An investigation into teachers evaluation of the textbook first friends grade 1 in teaching english at primary schools in dong hoi city quang binh province

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
------------

DANG HONG TRANG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHER’S EVALUATION OF
THE TEXTBOOK “FIRST FRIENDS- GRADE 1”
IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS
IN DONG HOI CITY, QUANG BINH PROVINCE

MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY
OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
CODE: 60.14.01.11

SUPERVISOR: Assoc.Prof.Dr. TRUONG VIEN

HUE, 2015
i


BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ
--------

ĐẶNG HỒNG TRANG

ĐIỀU TRA VỀ SỰ ĐÁNH GIÁ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN
ĐỐI VỚI QUYỂN SÁCH "FIRST FRIENDS- GRADE 1"
TRONG VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH TẠI

CÁC TRƯỜNG TIỂU HỌC Ở ĐỒNG HỚI, QUẢNG BÌNH

LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP
DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH
MÃ SỐ: 60.14.01.11

NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC:

PGS.TS. TRƯƠNG VIÊN

HUẾ, 2015

ii


STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any
university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material
previously published or written by another person except where due reference is
made in the thesis itself.

Date: …./ …./ 20….
Signature

iii


ABSTRACT
This study investigates into teachers’ evaluation of the textbook “First

Friends- grade 1” at primary schools in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh in order to help
make effective use of this textbook in the near future. The subjects including 50
teachers from 22 primary schools in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh were supposed to mark
48 statements about the textbook in which they state whether and to which degree
they agree or disagree with those. Besides, 20 of them are asked to answer 6
questions for their ideas and comments about the textbook. Generally, the study
revealed that teachers expressed negative attitudes towards the quality of the
textbook evaluated through seven criteria in terms of Practical Consideration,
Layout and Design, Themes, Activities, Skills, Language Type, and Subject and
Content. Based on the findings, it is recommended that difficult and long
vocabulary should be omitted. Most of teachers also stated that even though the
First Friends- grade 1 is a good book for children, the First Friends- grade 1 might
be taught for students in grade 2 if it is redesigned so as to suit their right level of
English ability and Vietnamese context. Moreover, some shortcomings should have
been taken into consideration.

iv


ACKOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people who have contributed to the
accomplishment of this research paper. First of all, I would like to express my
sincere appreciation to my thesis supervisor, Assist. Prof. Dr. Truong Vien, for his
time and expertise, given so freely and thoughtfully throughout the study. This
research would not have become a reality without his valuable advice as well as
enthusiastic guidance.
I would also like to say many thanks to my friends in the graduate class
TESOL 2013-2015 for helping and encouraging me.
My special thanks are sent to my friends and colleagues at Nguyen Binh

Khiem high school for providing favorable conditions to make this study possible.
Next, I would like to express my appreciation to the principals and especially
the teachers of English from 22 primary schools in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh, who
were willing to participate in the survey and spend time marking the questionnaires
and joining the interviews. Their enthusiasm helped me collect significant data for
this study.
Finally, I would like to send a great deal of gratitude to my family for the
help and support. I would be forever grateful and deeply indebted.

v


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Contents
SUB COVER PAGE ...................................................................................................i
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .......................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iv
ACKOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................v
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... ix
LISTS OF TABLES ....................................................................................................x
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................1
1.1. BACKGROUND..................................................................................................1
1.2. RATIONALE .......................................................................................................2
1.3. AIMS OF STUDY ...............................................................................................3
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ..................................................................................3
1.5. SCOPE OF STUDY .............................................................................................3
1.6. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ..................................................................4
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................5

2.1. Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Viet Nam .......................................5
2.1.1. The educational policies for teaching English for young learners ....................5
2.1.2. The curriculum of teaching English at the primary level .................................6
2.2. Views on role of textbooks in the EFL/ESL classroom .......................................6
2.3. Material evaluation...............................................................................................8
2.4. Material adaptation...............................................................................................9
2.5. Purposes of materials evaluation ..........................................................................9
2.6. Criteria for evaluation ........................................................................................10
2.6.1. Criteria defined by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) .......................................10
2.6.2. Criteria defined by Sheldon (1988) ................................................................10
2.6.3. Criteria defined by Ur (1996) .........................................................................11
vi


