Ventures 3rd Edition
Ventures
Ventures Third edition is a six-level integrated skills series for Adult Education, aligned to standards and CASAS STEP to help your students meet their goals.
This six-level, four-skills series aligned to NRS and covers the key English Language Proficiency (ELP) and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards for your students develop the skills they need to be college and career ready, and be active in their community. Researched and authored by a team with extensive experience as teachers and administrators, Ventures has been written to meet the demands of today's adult ESL classroom and its increased focus on flexible learning. A wealth of digital and print content support your classroom needs. Whether you're teaching face-to-face, remotely, hybrid, or online, you can find the right combination of tools and support with Ventures.
Authors
K Savage, Gretchen Bitterlin, Donna Price, Sylvia Ramirez, Dennis Johnson
Key features
Addresses ELPS, CASAS Competencies, and CASAS Content Areas which means students practicing the skills in every lesson.
Vocabulary in unit topics relevant to civics and soft skills for the workplace help students be a part of their community.
Activities in each unit develop critical thinking and soft skills to empower students for the workplace.
What makes Ventures 3rd Edition special?
Ventures helps your students meet their higher education and employment goals, and be active in their community.
The world of teaching and learning is constantly changing. At Cambridge we understand flexibility is key – now more than ever. Ventures combines a wealth of digital and print content to meet your classroom needs. Whether you’re teaching face-to-face, remotely, hybrid, or online, you can find the right combination of tools and support with Ventures.
Researched and authored by a team with extensive experience as teachers and administrators, Ventures has been written to meet the demands of today’s adult ESL classroom and its increased focus on flexible learning.
Aligned to standards
You can be assured that Ventures is NRS aligned and covers the key English Language Proficiency (ELP) and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards.
A wealth of print and digital resources
Ventures gives you the tools to confidently tackle any teaching situation, making it the most complete program for student success.
Flexible, self-contained lessons
Each lesson is perfectly paced for 1-hour classes, which you can easily expand with our Digital Workbooks and comprehensive range of Teacher’s Resources
Find out more about how Ventures supports your program's needs
Ventures Third Edition is the best way to prepare your students for success on CASAS STEPS
CASAS STEPS (Student Test of English Progress and Success) is the new CASAS test for Adult Education ESL students. It is designed to measure academic reading and listening skills in the context of common life and work scenario. CASAS STEPS tests student performance in three areas:
- Reading or Listening comprehension based on the ELPS
- CASAS Competencies
- CASAS Content Areas and Task Areas
Ventures is fully aligned to the ELP Standards, CASAS Competencies, Content Areas and Task Areas in every lesson at all levels.
Find out more about how Ventures prepares yous students for success on CASAS STEPS
Download full correlation
Transitions 3rd Edition
Based on feedback from teachers across the country, Ventures Transitions has been updated to meet your needs in helping students prepare are they transition to higher education or to a workplace.
Students learn about opportunities for High School Diplomas, Career and Technical Education, and service learning in a unit new to this edition about College and Career Pathways. It introduces students to the important options available to them after they transition out of ESOL classes.
In addition, Transitions 3rd Edition focuses on academic rigor with plenty of opportunities for practice and ensures teachers have all the support they need to make Transitions easy to use.
Grammar
| Reading
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Teacher's Edition
| Workbook
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Click here to see a list of components for Transitions 3rd edition
Ventures now has a new home for digital learning to support hybrid and remote classes.
More ways to improve English online
Ventures 3rd edition has upgraded to a new digital learning environment, Cambridge One with new mobile-friendly Digital Workbooks, online tests (including a placement test), links to Kahoot! quizzes and Canvas shell courses, and a new CASAS test prep program called Study and Succeed.
Author Information
(Top row) Dennis Johnson, K. Lynn Savage
(Bottom row) Gretchen Bitterlin, Donna Price, Sylvia G. Ramirez.
Gretchen Bitterlin has taught Citizenship, ESL, and family literacy through the San Diego Community College District and served as coordinator of the non-credit Continuing Education ESL program. She was an item writer for CASAS tests and chaired the task force that developed the TESOL Adult Education Program Standards. She is recipient of The President’s Distinguished Leadership Award from her district and co-author of English for Adult Competency. Gretchen holds an MA in TESOL from the University of Arizona.
