ACTFL and TESOL: Some Comparisons
New Book
Four Seasons Together: Bốn mùa cùng nhau
Hallie and Bo are cousins, living on the opposite sides of the globe. Through frequent phone calls, they share wonders of their worlds with excitement and sometimes bittersweet moments too. After Spring, Summer, and Fall, there’s Winter. But wait! When Tết, the Lunar New Year, arrives, a magical surprise unites them in a joyous celebration. Enjoy this story of familial love that spans time and distance, vividly illustrated with scenery, plants, and animals that will captivate both adults and children.
Hà Ly và Bo là chị em họ cách xa nhau nửa vòng trái đất. Hai chị em hay gọi điện cho nhau và chia sẻ những điều kì diệu của thế giới xung quanh mình với bao hứng thú và cả chút tủi thân. Xuân, Hạ, Thu, Đông lần lượt đến, và khi Tết về, một điều kì diệu mang hai thế giới của hai chị em xích lại với nhau. Được minh họa với cảnh sắc, cỏ cây, hoa lá, và đồ vật sống động thu hút cả người lớn và trẻ em, cuốn sách diễn tả tình cảm gia đình và cảm xúc thân thương vượt khoảng cách địa lý và thời gian.
About the author: Linh Phung is an educator, bilingual writer, and innovator in language education. As the Founder of Eduling and H&L Books, she has published various children’s books and a language learning app called Eduling Speak to facilitate language development for all ages.
About the illustrator: Sylvie Pham (Việt-Dung Phạm) is a freelance illustrator located in San Diego, California, USA. She enjoys traveling, swimming, listening to music, and, of course, drawing. She loves using many colors in her work.
H&L BOOKS
H&L Books publishes children’s books promote love for language and culture as well as appreciation and exploration of strange and familiar places. We also publish English language learning books to help English learners master English skills for various purposes.
English Learning Book
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Strategies, Model Speeches, and Practice Activities
This book explains the four grading criteria in the IELTS Speaking Exam and offers strategies, 25 model speeches, and over 100 activities for Part 2 to help you achieve at least 7.0 in the IELTS exam. $12.99 on Amazon
English Learning Book
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Strategies, Model Speeches, and Practice Activities
Cuốn sách đã có mặt ở Việt Nam để các bạn đặt mua. Sách giải thích kĩ 4 tiêu chí bài nói IELTS, 25 bài nói mẫu, và hơn 100 các hoạt động và chiến lược đi kèm. Sách in màu và đang khuyến mại với giá: 250.000VND (giảm 22%)
Extra Resources
Testimonials
The book uses short and fast rhythm in combination with variations in the duration of the tone groups, creating joyful and playful sounds when read aloud.
Thu Ngo
Tug of Words
My kids had lots of fun reading and playing with words in this book. As the name of it, the book is full of playful rhythms and lovely simple poems. My kids enjoyed learning the colorful nuance of words and they learned some new words and nice expressions in both languages. Kudos to the author in showing how each word can be expressed differently in English and in Vietnamese with all the cultural sentiments. The books brought the warm gratitude and love for family, for nature, for feeling and emotion, for being different and unique. It is so beautiful and touching. We love the cheerful illustration so much - each page tells a new mellow story full of lovely color.
Phong Bui
Tug of Words
This book is very rhythmic. My kid likes to read it. The illustrator also did an awesome job at drawing each page and picking out the colors. For me, the message about family conveyed in the book is very touching, especially the last page "we are together until the end".
Xuan Li
Tug of Words
The book was a detailed guideline on part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Test. The tips are highly useful and practical. I particularly love the vocabulary check at the beginning of every sample speech which gives me a preview of the interesting words that will show up in the sample.
Anh N.
IELTS Speaking Part 2
Gia đình nên là nơi mà mỗi chúng ta cảm thấy được yêu thương nhiều nhất. Tug of Words là một trong số sách hiếm hoi dành cho những em bé như Hallie và cho những gia đình đa chủng tộc như của tác giả.
Sylvie Pham
Tug of Words
If you want your child to master English or Vietnamese though literature, this is a great book to start with! We love the rhyming, the gracefulness and the accuracy of the translation from English to Vietnamese. The pictures are also very cute! I’m an elementary school teacher and use this book both at home with my own kids and at school to teach my students about diversity.
Silverstar
Tug of Words
The poems in this collection offer an innocent and playful description of the plants and living creatures in the author's garden. While the world was on lockdown during the Covid pandemic, she found a way to celebrate the resilience and beauty of nature. In simple and creative language, the poems show appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us. The discussion questions and activities in the book are a helpful addition if one wants to use the book in a language or a writing class.
Natasha G.
The Beautiful Garden
"Four Seasons Together" takes young readers on a delightful journey, following two children—one in the US and the other in Vietnam—as they experience the magic of the four seasons in their own countries. Through captivating storytelling and charming illustrations, this book celebrates friendship, cultural diversity, and the beauty of nature. It's a wonderful way for children to explore different cultures while learning about the changing seasons.
Hung
Four Seasons Together
The images are evocative and the rhymes are delightful. I just loved the child making a "bad" face and preparing to launch a meatball. This is a wonderful gift for Vietnamese speakers or for children with Vietnamese friends. This hardback should last for many, many readings.
Deborah Healey
Tug of Words
Book has provided numerous open conversations introducing my grandchildren to differences in one's language, appearance, heritage and race. We frequently pull the globe of the world out to discuss the different locations around the world and how people in each part of the country have differences and similarities.
Debra Wolf
Tug of Words
The IELTS Speaking Part 2 book was a great purchase! If you or anyone you know needs help with the speaking sections on the exam, this is the book for you. The size of the book is perfect as well. You're given the information you need. Short enough where it is not intimidating, and not overly long makes for a great read. You can also use the Eduling app as you work your way through the book. It makes the learning process fun and easy! Highly recommend!
Quinton
IELTS Speaking Part 2
This is a warm and relatable story for children of migrants. It's nice to have the option of reading it in both languages to our bilingual child.
Quoc
Four Seasons Together
I really enjoyed reading this book with my daughter over and over again. It’s a perfect portrayal of any modern family with lots of diversity and cultural differences. My daughter especially loves the beautiful illustrations. Her comment was “This book is really cute and sweet!”
Chanel Liu
Tug of Words
The book is divided into several short poems, each with its own unique theme and enchanting characters. Every page brings something new and exciting for children to explore. The simple and rhythmic verses make it easy for young readers to follow along and engage with the stories.
Anh Chu
The Beautiful Garden
Là một IELTS learner và mình thực sự cảm thấy may mắn được biết đến và trải nghiệm học cuốn sách này từ khi sách mới được xuất bản trên Amazon. Trước đây mình cảm thấy IELTS Speaking rất khó nhưng chính cuốn sách này đã gần như thay đổi hoàn toàn mindset của mình và giúp mình có một chiến lược ôn thi đúng đắn và hợp lí hơn
Ngoc Tam
IELTS Speaking Part 2
My kids and I love the book. The story of Hallie and Bo is so cute, and we love that it ends with family reunion for the Lunar New Year Tết. The illustrations are also beautiful and remind us of our home country Vietnam.
Van
Four Seasons Together
Meet the Authors
We are experienced educators, writers, and researchers in the area of English language and learning.