2.6.4. Criteria defined by Tomlinson (1999)............................................................11
2.6.5. Criteria defined by McGrath (2002) ..............................................................11
2.6.6. Criteria defined by Mc.Donough and Shaw (1993) ........................................12
2.6.7. Criteria defined by Cunningsworth (1995) ....................................................12
2.7. Previous studies ..................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .........................................................................19
3.1. Research design ..................................................................................................19
3.2. Participants .........................................................................................................19
3.3. Materials .............................................................................................................19
3.4. Research Instrument ...........................................................................................20
3.4.1. Questionnaire ..................................................................................................20
3.4.2. Interview .........................................................................................................21
3.5. Procedure............................................................................................................23
3.5.1. Piloting the questionnaires ..............................................................................23
3.5.2. Administering the questionnaires ....................................................................23
3.6. Data Analysis Methods ......................................................................................23

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ...............................24
4.1. Results ................................................................................................................24
4.1.1. Reliability of data ............................................................................................24
4.1.2. Descriptive statistics of total mean .................................................................24
4.1.3. Descriptive statistics of cluster mean scores ...................................................25
4.1.4. Descriptive statistics of item mean scores ......................................................25
4.1.5. Table of frequencies ........................................................................................27
4.2. Results analysis and discussion ..........................................................................27
4.2.1. Demographic Characteristics of participants ..................................................27
4.2.2. Practical Considerations ..................................................................................28
4.2.3. Layout and Design ..........................................................................................30
4.2.4. Themes ............................................................................................................32
4.2.5. Activities .........................................................................................................33
4.2.6. Skills ................................................................................................................34
vii


4.2.7. Language Type ................................................................................................36
4.2.8. Subject and content .........................................................................................37
4.2.9. Overall Consensus ...........................................................................................38
4.2.10. Findings from interviews with teachers ........................................................39
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................44
5.1. Summary of the findings ....................................................................................44
5.2. Pedagogical implications ...................................................................................45
5.3. Limitations ........................................................................................................46
5.4. Suggestions for further research.........................................................................47
5.5. Conclusion..........................................................................................................47
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................48
APPENDIX .............................................................................................................51

viii


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

MOET

Ministry of Education and Training

ELT

English Language Teaching

SPSS

Statistical Package for Social Sciences

ix


LISTS OF TABLES
Tables
Table 3.1 Display the items grouped into categories
Table 4.1 Reliability of data
Table 4.2 Descriptive statistics of data’s overall mean
Table 4.3 Descriptive Statistics of cluster mean
Table 4.4 Descriptive Statistics of item mean
Table 4.5 Analysis of participants’ profile
Table 4.6 Mean score of cluster 1
Table 4.7 One-Sample Test of cluster 1

Table 4.8 Mean score of cluster 2
Table 4.9 One-Sample Test of cluster 2
Table 4.10 Mean score of cluster 3
Table 4.11 One-Sample Test of cluster 3
Table 4.12 One-Sample Statistics of cluster 4
Table 4.13 One-Sample Test of cluster 4
Table 4.14 Mean score of cluster 5
Table 4.15 One-Sample Test of cluster 5
Table 4.16 Mean score of cluster 6
Table 4.17 One-Sample Test of cluster 6
Table 1.18 Mean score of cluster 7
Table 4.19 One-Sample Test of cluster 7
Table 4.20 Mean score of cluster 8
Table 4.21 One-Sample Test of cluster 8

x


CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND
Today, English is one of the most common languages used widely in the
world. It is the language of science, technology, trade and global information.
English, therefore has become a compulsory subject in most schools in Vietnam,
especially in secondary education. Along with the trend of globalization, the
Government of Vietnam has been implementing an open door policy for integration
with the world community in various fields such as economy, politics, commerce,
education, etc. These changes have put Vietnam in many challenges in equipping
foreign language skills for learners to meet the urgent requirements of the labor