Dennis Johnson had his first language-teaching experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea. Following that teaching experience, he became an in-country ESL trainer. After returning to the United States, he began teaching credit and non-credit ESL at City College of San Francisco. As ESL site coordinator, he has provided guidance to faculty in selecting textbooks. He is the author of Get Up and Go and co-author of The Immigrant Experience. Dennis is the demonstration teacher on the Ventures Professional Development DVD. Dennis holds an MA in music from Stanford University.
Donna Price began her ESL career teaching EFL in Madagascar. She is currently associate professor of ESL and vocational ESL/technology resource instructor for the Continuing Education Program, San Diego Community College District. She has served as an author and a trainer for CALPRO, the California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project, co-authoring training modules on contextualizing and integrating workforce skills into the ESL classroom. She is a recipient of the TESOL Newbury House Award for Excellence in Teaching, and she is author of Skills for Success. Donna holds an MA in linguistics from San Diego State University.
Sylvia Ramirez is a Professor Emeritus at MiraCosta College, a teacher educator, writer, consultant, and a recipient of the California Hayward award for excellence in education, honoring her teaching and professional activities. She is an online instructor for the TESOL Core Certifi cate. Her MA is in education/counseling from Point Loma University, and she has certificates in ESOL and in online teaching.
K. Lynn Savage first taught English in Japan. She began teaching ESL at City College of San Francisco in 1974, where she has taught all levels of non-credit ESL and has served as Vocational ESL Resource Teacher. She has trained teachers for adult education programs around the country as well as abroad. She chaired the committee that developed ESL Model Standards for Adult Education Programs (California, 1992) and is the author, co-author, and editor of many ESL materials including Crossroads Café, Teacher Training through Video, Parenting for Academic Success, Building Life Skills, Picture Stories, May I Help You?, and English That Works. Lynn holds an MA in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University.
How does the Third Edition meet today's Adult Education needs?
- Aligned to the NRS' interpretive, productive, and interactive outcomes at each level.
- Dedicated College and Career Readiness section helps students develop the skills they need to succeed in college and the workplace.
- Problem-solving activities in each unit cover critical thinking and soft skills key to workplace readiness.
- More grammar practice and evidence-based reading help meet the academic rigor required by WIOA.
> Find out more about NRS and WIOA
Be College and Career Ready!
Ventures is correlated to the English Language Proficiency (ELP) and College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards. Click on the links to download the documents.
Correlations are based on the English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education (American Institutes for Research, October 2016)
- Ventures Level 1 correlated to ELPS and CCRS
- Ventures Level 2 correlated to ELPS and CCRS
- Ventures Level 3 correlated to ELPS and CCRS
- Ventures Level 4 correlated to ELPS and CCRS
- Ventures Transitions correlated to ELPS and CCRS
College and Career Readiness Worksheets
To help students analyze texts, draw conclusions, and cite evidence, Ventures offers 10 CCR worksheets at each level, from Level 1 to Transitions. These worksheets are also included in the back of each Student's Book.
- College and Career Readiness Worksheets, Level 1
- College and Career Readiness Worksheets, Level 2
- College and Career Readiness Worksheets, Level 3
- College and Career Readiness Worksheets, Level 4
- College and Career Readiness Worksheets, Transitions
Want to learn more about the CCRS?
- Read how Ventures meets the CCR standards in a seamless way
- Read about text-dependent questions and how to make sure your students are prepared
- Watch a webinar on how to integrate reading and writing in the context of the CCRS
Career and Educational Pathways
Your students need to succeed whether in getting a new career or furthering their education. This easy-to-use program helps students to actively take part in building a career and educational portfolio.
For each level of Ventures there are eight worksheets to be completed as mini-projects throughout the term. They can be done in class or as homework. We have correlations for each series, but it is only a guide, and you may choose to organize these worksheets differently. Upon completion of each worksheet, students should keep them in a career and education portfolio, which can be used as an important tool for persistence, employment interviews, and planning future education.
