Looking for a Coursebook in Advanced AmE (C2)

Dear friends,

I wounder if you can recommend a course in American English to take after Passages. I got an impression there is not much choice of C2 level courses and these are all Michigan ECPE Exam preparation ones. Apart from tests and exam maximizers, could you possibly recommend a good general C2 level course in AmE, not exactly concentrated on drilling for the exam? I am thinking of something like Leo Jones' Progress to Proficiency. (Or has it may be come time to switch to BrE?)

I would appreciate any advice on teaching AmE for proficiency level.

Thank you in advance,

Daniel

As a speaker and teacher of BrE, I can't help with your main request I am afraid.

I'll just pass on a personal, and most probably biased, opinion of the works of 'Dear Leo', as he is not very affectionately referred to by my colleagues and me. If your sole aim is to pass Cambridge examinations, then Dear Leo may help. If you wish to use English naturally, then look elsewhere.

Thank you for the feedback, 5jj

It's not about speaking naturally as such, rather about finding a long-lasting, commercially available and ready-to-use coursebook, say, in the format of Passages I got used to; preferably with all standard components like a workbook, (progress) tests, class cds etc. The only such course in AmE I am aware of is Stars & Stripes. It's a fireproof exam preparation course, as I see it, just not exactly what I was thinking to work with. Speaking of BrE counterparts that suit my purpose, I would also name Objective Proficiency.

Regards.

P.S. I just revised Leo's old good Progress to Proficiency (the one with pictures of sexy girls and funny cartoons) and decided to restore my previous post that I deleted - he really deserves all the praise and emotions. Pardon me, 5jj.

...I must have put it not clear enough. I referred to Leo's book as a sample of book I look for on AmE. In my knowledge, the coursebook in question is often reproached exactly for being a poor exam-driller, general agreement being that it is a good book for improving your language, at least among self-learners. It is for the first time that I hear quite an opposite opinion. I am sorry to say that I can not but only respect Leo Jones for all he has done since his pioneering books in communicative method, and here I might be biased too. I find his books clever, bright, witty and intelligently written, and it is my problem that I do not know many alike. You say one should look elsewhere - that is exactly what I am doing asking for alternatives to Leo Jones. Could you be more specific and recommend some titles of advanced level (course)books in BrE that you use?..