market in the new era. Indeed society requires teachers of English in Vietnam to
innovate their language teaching methods under the direction of communication in
order to enhance the capacity of communicating for their students. In this overall
process, Ministry of Education and Training has instructed to design and employ
many sets of English textbooks for general education focused on four main skills of
listening, speaking, reading and writing for students.
According to Alshumaimeri (2001), learning English or any other subjects
involves three main participants: the teacher, the textbook, and the student.
Therefore, contents of English textbooks or textbooks in general have a significant
association with the learning of the students. The content of English textbooks must
not contain errors because they may cause adverse effects on his/her learning.
There can be no doubt that evaluating the official textbooks for English is a
task of great importance to the future success of the educational program. The
decision of which textbook to use is a decision that will affect an entire generation
of Vietnamese children. By properly scrutinizing the text intended for use, it is
possible to make sure that the educational needs of the students are being met
appropriately.
1


The evaluation of a textbook however may seem to be a tedious task. Since
a relatively new English textbook is being utilized by students in primary schools, it
is important that it passes through close scrutiny as to its physical appearance,
design and illustration, objectives, content, flexibility, teachability, teaching
methods and practice and testing. This is the only way that parents, teachers and
students will be assured of reliable and good learning.
The reasons above motivated the researcher to evaluate the English language
textbook First Friends-grade 1 studied at primary schools in Dong Hoi city, Quang
Binh province. The significance of this choice is that this textbook was taught only
recently in 2013 and evaluating it will be an urgent need and of a great value. The

evaluation can provide a reference for the subsequent revisions and improvement of
certain aspects of this fundamental textbook and related material as well. Another
reason behind the choice is that this book constitutes the building block for primary
English language education and that this is where students make their first contact
with a foreign language.
1.2. RATIONALE
This study was conducted for the following reasons:
Firstly, textbooks/ materials play a vital role in teaching and learning a
language. Therefore, choosing good textbooks/ materials leads to an effective
language teaching program.
Secondly, in the recent years, the Ministry of Education and Training
requires textbooks and curriculum to be designed for the communication- oriented
and learner- centered approach. As a result, choosing textbooks seems to be one of
the key tasks to meet the educational goals of MOET. This First Friends- grade 1
consists of two levels designed to teach 2 periods / week at primary schools in Dong
Hoi. It is the foundation stone in the English language program and has been taught
recently in primary schools in Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province in 2013, so
evaluating it is an educational necessity. Until now, no research on First Friends-

2


grade 1 textbook series has been carried out to examine how well they meet the
requirements of MOET in the current context.
Thirdly, no book suits all students because of their different interest,
motivations, levels, and learning styles. Therefore, we must adapt the textbooks so
that students can balance language skills in their particular context.
Last but not least, teachers of English find it necessary to carry out more
evaluative reviews of this series of textbooks to make the teaching and learning
process more effective and practical in particular context. I myself learn how to

evaluate, select, and adapt the textbooks/ materials in my teaching through
experience from this study.
1.3. AIMS OF STUDY
The aims of this study is to: 1- evaluate the English textbook First Friendsgrade 1 that has been recently released for the first time at primary schools in Dong
Hoi city, Quang Binh province; 2- suggest some adaptation for teachers of English
to improve the quality of their teaching, which later helps improve the quality of
students’ learning.
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study aims to answer the following research questions:
1. To which degree does the textbook " First Friends- grade 1" fit in the
English teaching and learning setting at primary schools in Dong Hoi city, Quang
Binh province?
2. What suggestions should be made for the effective teaching and learning
of the textbook?
1.5. SCOPE OF STUDY
This study focuses on the evaluation the First Friends- grade 1 English
textbook for students at primary schools in Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province as
well as some suggested adaptations which make it more suitable for students’ needs
and abilities in coming years.

3


1.6. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This study consists of six chapters: Introduction, Literature Review,
Research Methodology, Research Result, Result Analysis and Discussion, and
Conclusion. In chapter 2, I will review the literature on Teaching English as a
Foreign Language in Viet Nam, Materials evaluation, Materials adaptation. Chapter
3 includes the research design, the participant, the materials, the research
instrument, and the procedure of the study. In chapter 4, the research results

collected from real classroom situations are reported. In chapter 5, I will analyze the
research result and come up with theoretical findings. In the final chapter, I
conclude the study with a brief summary of the course book’s strengths and
weakness, suggest ideas to improve it, point out some limitations of the study, and
state a few ideas for further research.

