or PhD and are intensively trained in-house, specifically for second accent acquisition.