Vocabulary Mastery 3 introduces high-intermediate ESL/EFL students to the most frequently used words in American academic environments, based on the Academic Word List developed by Coxhead (2000). (Vocabulary Mastery 3 is a significantly revised new edition of More Mastery.)

Books in the Vocabulary Mastery series provide students with the vocabulary they will encounter most frequently in their academic endeavors and help to enrich their understanding of a culture. Theme-based units familiarize students with some high interest aspects of American culture, history, and famous Americans. Themes include: architecture, the Watergate scandal, physical feats, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, global health, and the U.S. national park system.

Each volume exposes students to more than 200 different words of the 570-word list, with 90 words specially targeted in each book. Each unit contains three linked readings to promote narrow/intensive reading and activities that check comprehension, teach and reinforce word forms, and practice other strategies for learning the target vocabulary. Writing and critical-thinking exercises are also included.