4


CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Viet Nam
2.1.1. The educational policies for teaching English for young learners
Generally, English at the primary level in Vietnam has been neglected for
years, although English has gained popularity in this country since the Doi Moi
(innovation) Policy in the 1980s.
According to Wright (2002), Le (2007), Nguyen (2011), English has become
the preferred foreign language at all educational levels in Vietnam with the
implementation of national socio-economic reform policy in 1986 as well as the
impact of globalization on different social, economic, educational, cultural aspects
of life. As a result, English is introduced into primary schools in Vietnam.
In the early 90s, English has become an elective subject and the status of
English in primary school program has changed remarkably. Decision No 662/TH
by the MOET dated 18 September 1996 provided guidance on the teaching of
English as an elective subject to primary school students from the second semester
of grade 3. However, not until 2003 did the first official document consider English
as an elective course at primary schools (Decision No. 50/2003 dated 30 October
2003 of the MOET).
In project 2020 named “Teaching and learning foreign languages in the

national educational system for 2008-2020 period”, foreign language is expected to
be compulsory subject in the next 10- year foreign language learning program from
grade 3, 4, 5 of primary education to grade 12 of secondary school. According to
Decision 1400, all students graduating primary schools must gain A1 in the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as standard
learning outcome (MOET, 2008).
In 2010, the English curriculum was designed with a set of three English
textbooks: English for grade 3, 4, 5 (Hoang et all., 2010, 2011, 2012) and piloted in
5


turn in 2010-2011, 2011- 2012, 2012- 2013. (Decision No. 3321/QD-BGDDT dated
August 12, 2010)
2.1.2. The curriculum of teaching English at the primary level
Decision No. 50/2003 provided an introduction of English into primary
school in Vietnam. The curriculum of English subject consists of 4 themes: You and
me, my family, my school, and the world around me. English is taught in two 35min periods per week for grade 3, 4, and 5.
In 2010, Decision No. 3321/QD-BGDDT dated August 12, 2010 showed that
three primary English textbooks series including English for grade 3, 4, 5 ( Hoang
et all., 2010, 2011, 2012) were soon developed on the basis of the new curriculum
and piloted with four 40-min periods per week. English for grade 3, 4, 5 was in turn
implemented in 2010- 2011, 2011- 2012, 2012- 2013.
In 2014, Dispatch No. 406/PGĐDH dated September 8, 2014 guided the
English teaching at primary schools: Encouraging students grade 1 and 2 to get
acquainted with English using First Friends 1, 2 for 2 periods one week.
2.2. Views on role of textbooks in the EFL/ESL classroom
Hutchinson and Torres (1994) argues that the textbook has a very important
and a positive part to play in teaching and learning English. They submit that
textbooks will always survive on the base that they meet certain needs because they
provide the necessary input into classroom lessons through different activities,

readings and explanations. They remark that the good textbook, as long as it is
properly used can be an excellent tool for effective and long- lasting change. Also,
they mention that the textbook is an important means of satisfying a wide range of
needs that come out from the classroom. Their role in education cannot be denied
because they make the lives of teachers and learners easier, more secure, and
fruitful.
A textbook has always been the most preferred instructional material in ELT.
They are best seen as a resource in achieving aims and objectives that have already
been set concerning learner needs (Cunningsworth, 1995). Textbooks play a vital
6


role in the teaching /learning process because they make the existence knowledge
available and help learners study well in a selected, easy and organized way.
Cunningsworth (1995) regards a textbook as a resource in presenting the material, a
source for learners to practice and do the activities. It also is seen to be a reference
source on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Moreover, textbooks serve not
only a syllabus and a self-study source for learners but also a support for the
beginning teachers who have yet to gain confidence. Thus, textbooks are considered
to be the service of teachers and learners but not their boss.
Ur (1996) also assumes that a textbook provides a clear framework
instruction. It makes clear what is coming next and helps learners know where they
are going. As mentioned above, it serves as a syllabus and saves the time of the
teacher because it already consists of given texts and tasks for a particular group of
learners. It also acts as a guide to the inexperienced teachers.
Richards (2001) concludes that textbooks act as a key component in most
language programs. They provide the learners with the necessary input that the
learners receive and the language practice that occurs in the class as well as the
basis for the language content and skills to be taught and other kinds of language
practice that the learners take part in. Regarding the multiple roles of textbooks in

