The Foreign Service Journal, November 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2015 57 teach children the differences between healthy and unhealthy foods in order equip them with the tools to start making posi- tive nutrition choices. Cheryl Nugent, a Foreign Service spouse, is also the author of a work of fiction, Old Gorge Road: A Kentbury Mystery (see p. 45) . Becoming Fluent: How Cognitive Science Can Help Adults Learn a Foreign Language Richard Roberts and Roger Kreuz, The MIT Press, 2015, $24.95/hardcover; $13.99/Kindle; $29.95/audiobook, 226 pages. The authors of Becoming Fluent address myriad myths about language learning that hold adults back and encourage self-defeating behavior and a lack of progress in learning foreign languages. One of these discouraging myths is that adults cannot acquire foreign language proficiency as easily as children. While children do have an easier time approximating native accents, and don’t often suffer from crippling self-doubt, happily, Kreuz and Roberts present evidence from the fields of psychology and cognitive science indicating that adults, in fact, have many advantages over children when it comes to language learning. The authors not only prove that adults have these advan- tages, but demonstrate how to leverage them for speedy and effective learning. They address many aspects of language learning, including the creation of habits necessary for lan- guage retention, FSI’s diplomatic language training methods and fluency versus proficiency, among others. “This is a one-of-a-kind book that will give adult language learners the confidence they need to start or continue studying a foreign language,” says Dr. Susan R. Fussell, professor of com- munication and information science at Cornell University. FSO Richard Roberts has served in Niger, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, and is proficient in Japanese, German and Portuguese. Before joining the Foreign Service he taught psychology in Europe and Asia with the University of Maryland University College. Roger Kreuz, who has taught for more than 25 years, is professor of psychology and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis. HiSET ® Cram Plan ™ Tim Collins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, $18.99/paperback, 390 pages. For more than 50 years, CliffsNotes has been providing students with study guides containing only the essentials. Tim Collins has contributed to this long tradi- tion with HiSET ® Cram Plan™ , a complete guide to preparation for the new HiSet ® (High School Equiva- lency Test) exam. HiSET ® certification is now accepted in more than 14 states and several American territories, and other states are expected to begin accepting it in the near future. This guide includes cover- age of all sections of the test. It also includes detailed study plans tailored to the amount of time the test taker has to study. Collins succinctly explains the HiSET ® test, the scoring system and test-taking strategies, and provides multiple practice tests with answer guides so users can track their progress. The HiSET ® can open up many doors to employment and further educational opportunities for those who did not graduate from high school. Tim Collins recently joined the Foreign Service as an Eng- lish language officer in Washington, D.C., where he is regional program officer for English education programs in Africa. Prior to this, he was a professor at National-Louis University in Chicago, where he specialized in test preparation, teacher education and English as a second language (ESL). He has written more than 30 books for ESL and adult education, including the best-selling McGraw-Hill Education’s Complete TOEFL Preparation . Am I Going to Starve to Death?: A Survival Guide for the Foreign Service Spouse Donna Gorman, self-published, 2015, $8.99/Kindle, 152 pages. “How do you get a Great Dane onto an airplane? What happens when you have a medical emergency in a country where they don’t speak English? Can you find guacamole overseas, and if not, how will you survive a two-year tour of duty?” Writer, blogger and Foreign Service spouse Donna Scaramastra Gorman answers all these questions and many more in this collection of advice for Foreign Service spouses. Armed with wit, verve and experience, Gorman covers such diverse topics as deciding to join the Foreign Service; packing up your house; traveling with children and pets; adjusting to house- hold staff; finding a job; making friends; helping children adjust;