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Coursebooks Analysis Straightforward Pre- Intermediate

Authors : María José Acuña – Pamela Humeres

30/11/2014

Factual Details Title: Author:

-Straightforward Pre-intermediate student’s book Philip Kerry (Straightforward student’s book) Matthew Jones and Philip Kerr (Workbook)

Publisher:

Macmillan Publishers Limited

Price:

Between $20.000 and $25.000 (at Libreria Inglesa)

ISBN:

978 1405 01057 3 978 0230 02079 5 (with CD-ROM)

Number of pages:

159 pages

Components:

- Student’s Pack (Student’s book + CD- ROM) - Workbook Pack (with key + Audio CD) - Workbook pack (without key + Audio CD) - Teacher's Book & Resource Pack - Class Audio CD - Portfolio

Level:

Pre-intermediate level

Physical size:

27,8 cm x 21,9cm

Length: Units

One year 12 units

Lessons/sections:

Four lessons per unit (A, B, C, D)

Hours:

10 hours per week

Target skills:

Target learners:

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Adults and young adults

Target teachers:

University English Language Teachers

Review As a general review from the answers given from the teacher, we can inferred that she tend to have communicative approach. She makes reference to the four skills of the language but she does not mention grammar spot or the systems of the language. In general the interview makes reference to the use of course book as a guide than as a central or essential element during the class. The teacher considers the book by itself as a supplementation; because she prefers to create activities by her own that the students can related easily with real context opportunities. The teacher point that there are a lot of elements to consider at the time of choosing a course book or activities from a course book , such as level of English of the Ss. , quality of printing , variety of topics and activities . More over the teacher mentions the importance of clear and instructions and the enough amounts of examples. To sum up with we can say that the teacher insist on the idea of providing the same amount of time and preparation to the four skills of the language, even though she does not make reference to the systems of the language. It is possible to infer that the interview considered course book as a helper, but not as a bible for teaching.

Question

Category

Participant

Comment

Do you think Importance coursebooks are Coursebooks important?

of Emm, I think that they are a good guide for the teacher, okay... especially at schools, where coursebooks are supposed to be selected according to the curriculum that teacher must follow, but they are not essential.

The teacher points out that the course books are mainly used as a guide, where teachers can their knowledge, but it can be inferred that, the interview does not consider them as something essential. In addition it is important to mention, that she stated that teachers do not have to follow a course book pattern, but they must follow a specific curriculum.

What are you Criteria criteria for choosing choosing a coursebook coursebook?

for uuh... lot of things, a level of English, eeh... printing quality, topics, variety of activities, if they include the four skills or not, basically those things.

The interview makes reference to the different elements that must be considered at the time of teaching using a course book. The interview makes reference to the four skills of the language, but does not make reference to grammar spot. The main thing that can be inferred from the answer given is the idea of the importance of the context level, at the moment of selecting teaching material.

Which part(s) of Parts of the I try to use them all, in the coursebook coursebook most order to try to develop do you frequently used the four skills use?

We might infer that as the teacher makes reference to the four skills of the language, she tends to have a communicative approach. But teacher do not seems to be aware or grammar. According to Littlewood (1981), it is possible to infer that teacher makes reference to the use of an integrated skills approach, in which the same amount of time is devoted to the four skills of the language. As Oxford mentions (2001) This approach allows teachers to track students' progress in multiple skills at the same time. Integrating the language skills also promotes the learning of real content, not just the dissection of language forms. Finally, the integratedskill approach, whether found in content-based or task-based language instruction or some hybrid form, can be highly motivating to students of all ages and backgrounds.

Which part(s) of Parts of the Maybe the grammar the coursebook coursebook less spot, or the grammar do you seldom used focus, because I try to use? teach that part in context, not as an equation, okay... so sometimes I use my way to teach the grammar points

The interview makes references about the parts of the course books that she avoids to use. The teacher points out that the grammar part is constructed in a more grammar oriented way that makes the structures more explicit. When grammar is taught as a formula is less probable that students will be able to relate with the real words, which is really on the contrary of the Communicative approach that is the one that the Educational Ministry is implemented in the national curriculum.

When do you Context/reasons supplement the for coursebook? supplementing. Why?

Okay, umh...When I find that the activities are not attractive for the group of students, when the topics are not interesting, or when the level of English doesn't fit my students.

The teacher states that when the content of the course book is not enough it is necessary to supplement it. She also makes reference the importance of considering the students level. According to Littlewood (2005) students need exposure to lots and lots of authentic materials. According to Peacock Authentic materials are those that have been created to fulfil specific purposes in the language community (1997). As we can infer in teacher’s answer, a course should be an authentic material, and if it fits students’ needs.

How do you Procedure for By looking for my own supplement the supplementing. emm... images or coursebook? examples, creating my own worksheets or powerpoints, that's all

The teacher states that when supplement the course book is necessary, she tends to use her own material in order to provide better sources. The interview considers that the course book by itself is a supplement. She has a procedure that is more oriented to visual sources. According to Oxford (1990), the process of relating information or knowledge with images has four advantages. For Oxford, the process of relating the verbal with mental images has four advantages: First: Visual information is better stored in the brain than verbal information acquired through speech and more efficient. Second: Through mental images we can transfer information efficiently to long-term memory. Third: Through mental images

we can recover verbal material, easily Fourth: Most of learners prefer visual learning After exposing the four advantages, it is necessary to state that for visual learners it is mainly important to use images in the learning process What kind of help Kind of help in Mmmh, basically an would you like to teaching easy way for students have from the CB Grammar. to understand the in teaching structure that we are grammar? dealing with and providing good and clear enough examples for students What kind of help Kind of help in Lots of would you like to teaching drillings… have from the CB pronunciation in teaching pronunciation?