ELT, Richards (2001) mentions that a program may have no path, therefore they
provide structure and a syllabus without textbooks. Besides, using a textbook in a
program helps students in different classes receive a similar content; so they can be
evaluated in the same way. In the other words, textbooks provide the standards in
instruction. Especially, they include a variety of learning resources such as
workbooks, CDs and cassettes, videos, etc., which makes the learning environment
interesting and enjoyable for the learners. As for inexperienced teachers, Richards
(2001) states that textbooks can serve as a tool to train them.
Despite the appearance of new technologies, textbooks will still doubtlessly
play an important role in language teaching and provide a useful resource for both
teachers and learners. The role of the textbook in the language classroom is
undeniable.
7


2.3. Material evaluation
The term evaluation has been used to define a variety of processes in the
field of applied linguistics. According to Davis (1980), evaluation is simply the
process of attributing value to intentions, actions, decisions, performances,
processes, people, and objects- almost anything. However, the improvement of the
object of evaluation usually requires some degree of understanding which depends
on appropriate data and information. Evaluation is to make the best information
available for improving understanding and fascination decision- making. Davis
claims that evaluation can be considered as the process of delineating, obtaining,
and providing information useful for making decisions and judgments.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987, p.96) define that evaluation is a matter of
judging the fitness of something for a particular purpose so as to find out the best
solutions for the given need. In other word, materials evaluation means judgment of
the fitness of teaching materials for give purposes. For them, evaluation is a
matching process between needs and available solutions. They claim that teaching

materials must suit the needs of teachers and students.
Lynch (1996) defines evaluation as “the systematic attempt to gather
information in order to make judgments or decisions” (p. 2). Dulken- Evans and
M.J.St.John (1998, p.128) consider materials evaluation as a whole process that
begins with determining what information to gather and ends with bringing about
change in current activities or influencing future ones. In their view, evaluation
consists of collecting and analyzing date as well as making changes in actions.
Harmer (2001) sees a distinction between evaluation and assessment. He
stated that “the assessment of a course book is an out-of-class judgment as to know
how well a new book will perform in class. Course book evaluation, on the other
hand, is a judgment on how well a book has performed in fact” (p. 301). In addition
to text materials McGrath (2002) contends that “materials could include realia: real
objects such as a pencil, a chair or a bag and representations such as a drawing, a
photograph of a person, house or scene” (p. 7)

8


As for materials evaluation as a field of study, Carter and Nunan defines it as
“the process of measuring the value of learning materials. This can be predictive
pre-use evaluation, ongoing whilst-use evaluation or retrospective post use
evaluation (p. 223).
2.4. Material adaptation
Material adaptation means matching materials with the learner’s needs, the
teacher’s demands, and administration’s purposes. According to Richards (2001),
commercial textbook can seldom be used without some form of adaptation to make
them more suitable for the particular context in which they will be used. In other
words, by adapting, teacher can rewrite or modify some parts of the textbook to fit
their particular teaching situation. He assumes that Adding or Deleting content,
Modifying content, Recognizing content, Addressing omission, Modifying tasks,

extending tasks are some of forms in the process of materials adaptation.
Sinan Misirli (2010) says that material adaptation can be described as
changing the aim of the lesson totally when necessary, including changing the level,
context, or additions of an activity to meet the learner’s needs. He suggests material
adaptation may include adding, omitting, reducing or extending, rewording or
modifying, replacing, reordering, and branching so that teacher can adapt a part of
the textbook to each specific teaching situation.
2.5. Purposes of materials evaluation
Materials evaluation helps us to identify strengths and weaknesses of
materials in particular. After materials are used in classroom for a certain period of
time, they need evaluating to show out if they have worked well for given situation
and students.
Ellis (1997) gives two main reasons for carrying out material evaluation. 1- it
may be necessary to choose the most suitable materials among available ones for a
particular situation; 2- there can be a need of determining if the chosen materials
work for situation after being used for a certain period of time. This helps to decide
to use the materials again or replace it with a better one.
9


