DSpace at VNU: Evaluating the Quality of the Two Textbooks Tiếng Anh 3 – Tập 1 and Family and Friends – Grade 3: A Comparative Study

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ MAI

EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THE TWO TEXTBOOKS TIẾNG
ANH 3 - TẬP 1 AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS - GRADE 3: A
COMPARATIVE STUDY
(Đánh giá chất lượng của 2 cuốn sáchTiếng Anh 3- Tập 1vàFamily and
Friends - Grade 3: Một nghiên cứu so sánh)
(MA. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS)

Field : English Teaching Methodology
Code : 60140111

HÀ NỘI - 2016


HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ MAI

EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THE TWO TEXTBOOKS TIẾNG
ANH 3 - TẬP 1 AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS - GRADE 3: A
COMPARATIVE STUDY
(Đánh giá chất lượng của 2 cuốn sách Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1 và Family and
Friends - Grade 3 : Một nghiên cứu so sánh)

(MA. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS)

Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van

HÀ NỘI - 2016


DECLARATION
I, Nguyễn Thị Mai, hereby certify that the thesis “Evaluating the quality
of the two textbooks Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1and Family and Friends - Grade 3:
A comparative study is submitted for the partial fulfillment of the Degree of
Master of Arts at the Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Languages and
International Studies - Vietnam National University, Hanoi. I also declare that
this thesis is the result of my own research and efforts and that it has not been
submitted for any other purposes.
Hanoi, 2016
Signature

Nguyễn Thị Mai

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my indebtedness and sincere gratitude to
my supervisor Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van for his invaluable guidance and great
support without which this thesis would not have been completed.
Besides, I am heartily thankful to all the lecturers and teachers of the Faculty of

Graduate Studies - University of Languages and International Studies - Vietnam
National University, Hanoi for their valuable and interesting lectures and assistance
during my study at the university.
Many thanks go to all the teachers of English from many primary schools
whose active participation and cooperation helped me to fulfill this study.
Last but not least, I send my special thanks to my husband, my family and my
friends who have provided abundant assistance and encouragement while this work
was in progress.

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ABSTRACT

The basic goal of material evaluation is selecting teaching materials which are
appropriately relevant for a particular teaching context. The current study aimed at
evaluating the quality of the two textbooks Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1and Family and
Friends - Grade 3to reveal their similarities and differences, strengths and
weaknesses, and their appropriateness to Vietnamese teachers and students. The
researcher designed a questionnaire consisting of 35items to evaluate the textbooks.
The study results showed that Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1 meets almost all criteria given and
seemed to be highly suitable for Vietnamese teachers and students while Family and
Friends - Grade 3also got positive feedbacks from teachers. However, this set of
textbook offered a large amount of knowledge, big size of paper, unfamiliar contents
and so on…,that affect teachers’ low ratings on the quality of the textbook compared
to Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1. However,it can be concluded that Tiếng Anh 3 - Tập 1 and
Family and Friends - Grade 3 are suitable to Vietnamese teachers and pupils.
Although there exist some minor weaknesses, these two sets of the textbooks are seen
to be a good choice of textbook and can be widely used.

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PART A: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale for the Study
We are living and working in the world of cultural diversity, in which
languages operate. Learning a language provides us with a new
communicative tool to transfer advanced science and technology knowledge
and to learn about different cultures, which makes a contribution to mutual
understanding, helps to form global citizen awareness and develops personal
qualities and performance. By dint of learning a foreign language and having
much knowledge of different cultures, we gain a deeper understanding of our
own language and culture.
English is one of the most common international languages in the world.
Learning English at primary level helps students form and develop their
English communicative ability by practicing listening, speaking, reading and
writing skills. English learning is also a beginning step in forming and
developing long-life studying skills, working ability in the future and
cultural-social activity participation at the same time. Learning English from
primary level provides a basis for continuously studying English at higher
levels or learning other languages in the future. Besides, English study gives
students a chance to form their idea-expressing ability confidently,
independently and creatively.With the thorough understanding of the
importance of English, the quality of English teaching and learning has
attracted considerable interest from the society. Such issues as the quality of
teachers, facilities, and curriculum have been widely discussed in the media.

In order to have a quality curriculum, the quality of the textbooks plays an
extremely important role. Nevertheless, a countless number of English
textbooks are available on the market today. The eyes can easily be deceived
by colorful covers, a beautiful layout and attractive artwork. As an
inexperienced teacher it can be particularly difficult to know what to look for


a good textbook for use. Therefore, the selection of a course book is one of
the most important decisions a teacher will make to have a textbook that
involves matching the material against the context in which it is going to be
used, following the aims of the teaching program, as well as fitting the
personal methodology of the teacher.
In the Vietnamese context, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET)
has implemented its policy of radical and comprehensive reform, in which
the quality of education, teachers and textbooks has received a lot of special
attention. When working on the national project “Teaching and Learning
Foreign Languages in the National Education System, period 2008 - 2020”,
at the end of 2010, MOET approved Pilot English Curriculum for
Vietnamese Primary Schools and assigned Vietnam Education Publishing
House to organize the writing of the set of textbooks, including Tiếng Anh 3,
Tiếng Anh 4 and Tiếng Anh 5. This set of textbooksis being piloted in some
selected primary schools. While the set of primary English textbooks
published by Vietnam Education Publishing House is being piloted, the
Family and Friends set compiled by foreign authors has also been used in a
number of primary schools in Vietnam since the mid 1990s. It has been
familiar to many teachers and pupils. After that, this set of textbooks has
been adapted to suit the teaching context of Vietnam. However, there are
different opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of these two sets of
textbooks. But there has not been any research to compare them. For this
reason, in this minor thesis, I will attempt to conduct a preliminary research

to compare two sets of textbooks. Specifically, I will attempt to compare
Tiếng Anh 3 – Tập 1compiled by Vietnamese authors of Vietnam Education
Publishing House in collaboration with English native authors of MacMillan
Publishing House and Family and Friends - Grade 3compiled and adapted
by foreign writers of Oxford University Press.
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