See correlations and links to the Career and Educational Pathways worksheets
How to find out more
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Sample content
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Sample Units and Scope & Sequence
Click to download PDFs.
Student Packages
Digital Value Pack
Print and digital in one component
Print Student's Book
eBook with audio and video
Digital Workbook
Downloadable audio and video
Study & Succeed (CASAS test prep)
Online Tests
Super Value Pack
Digital Value Pack + Print Workbook
Print Student's Book
Print Workbook
eBook with audio and video
Digital Workbook
Downloadable audio and video
Study & Succeed (CASAS test prep)
Online Tests
Ventures Connect
A complete all-digital package that gives students everything they need, whether your classes are fully online or hybrid. The digital materials help you engage students, support learning gains, and capture time on task.
Print Student's Book
eBook with audio and video
Digital Workbook
Downloadable audio and video
Study & Succeed (CASAS test prep)
Online Tests
Classroom Pack – Your best value
25 Student’s Books, 25 Workbooks, Teacher’s Edition, Audio CDs, Career and Educational Pathways worksheets
Teacher Packages
Teacher’s Digital Pack
A wealth of teacher support for every lesson
Supplementary Online Teacher Resources
Teacher’s Edition (PDF) and Printable Tests
Online Tests
Digital Workbook and Study & Succeed with gradebook
Presentation Plus
A classroom management tool for any environment
Student’s Book pages
Workbook pages with answers
Video and audio
See details of the Teacher Packages
Canvas Shell Courses with Tests
Ventures Canvas shell courses allow you to post assignments in Canvas straight out of the Student’s Book. This free resource supports skills development and provides accountability while being used alongside our Student’s Books (print or eBook) in face-to-face or synchronous classes.
Every Ventures Canvas shell course comes with:
Pre-made, scoreable activities for every lesson of every unit in the Student’s Book
Unit, Midterm, and Final tests measure learning and capture scores in Canvas
Links to additional resources, including Multilevel and Collaborative Worksheets and Kahoot Quizzes
Contact Your ELT Specialist to find out how to access Ventures Shell Courses.
Kahoot! quizzes
Invite your students to expand their learning in class or remotely with Kahoot! quizzes created for Ventures. Game-based learning increases student motivation and contributes to better learning outcomes
Ready-made questions for every unit for use as a diagnostic tool, for practice, formative assessment, and as review
Adaptable for use in classroom or for remote learning – perfect for live games or self-paced gameplay
Teacher Resources
When you create your teacher’s account in Cambridge One you get access to a wealth of downloadable teacher resources that will save you time and help you deliver the best experience for your students.
Downloadable Teacher Resources
Hundred of additional worksheets and classroom materials to support and expand on lessons in the Student’s Book.
Multilevel Worksheets for each lesson are designed for use in multi-level classrooms where proficiency levels differ.
Collaborative Worksheets for each lesson help develop cooperative learning and community building.
Civics Worksheets supplement the coverage of civics in the Student’s Books and address key civics objectives.
Projects for each unit extend students’ learning from the Student’s Book into the real world.
Career and Educational Pathways Worksheets support students in reaching their post-exit employment goals.
Picture Dictionary Flashcards and Worksheets reinforce the vocabulary students learned at the lower levels.
Self-assessments give students an opportunity to reflect on their learning and develop learner persistence.
Writing Worksheets help literacy levels students recognize and write numbers and letters.
Presentation Plus*
Project or screenshare pages from the Student’s Book and Workbook.
Streamable or downloadable – your choice.
Reveal answers to Student’s Book and Workbook exercises.
Videos with subtitles and audio can be slowed down or sped up to accommodate different proficiency levels.
Play audio and video right off the page.
Online Tests*
New self-grading unit, mid-term, and final tests save you the trouble of marking paper tests.
Students can access tests from a computer, tablet or a smartphone.
Teacher’s Edition and Printable Tests*
Teacher’s Edition includes lesson plans and teaching tips.
Printable tests in PDF and Word.
