Appropriateness of the textbook American Headway 1 for the first year students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry based in Thanh Hoa province.PDF

Appropriateness of the textbook "American
Headway 1" for the first year students at Ho
Chi Minh City University of Industry based in
Thanh Hoa province

Lê Thị Ca Sơn

Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ
Luận văn ThS. Chuyên ngành: English Linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15
Người hướng dẫn: Assoc. M.Ed. Đỗ Bá Quý
Năm bảo vệ: 2010

Abstract: “Textbook plays a pivotal role in language classroom in all types of educational
institution – public school, college and language school – all over the world” (Garinger,
2001). However, textbooks are not always professionally designed and do not always fit the
aims of the teaching program and the needs of the students. Thus, textbooks should be careful
evaluated and selected before being used. It is in this view this thesis was carried out to
evaluate the textbook “American Headway 1” which currently in use for first year students at
Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry based in Thanh Hoa province (HUI). With the hope
to improve the effectiveness of the teaching and learning English at HUI in the future, the
researcher would like to present some practical suggestions for the adaptation of the textbook.
The subjects involved in the study are 90 first year students and 10 English teachers at HUI.
The data collection instruments used in this study was survey questionnaire and informal
interview. A survey on the teachers and students’ opinion found out the appropriateness of
the textbook in terms of teaching and learning language skills and language elements.
Interview results have revealed some strengths and weaknesses of the textbook.
Based on the findings of research results, the thesis suggests some additions and
modifications in the textbook in order to overcome the textbook’s weaknesses so that it will
become more effective in the future.

Keywords: Tiếng Anh; Phương pháp dạy học; Giáo trình

iii



Content:
Table of contents

Page
Declaration
i
Acknowledgements
ii
Abstract
iii
Table of contents
iv
List of ABBREVIATIONs
vii
List of Tables and charts
viii
Part A: Introduction
1
1. Rationale………………………………………………………………………
1
2. Aims of the study…………………………………………
1
3. Research questions……………………………………………
2
4. Significance of the study………………………………

2
5. Methods of the study……………………………………………………………
2
6. Scope of the study………………………………………………………………
2
7. Design of the study………………………………………………………………
3
Part B: Development
4
Chapter 1: Literature review
4
1. 1. Textbook……………………………………………………………………
4
1.1. 1. Definitions of textbook……………………………………………………
4
1. 1.2. The roles of textbook………………………………………………………
4
1. 1.3. Textbook evaluation………………………………………………………
5
1. 1.4. Textbook adaptation………………………………………………………
8
1.2. Language skills………………………………………………………………
10
iv

1.2. 1. Receptive skills……………………………………………………………
10
1.2 1.1 Listening……………………………………………………………………
10
1.2.1.2. Reading…………………………………………………………………….

10
1.2.2. Productive skills……………………………………………………………
11
1.2.2.1. Speaking…………………………………………………………………
11
1.2.2.2. Writing……………………………………………………………………
11
1.3. Language elements………………………………………………………
12
1.3.1. Grammar…………………………………………………………………….
12
1.3.2. Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………
12
1.3.3. Pronunciation………………………………………………………………
13
1.4. Summary……………………………………………………………………….
13
Chapter 2: An overview of the textbook and current

Situation of using textbook at HUI
14
2.1. Current situation of using textbook……………………………………………
14
2.1.1. Brief introduction of HUI……………………………………………………
14
2.1.2. Teachers and teaching methods……………………………………………
15
2.1.3. Students and their background………………………………………………
16
2.2. An overview of the textbook…………………………………………………

17
Chapter 3: Methodology………………………………………………
19
3.1. Setting………………………………………………………………………….
19
3.2. Research design………………………………………………………………
20
3.3. Participants…………………………………………………………………….
20
3.4. Data collection instruments……………………………………………………
21
3.4.1. Survey questionnaires………………………………………………………
21
3.4.2. Interview……………………………………………………………………
22
3.5. Data collection procedures…………………………………………………….
22
3.6. Summary……………………………………………………………………….
23
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion…………………………………
24
4.1. Data and data analysis ……………………………………………………
24
v

4.1.1. Survey questionnaires………………………………………………………
24
4.1.2. Interview……………………………………………………………………
34
4.2. Feasible solutions……………………………………………………………

36
4.2.1. Extension…………………………………………………………………….
36
4.2.2 Re-ordering…………………………………………………………………
37
4.2.3. Modification…………………………………………………………………
37
4.2.4 Braching……………………………………………………………………
38
4.2.5. Addition……………………………………………………………………
39
Part C: Conclusion………………………………………………………
40
1. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….
40
2. Limitation of the study and suggestions for further studies…………………….
40
Reference……………………………………………………………………
42
Appendices

vi



List of ABBREVIATIONS

HUI Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry
ELT English language teaching
GE General English
ESP English for Specific Purposes
AH1 American Headway 1
PPP Presentation - Practice - Production

vii


List of Tables and charts
TABLES
Table 1: Content of the textbook “American Headway 1”
Table 2: The teachers’ experience of teaching
Table 3: The role of the textbook in teaching and learning English
Table 4: Teachers’ opinions about the presentation of four skills in the textbook
Table 5: Students’ opinions about the presentation of four skills in the textbook
Table 6: Teachers’ opinions and students’ opinions about the difficult degree of four
skills in the textbook
Table 7: Teachers’ opinions and students’ opinions about skill development
Table 8: Teachers’ opinions and students’ opinions about the level emphasis on the four
macro skills of each unit in the textbook
Table 9: Teachers’ opinions and students’ opinions about the location of time for four
macro skills
CHARTS
Chart 1: Students’ history of learning English
Chart 2: Students’ time of learning English
Chart 3: Teachers’ satisfaction of the textbook
Chart 4: Students’ satisfaction of the textbook
Chart 5: Teachers and students’ attitudes towards grammar points in the textbook
Chart 6: The approach to grammar in the textbook

