New Directions is a thematically based integrated skills text designed to bridge the gap between ESL and college content courses. The Instructor's Manual contains teaching suggestions and an answer key for the book.

New Directions is a thematic reading-writing book aimed at the most advanced learners. It prepares students for the rigors of college-level writing by having them read long, challenging, authentic readings, from a variety of genres, and by having them apply critical thinking skills as a precursor to writing. This emphasis on multiple longer readings gives New Directions its distinctive character.