* Presentation Plus, Tests, and the Teacher’s Edition require an activation code. Please contact your Cambridge representative.
Digital Tools
Make teaching easy
Teachers can search through a free library of supplementary worksheets including multilevel, collaborative, and civics worksheets – all in one place. A new streaming version of Presentation Plus makes sharing the Student’s Book pages easier, whether you’re face-to-face or teaching remotely.
Teacher Resources
Easy-to-find material like the Collaborative and Multilevel Worksheets help easily add variety and fun to your classes.
Hundreds of ready-made activities and worksheets, all in one place
Multilevel worksheets, collaborative worksheets, and lessons plans
Pre-made lessons plans so you don’t have to spend time preparing
Easy to search
Presentation Plus
Share images from the Student’s Books from anywhere with Internet connection
Use by streaming the content – no need to install
Great for face-to-face and remote classes
Automatically saves your notes every 20 seconds
Play audio and video with adjustable playback speed from the Student’s Book pages
Check out the demo in Cambridge One.
Gather the data you need
Monitor your students' progress, track daily attendance, and record time on task. Cambridge One allows you to gather data needed to improve learning gains as well as meet funding requirements for online learning.
Click the image below to download a sample report.
Digital Workbook
Provides additional listening, reading, and writing practice aligned with the Student’s Book
Use on smartphones, tablets, or computers to make online practice accessible for more students.
Tracks time-on-task and daily attendance so your program can capture learning data for asynchronous learning.
Study and Succeed (test prep for CASAS Life & Work Listening and Reading)
Help prepare students for the CASAS test experience with this bank of CASAS listening and reading questions.
Covers both Life and Work Listening and Reading, with over a hundred practice questions per level, mirroring those found on the actual CASAS tests.
A series of videos offers test-taking tips, skill-building, and guidance on addressing test anxiety.
An easy-to-use gradebook shows which competencies students have mastered as well as which ones require more support.
Additional material to support hybrid or remote learning
eBooks
Online version of the Student’s Book
Access anywhere using any device – no need to download an app
Includes audio and video that can be played with a click of a button
Ability to slow down audio
Contact your representative to receive a code for a sample eBook.
Online tests
Administer unit, midterm, and final tests online. Save time marking up papers, with these self-grading tests. We also offer an Online Placement Test.
Canvas shell courses with tests
Ventures has shell courses as well as quizzes for Canvas. These courses, designed to be used alongside our coursebooks, offer interactive activities for every unit as well as unit, midterm, and final tests.
Click here to watch a video with more information. If you have any questions or to download your Canvas shell course, get in touch with your local ELT specialist.
Ready-made Kahoot! quizzes
We’ve partnered with Kahoot to offer fun quizzes for Ventures.
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share and play fun learning games and trivia quizzes in minutes. Users can play Kahoot! on any mobile device or laptop with an internet connection.
Find out more about Kahoot! for Ventures.
Want to learn more about Ventures on Cambridge One? Check out our how-to videos for students, teachers, and admins.