Chart 7: The stage of PPP approach paid most attention
Chart 8: The number of techniques of PPP approach is used in each unit
Chart 9: The quantity of new words in every unit
Chart 10: Students’ vocabulary after learning the textbook
Chart 11: The textbook includes materials for pronunciation works
Chart 12: Students’ pronunciation after completing the textbook

1
Part A: Introduction
1. Rationale for the study
The textbook is “the visible heart of any ELT (English Language Teaching) program”
(Sheldon 1988:237). Textbooks help to standardize instruction and assessment. That is,
by giving students in different classes the same textbook, teachers can teach and test them
in the same ways (Richards 2005). The textbooks also provide syllabus for a program,
thus supporting novice teachers, training them in methodology and saving their time and
effort for more worthwhile pursuits than material production (Cunningsworth 1995).
What are more, students also often expect to use the textbook in their learning program
(Sheldon 1988). Without textbooks, they may think their learning is not taken seriously,
thus, textbooks are psychological essential for students. Textbooks may constitute an
effective resource for learning in the classroom and self-directed learning (Cunningsworth
1995). A learner without a textbook might be out of focus and teacher-dependent.
However, textbooks are not always professionally designed and do not always fit the
curriculum and closely correspond to the aim of a teaching program and the needs of the
students. Thus, textbooks should be carefully evaluated and selected before being used for
a certain language program.
As a teacher of HUI (Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry), I have worked quite
closely with the textbook “American Headway 1”. I have noticed that although the book
has shown a great deal of improvements, it also bears several limitations. These
limitations may cause considerable difficulty for both students and teachers, especially,
for teachers who wish to teach in a communicative way.

For all those reasons, I think that textbook evaluation helps the managerial and
teaching staff select the most appropriate material available for a particular course. It also
helps to identify the strengths and weakness of a particular textbook. This is to inform
teachers in the process of textbook adaptation and decision-making for the next course.
To this end, I have decided to carry out a study entitled “Appropriateness of the textbook
“American Headway 1” for the first year students at HUI based in Thanh Hoa Province.
2. Aims of the study
The study aimed at:
- Evaluating "American Headway 1" in the terms of its methodology and
practicality. Specifically, it seeks to answer such a question as how the four
language skills and language elements are taught and practiced.
- Finding out the strengths and the weaknesses of the textbook
- Suggesting changes to enhance the textbook's appropriateness for the first year
students' needs at HUI based in Thanh Hoa Province

2
3. Research questions
The research is carried out with an attempt to find out the answer to the following
research questions:
- Is the textbook “American Headway 1” suitable for the students’ level and the
teachers at HUI based in TH Province in terms of language skills and language
elements?
- What suggestions should be offered to help teachers and students to overcome
the weaknesses of the textbook?
4. Significance of the study
In order to serve the purpose of teaching and learning effectively, the textbook needs to
be professionally designed, fits the curriculum and closely corresponds with the aim of
the teaching program and the needs of the students. Thus, teachers and learners working
with the textbook might experience considerable difficulty in achieving the ultimate
goal of their teaching and learning program, which is developing students’

communicative competence. The current study helps to identify the problem and
suggests ways of improving them. This contribution would be of practical value to
textbook authors, teachers and students.
5. Methods of the study
In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, the study was designed to use two
methods: survey questionnaire and informal interview. The data can be recorded
formally and informally. The interview is used to record information from teachers and
students. The survey questionnaire to both students and teachers is to get more
information to support the study.
6. Scope of the study
The author of the study is always aware that a great number of criteria should be taken
into consideration for a textbook and each criteria on need taking into account various
aspects. However, within the limits of a minor thesis, this study only seeks the
appropriateness of the textbook “American Headway 1” in terms of their methodology
and practically. Specially, it seeks to examine the communicative nature of the textbook
and the ease of their use. That is, to seeks to answer such question as how the four
language skills and language elements are taught and practiced.




3
7. Design of the study
The minor thesis is divided into three parts: Introduction, Development and
Conclusion.
Part A (Introduction) presents the rationale, the aims, the scope, the methods and the
design of the study.

Part B (Development) consists of four chapters
Chapter 1 reviews the theoretical background, which is relevant to the

purpose of the study.
Chapter 2 gives a brief introduction of the textbook and current situations
of teaching and learning at HUI.
Chapter 3 describes the research methodology, which focuses on the
context of the study, participants and the instruments and data collection procedures.
Chapter 4 deals with data analysis and some suggestions

Part C (Conclusion) summaries the study and offers some suggestions for further
research.


















42
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