According to Cunningsworth (1984), course book analysis and evaluation is
helpful not only in teacher development but also in gaining good and useful insights
into the nature of the materials.
In brief, materials evaluation helps us to make decision in selecting textbook,
form professional judgments, and raise awareness of or reflect on our teaching and
learning experience.
2.6. Criteria for evaluation
Materials evaluation is a complicated process because there are a lot of
aspects that may affect the success of course books when they are used. Thus,
possible evaluation criteria play a vital role in evaluating materials.

2.6.1. Criteria defined by Hutchinson and Waters (1987)
Hutchinson and Water (1987, p.99-104) presented five evaluation criteria for
objective and subjective analysis including:
- Audience: the learners and the materials intended for
- Aims: the aims of the course and the aims of the materials
- Content: language description, language points, proportion of work on
each marco-skill, mirco-skill, text- types, subject- matter area(s) (level of
knowledge, types of topics, treatment, organization of content within the course
units, sequence of content throughout the course, sequence of contents within a unit
- Methodology: theory/ ies of learning, aspects of the learners’ attitudes to
expectations about learning, kinds of exercises/ tasks, teaching- learning techniques,
aids, guidance/ support for teaching the course, the flexibility
- Other criteria: price, quantities, availability
2.6.2. Criteria defined by Sheldon (1988)
Sheldon (1988, cited in Hedge, 2000, p.367-371) suggested the list of
evaluation criteria including: rationale, availability, user definition, layout/ graphics,
accessibility, linkage, selection/ grading, physical characteristics, appropriateness,
authenticity, sufficiency, cultural bias, education validity, stimulus/ practice
revision, flexibility, guidance, and overall value for money.
10


2.6.3. Criteria defined by Ur (1996)
Ur ( 1996, p.184) listed general and specific criteria: 1- general criteria (i.e.
clear layout and print, provides periodic review or test sections); 2- specific criteria
(i.e. attractive and colorful illustrations ( which may be particularly relevant for
young learner), vocabulary and text relevant to topic ( if the materials are intended
for students of science and technology)).
2.6.4. Criteria defined by Tomlinson (1999)
Tomlinson (1999, cited in McGrath, 2002, p.32) suggested four categories of

specific criteria: 1- media specific criteria (i.e. those which related to the particular
used. In reference to audio- recorded material, for example, one might consider the
audibility of the recording; 2- content- specific criteria (i.e. those which related to
the nature of the material, such as the choice of topic, situation or language in a
business English book or the texts included and skills covered in a book focusing on
the development of reading skills; 3- Age-specific criteria (i.e. the suitability of the
material (e.g. visuals, cognitive challenge) for the age- group for which it is
intended); 4- local criteria (i.e. the appropriateness of the material for the particular
environment in which it is to be used).
2.6.5. Criteria defined by McGrath (2002)
McGrath (2002, p. 32-33) considered book evaluation to be “from general to
specific”. General criteria are headings or ways of summarizing set of more specific
criteria and specific criteria can base on only individual circumstances. He
suggested a possible basic set of such criteria including: Practical considerations (all
components available; affordable; multi-level); Support for teaching and learning
(additional components (teacher’s book, tests, cassettes), suitable or self-study);
Context relevance (suitable for course (length of course, aims of course, syllabus,
and exam), suitable for learners (age, level, cultural background) suitable for
teacher, required resources available, evidence of suitability); Likely appeal to
learners (layout, visual, topics, suitable over medium term).