According to the teacher the fact of delivering good and clear examples is something crucial at the moment of using a course book. When providing clear example is very oriented to the use and the meaning of using grammar but not to the form.

listening, The interview makes reference to the concept of drilling in order to teach pronunciation, drilling according to the British council is “At its simplest, drilling means listening to a model, provided by the teacher, or a tape or another student, and repeating what is heard. This is a repetition drill, a technique that is still used by many teachers when introducing new language items to their students. The teacher says (models) the word or phrase and the students repeat it”. Another important aspect that we can infer from teacher´s answer is the idea that, pronunciation can be acquired by listening, such idea can be baked up into Harmer´s idea (2001 pp.238) “Listening is especially important since it provides the perfect opportunity to hear voices other

rather than the teacher´s enables students to acquires good speaking habits as a result of the spoken English they absorb , and help them improve their own pronunciation. It is possible to relate both of the concepts with pronunciation learning process. What kind of help Kind of help in Mmh, emm... different would you like to teaching lexis contexts in which the have from the CB students can find that in teaching lexis? vocabulary

In this extract of the interview it is possible to infer that the idea that has about offering variety of context in which the students may apply the vocabulary. In order to create real learning opportunities for the students and give them learning purpose.

What kind of help Kind of help in To provide equal would you like to teaching the skills quantity or practice for have from the CB each of the skills in teaching the skills of the language?

The Interview makes reference again, about the Integrated skills approach. She is got a communicative approach but not really focus on the. The interview got a communicative approach but does not make reference directly to the direct

Rating

Factor

Rating Analysis

Rationale

Related to the Rationale, this coursebook is mainly based on the concept of Integrative-Skills Approach (Oxford, 2001). It is a useful tool to develop students’ fourth skills. It embraces integrated language input and it is also helpful at the moment of reinforce functional language.

Availability

This course book is available at Librería Inglesa in Concepción.

definition

This book is mainly for adults and young adults. It is for beginners, more specifically for students in a pre-intermediate level. This book is used for teachers at Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, in majors as English Pedagogy, for first year students.

Layout/ Graphics

Because of this book is for adults and young adults, it has a lot of pictures of real places, objects, drawings, cartoons and also pictures of real people. The book’s material is appropriate for the that is determined by the editors. Colours used in the course book are also appropriate for s.

Accessibility

This books is available at Librería Inglesa. Even though it is a little bit expensive, is easy to find.

Linkage

This book has a webpage which owns to Macmillan editorial, there s can find exercises, worksheets among other things.

Selection/ Grading

Every unit of the coursebook is divided into activities to practice each of the four skills. In addition, there are activities focused on grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary Even though, there is a lot of activities created in order to develop the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) activities are not graded.

Appropriacy

Straightforward pre-intermediate is a book provided with activities oriented to make students improve their skills by working in each of the units in the book. It is a book appropriated to the determined , and its activities are very simple and precise perfect to pre- intermediate level. The goal of this course book is mainly improve students’ skills through practice.

Authenticity

This course book presents an extensive variety of authentic material (Peacock, 1997). It is provided with real life examples, as images, articles and news, even though it also has fiction, as cartoons among other things. The materials mentioned before are crucial factors at the moment of talking about authenticity.

Sufficiency

This book helps students to improve their listening, speaking, writing and reading skills. Even though this book is more oriented to receptive skills, it also has activities that are oriented to productive skills. In addition it has a workbook and a CD that can use to practice.

Cultural Bias

The course book involves many cultural factors and from many countries in where English is the mother tongue. This book was made by native speakers, mainly by British speakers.

Educational Validity

This book is at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción since 2012. It was bought with money from the MECESUP project.

Stimulus/ Practice/ Revision

This book has a review section, in which students are able to check and summarized the knowledge acquired through the development of the units. It includes two CD with exercises to practice the content of each unit especially with receptive skills, and also a workbook with grammar and

writing exercises, which is more oriented to productive skills. Both of these sources have the solutions, in the case of the workbook, there is an answer key and in the case of the CDs, at the time that student do the exercises he/she can check his answers and also at the end of the unit. Flexibility

The course book offers the opportunity of applying different units for example without losing the coherence of the aspects to be treated, and this flexibility is because of the variety of activities, and also because the way that the skills are integrated in the different units. The consideration of the context makes this book really appropriate and useful to be used in teaching English process.

Guidance

This book has a review section, in which students are able to check and summarized the knowledge acquired through the development of the units. It includes two CD with exercises to practice the content of each unit especially with receptive skills, and also a workbook with grammar and writing exercises, which is more oriented to productive skills.

Overall value for money

The estimated value of the course book is around 20 and 25 thousand Chilean pesos. Considering the Chilean educational context this might be a little high, but because of the educational value of the book, it makes it worthy to pay.

=Excellent = Good = Fair =Poor It is mainly important to mention, that in our opinion is an excellent book for those who are in a pre-intermediate level. We used this book when we were in our first year of the major and it was completely useful, we are very satisfied with the resources obtained by the MECESUP project, because it is an useful tool that pre-intermediate students can use in order to improve their productive and receptive skills and obtain a better level of English, what in fact is the first goal that pre intermediate learners want to reach.

References British Council (2004). Drilling 1. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/drilling-1. [Last Accessed November, 28th, 2014]. Harmer J., (2001). The practice of English language Teaching. 3rd ed. England: Pearson Education Limited. Littlewood, W.. Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1981. Nation. P, (2001). Teaching Vocabulary . 1st ed. New Zealand: Victoria University of Wellington Oxford, R.L. (2001). Integrated skills in the ESL/EFL classroom. ESL Magazine, 16(1). Oxford, R.L., (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. Peacock, M. (1997) The Effect of Authentic Materials on the Motivation of EFL Learners in English Language Teaching Journal 51, pp 2