Student's Book 1A contains units 1 to 6 from the full Student's Book 1, which is first level of the innovative Touchstone series designed for beginning students. Drawing on research into the Cambridge International Corpus, a large database of language that includes everyday conversations and texts from newspapers and books, Student's Book 1 presents the vocabulary, grammar, and functions students encounter most often in real life. It also develops the strategies that students need for effective conversations, such as how to start and end a conversation and how to ask questions that are not too direct. The book features an attractive, contemporary design, and beautiful color photos and illustrations. It makes learning fun by maximizing the time students spend on interactive, personalized activities on high-interest topics. Students using Touchstone will soon feel confident in their abilities to express themselves clearly and effectively. A free self-study Audio CD/CD-ROM at the back of the book gives students further practice in listening, speaking, and vocabulary.