11


2.6.6. Criteria defined by Mc.Donough and Shaw (1993)
Mc.Donough and Shaw (1993, p. 67-71) presented criteria for the external
and internal evaluation. The external evaluation concerns with the following
criteria:
- The “blurb” or the claim made on the cover of the teacher’s/ students’ book
- The introduction and table of contents

- The proficiency level
- The context in which the materials are to be used
- How the language has been presented and organized into teachable units/
lessons
- The author’s views on language and methodology
The internal evaluation considers the following criteria:
- The presentation of the skills of the materials
- The grading and sequencing of the materials
- When reading “discourse” skills are involved, is there much in the way of
appropriate text beyond the sentence?
- When listening skill is involved, are recording “authentic” or artificial?
- Do speaking materials incorporate what we know about the nature of real
interaction or are artificial dialogues offered instead?
- The relationship of texts and exercises to: a) learner needs and b) what is
taught by the course materials
- Do you feel that the material suitable for different learning styles is a
claim and provisions made for self-study and is such a claim justified?
- Are the materials sufficiency “transparent” to motivate both students and
teachers alike or would you foresee a student/ teacher mismatch?
2.6.7. Criteria defined by Cunningsworth (1995)
Cunningsworth (1995) discussed the general criteria for materials evaluation
and presented a basic quick-reference checklist. His view focused on eight main
points:

12


- Aims and approaches
- Design and organization
- Language content

- Skills
- Topics
- Methodology
- Teachers’ books
- Practical considerations
Here, I present these criteria in details as a basic quick reference checklist.
a. Practical considerations
- How much does the whole package cost? Does this represent good value
for money?
- Are the books strong and long- lasting? Are they attractive in appearance?
- Are they easy to obtain? Are further supplies be obtained at short notice?
- Do any parts of the package require particular equipment, such as a
language lab, listening center or cassette recorder? If so, do you have the equipment
available for use and is it reliable?
b. Design and organization
- What components make up the total package ( e.g student’s book,
teacher’s book, cassette, etc.)
- How is the content organized (e.g according to structures, functions,
topics, skills, etc.) Is it clear for learners and teachers?
- How is the content sequenced (e.g on the basis of complexity, learnability,
usefulness, etc.)?
- Is there adequate recycling and revision?
- Is some of the material suitable for individual study?
- Is it easy to find your way around the textbook? Is the layout clear?
c. Teachers’ book
13


- Is there adequate guidance for the teachers who will be using the textbook
and its supporting materials?

- Are the teacher’s books comprehension and supportive?
- Do the writers set out and justify the basis premises and principles
underlying the material?
- Are keys to exercises given?
d. Language content
- Is the material for vocabulary teaching adequate in terms of quantity and
range of vocabulary, emphasis placed on vocabulary development, strategies for
individual learning?
- Does the textbook include material for pronunciation work? If so, what is
covered: individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress, intonation, reduction?
- Does the textbook deal with the structuring and conventions of language
use above sentence level, e.g how to take part in conversations, how to structure a
piece of extended writing, how to identify the main points in a reading passage.
- Are style and appropriacy dealt with? If so, is language style matched to
social situation?
e. Subject and content
- Is there sufficient material of genuine interest to learners?
- Is there enough variety and range of topic?
- Will the topic help expand students’ awareness and enrich their
experience?
- Are the topics sophisticated enough in content, yet within the learners’
language level?
- Will your students be able to relate to the social and cultural contexts
presented in the textbook?
- Are women portrayed and represented equally with men?

14


- Are other groups represented, with reference to ethnic origin, occupation,

disability, etc.
f. Skills
- Is there material for integrated skills work?
- Is listening material well recorded, as authentic as possible, accompanied
by background information, questions and activities which help comprehension?
- Is material for spoken English (dialogue, role- play, etc.) well designed to
equip learners for real-life interactions?
- Are all four skills covered, bearing in mind your course aims and syllabus
requirements?
g. Methodology
- What approach/ approaches are taken by the textbook? Is it appropriate to
the learning/teaching situation?
- What level of active learner involvement can be expected? Does this
match your students’ learning styles and expectations?
- What techniques are used to present/ practice new language items? Are
they suitable for your learners?
- How are communicative abilities developed?
- How are different skills taught?
- Does the material include any advice/help to students on study skills and
learning styles strategies?
Based on these above evaluation criteria and adapting Cunningsworth (1995)
Textbook Evaluation Form, I would like to design my textbook evaluation form for
50 teachers of English at primary schools in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh who have used
the “First Friends- grade 1”.
In short, studying criteria plays an important role in evaluating any materials
because its helps to set out the suitable criteria and own preferred realization of the
criteria in a form which will make it easy to compare different steps of materials.

15