How-to video playlist for teachers
How-to video playlist for students
How-to video playlist for admins
Career and Educational Pathways
Levels: Basic to Beginner
| Theme | NRS level Beginning Literacy Ventures Basic | NRS level Low Beginning Ventures Level 1 | NRS Level High Beginning Ventures Level 2 |
| Complete Set | 1A - 8A | 1B - 8B | 1C - 8C |
| Correlations | Correlation | Correlation | Correlation |
| Autobiography/Personal Life History | Worksheet 1A Students describe themselves and their lives using visuals | Worksheet 1B Students practice introducing themselves and describing their lives | Worksheet 1C Students write an autobiographical paragraph and edit their partner’s paragraph |
| Career Interest Inventory | Worksheet 2A Students learn about common career areas | Worksheet 2B Students learn about several careers | Worksheet 2C Students learn how their personality shapes their career interests |
| Career Pathways Search | Worksheet 3A Students use pictures to describe their career pathway | Worksheet 3B Students research education and skills requirements in their career of interest | Worksheet 3C Students research trends in their career of interest |
| Career Research Writing | N/A (activity not at student level) | Worksheet 4B Students read a passage and identify main ideas | Worksheet 4C Students learn to use quotes and paraphrase information |
| Applying Soft Skills | Worksheet 5A Students listen to and confirm information in order to develop phone skills | Worksheet 5B Students identify local businesses where they might like to work | Worksheet 5C Students write e-mails to set up informational interviews about their career of interest |
| Building a Resume | Worksheet 6A Students use pictures to describe their work experience | Worksheet 6B Students identify previous work experience | Worksheet 6C Students fill out a resume template |
| College Knowledge & Navigation | Worksheet 7A Students learn about the educational system in the United States and fill out a chart about their educational background | Worksheet 7B Students learn about post-secondary training. | Worksheet 7C Students navigate post-secondary school admission information |
| Professional Presentations & Teamwork | Worksheet 8A Students give a brief presentation about themselves to their classmates | Worksheet 8B Students give a brief presentation about their career of interest | Worksheet 8C Students learn about graphs and present a graph to their classmates about occupations related to their career area of interest |
Levels Intermediate to Advanced
| Theme | NRS level Low Intermediate Ventures Level 3 | NRS Level High Intermediate Ventures Level 4 | NRS Level Advanced Ventures Transitions |
| Complete Set | 1D - 8D | 1E - 8E | 1F - 8F |
| Correlations | Correlation | Correlation | Correlation |
| Autobiography/Personal Life History | Worksheet 1D Students write two autobiographical paragraphs and edit their partner’s paragraphs | Worksheet 1E Students write and edit a three-paragraph autobiographical essay | Worksheet 1F Students type or write three autobiographical paragraphs about their life goals and edit their own work |
| Career Interest Inventory | Worksheet 2D Students learn about their career values | Worksheet 2E Students write a paragraph about their career and personal objectives | Worksheet 2F Students learn about the sixteen Career Clusters and identify their Career Cluster |
| Career Pathways Search | Worksheet 3D Students learn about and practice networking | Worksheet 3E Students learn about questions to ask when accepting a job offer | Worksheet 3F Students learn about internships, apprenticeships and volunteer work |
| Career Research Writing | Worksheet 4D Students learn to create an outline and write about their career of interest | Worksheet 4E Students learn to select varied and reliable information sources in order to write research papers | Worksheet 4F Students write a three paragraph essay on their career of interest |
| Applying Soft Skills | Worksheet 5D Students prepare questions for informational interviews about their career of interest | Worksheet 5E Students learn how to search for jobs and prepare to drop off their resumes at local businesses | Worksheet 5F Students learn about job shadowing and set up an appointment to shadow a professional |
| Building a Resume | Worksheet 6D Students find and compare sample resumes in their career of interest | Worksheet 6E Students revise their resumes then edit a classmate’s resume | Worksheet 6F Students role-play a job interview using their partner’s resume |
| College Knowledge & Navigation | Worksheet 7D Students learn how to pay for post-secondary school | Worksheet 7E Students learn about post-secondary school admission requirements | Worksheet 7F Students apply for post-secondary school and complete an application checklist |
| Professional Presentations & Teamwork | Worksheet 8D Students create and present PowerPoint presentations on their career of interest | Worksheet 8E Students role-play job interviews and get feedback from their classmates | Worksheet 8F Students present their career plan to their classmates |
Career and Educational Pathways video
Melissa Sadler-Nitu speaks to the importance of addressing Career and Educational Pathways at all levels of Adult ESL, so that English becomes a vehicle to a better life.
Professional Development
Follow real teachers putting their best practices to work in real classrooms. This series of videos is perfect for beginning to mid-career teachers. Don't forget to download the Facilitator Guide and Worksheets to use with these videos.
Ventures Professional Development Video Guide
Ventures Professional Development Video Worksheets
Come learn from our expert authors as they explore a wide range of current topics in Adult ESL in a series of blog posts.
Facilitating Multilevel Classes
Developing Writing Skills
Developing Reading Skills
Teaching Grammar Communicatively
Developing Listening Skills
Enhancing Instruction with Visuals
Components
Components
Ventures Basic Literacy Value Pack
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