METHODOLOGY 7A
ASSIGNMENT 1
TEXTBOOK EVALUATION
GROUP 7
Phan Thi Minh Thương
Hoàng Giang Vĩnh
Material evaluated:Tieng Anh 11 (basic)
Aspects evaluated: Method, Skills, and Realistic
I. Method:
1. Does the book’s method suit your own teaching method?
a) Book’s method (table 1)
Skill / Grammar-translation / Audio-lingual / Communicative teachingReading / -fill in the blanks
-make arrangement
-answer and question
-complete sentences
-multiple choice
-translation
-recognize main ideas
-match
-true-false / -discuss
-guess
-explain
-describe picture
Speaking / -match
-make arrangement right order / - practice dialogue / -describe picture
-discuss
-Role-play
-present
-offer solutions
-express feeling
-report
-ask-answer
Listening / -true-false
-fill in the blanks
-multiple-choice
-summarize / Listen and repeat / -ask-answer
-describe picture
-express opinion
-discuss
-guess
-compare
Writing / -write
-complete a form of letter.
-summarize
-fill in the blanks / -ask-answer
Pronunciation / -listen and repeat
-read aloud
b) The teachers’ method:
The teachers also recognize the pros and cons of each method; therefore they often combine the methods to get the effective periods.
Ex: In Speaking period, teachers use the main method being the communicative method in order to help students have more chances to practice and exchange information. This method may evoke the students’ interesting more than the others. However, teachers can use Grammar-Translation method for Pre-stage such as matching or ordering to give some cues, brainstorm, check students’ understanding, etc.
Conclusion: Each skill has integration between the teaching methods while teachers often combine the teaching methods in the teaching process
àThe book’s method suits the teachers’ method.
2. Does the book’s method overall aims?
a) Using English as a communicative tool at the basic level with the skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Ex: Table 1 has about 50% tasks using the communicative methods.
à The book is not completely communicative.
b) Having the basic, systematic knowledge about English, it is suitable to the level and the characteristic psychology of students.
à The book is based on the “concentric circle” principle.
c) Having the general knowledge about the countries, people, and cultures of the countries speaking English.
Ex: The foreign countries: unit 2, 3, 4, 15, 16.
The Vietnam: unit 5, 8, 12.
The general topic: the rest ones.
à The book supplies the general knowledge which is in the aims.
II. Skill:
1. Cover all skills and really the way the teacher wanted to teach.
=> Reading and listening have 3 stages but speaking and writing only have tasks, don’t have stage.
. Example:
- Unit 1, 2: writing doesn’t have any stages.
- Unit 3, 4, 5, 6: writing has pre-stage and while-stage.
- Unit 7, 8: writing has while stage.
=> Although the skills don’t have any stages but each task suits one stage.
. Example: speaking in unit 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
à In the fact, teachers usually teach following three stages. So, textbook is useful for teacher and really the way the teacher wanted to teach.
2. It doesn’t match with institution’s syllabus.
Example:
Themes: YOU AND ME
skills / Textbook / Program frameworkspeaking / Role-play: talking about a famous friend. / - discuss qualities for true friendship
- talking about a close friend
listening / -deciding on T and F statements
- making notes
-gap-filling
-comprehension question
reading / - guessing meaning in context
- identifying main idea
- passage comprehension
- understanding the sequence of events in a story
- scanning for specific information
- identifying and correcting false
Writing
Language focus / -perfect infinite
-passive infinite
Looking in above box, we can see that in some skills, textbook have but program framework doesn’t have.
III. REALISTIC
1. The language is current.
Ex:
- Unit 9: The post office: Mail, EMS mail, fax
- Unit 12: The Asian games: Games, sport,
2. The language is true-to-life.
Ex:
- Unit 8: Tet, banh chung, mut, kumquat,
3. The communication is rather authentic.
a) Authentic:
Ex:
- Unit 6: Speaking, task 2, Useful language:
Useful languageGreat
Interesting
Good fun
Boring
Wonderful
Exciting / - opportunity to test my general knowledge
- good time to practice my English
- opportunity for my creative activities
- makes me feel sleepy
- makes me feel/cheerful happy
- good chance for my physical training
ð We can see that this example has good and bad points.
- Unit 7: Speaking
Task 2:
Useful language
Poor living conditions
Low living standards
Not enough food
Lack/shortage of school/ hospital/ teacher/ doctor/ nurse
Task 3:
Useful language
Raise an awareness of the problems of overpopulation
Living standards
Exercise / implement reward and punishment policies
Carry out population education programmer
Family planning programmer
Use birth control methods.
- Unit 9: Writing
Task 1:
Useful language
. the open hours the post office - too late/ too early
. the quality of the equipment - good/ bad/ poor quality/ needs repairing
. the security conditions of the - good/ poor security condition/ no one to
post office. keep motorcycles or bicycles
. the attitude of the staff - polite/ helpful/ rude/ arrogant.
. the prices of the services - low/ high/ reasonable
. the punctuality of delivery - always/ never punctual/ sometimes late
of letters and newspapers
- Unit 14: Speaking
Task 3:
Reasons for agreeing / Reasons for disagreeing1. can enjoy spectacular scenery
2. can have a lot of outdoor activities
3. can get close to nature
4. can enjoy the trees, flowers and the wildlife
5. can become more active / 1. have to bring a lot of equipment and supplies which are quite heavy
2. have to eat bread for two days, which is not very pleasant
3. have to hire a coach, which costs a lot of money
4. have to sleep in a tent, the weather might be bad
b) No authentic:
- Unit 1: Speaking, in task 3:
Useful language:
Friendly, humorous, quick- witted, good-natured, helpful, honest, pleasant, caring
How he or she won the prize:
Studious, intelligent, keenly interested in Mathematics, eager to learn, patient, calm.