AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE ESP COURSE BOOK USED AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF PHARMACY

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Lê Tố Hương

AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE ESP COURSE BOOK
USED AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF PHARMACY

MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

HANOI, 2019


VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Lê Tố Hương

AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE ESP COURSE BOOK
USED AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF PHARMACY

Field: English Language
Code: 8220201
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hồ Ngọc Trung

HANOI, 2019


DECLARATION BY AUTHOR
I certify that the work contained in this thesis is the result of my own
research, and this thesis has not been submitted for any degrees at any other

universities or institutions.

Author’s Signature

Lê Tố Hương
Approved by
SUPERVISOR

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hồ NgọcTrung
Date: ........................

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This thesis is completed after many working hours, as well as the
contribution from numerous people with their effort, enthusiasm and
assistance; and this dissertation is whole heartedly dedicated to them.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my
supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hồ Ngọc Trung for his useful comments and
continuous support of my study, for his patience, encouragement, enthusiasm
and immense knowledge. His guidance helped me tremendously in all the
time of research and writing of this thesis.
Next, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation and thanks to Mr.
Đặng Nguyên Giang and the staff of the Department of Foreign Languages,
Graduate Academy of Social Sciences for granting me the honor of writing
this thesis as well as their assistance and most valuable comments.
Additionally, I would be most grateful for all of the help from teachers
at Hanoi University of Pharmacy for their support and sharing the workload
so that I could wholeheartedly focus on the study and get it completed.

Furthermore, I would like to send my special thanks to all of the
students at Hanoi University of Pharmacy for their enthusiasm; their answers
and responses helped me a lot with the analysis of the thesis.
Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my beloved
family, who always support me during the progress of conducting and
finishing this thesis.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION BY AUTHOR.............................................................................................i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT......................................................................................................ii
LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS.......................................................................................vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE THESIS....................................................vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................1
1.1. Rationale..............................................................................................................................1
1.2. Aim(s) of the study...............................................................................................................1
1.3. Research questions...............................................................................................................1
1.4. Scope of the Study................................................................................................................2
1.5. Significance of the study......................................................................................................2
1.6. Research methods................................................................................................................2
1.7. Structure of the study..........................................................................................................2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................................4
2.1. Text book, coursebook and material...................................................................................4
2.1.1. Definitions.....................................................................................................................4
2.1.2. Roles of materials in ELT classrooms.........................................................................5
2.2. Coursebook evaluation........................................................................................................7
2.2.1. Definitions of coursebook evaluation..........................................................................7

2.2.2. Models of coursebook evaluation................................................................................7
2.2.3. Criteria for coursebook evaluation............................................................................ 13
2.3. Needs analysis..................................................................................................................... 16
2.4. Previous studies on coursebook evaluation...................................................................... 18
2.5. English for Specific Purposes............................................................................................ 20
2.6. Summary............................................................................................................................ 21

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY......................................................................................22
3.1. The setting.......................................................................................................................... 22
3.1.1. Overview of ESP teaching and learning at Hanoi University of Pharmacy...........22
3.1.2. Course material.......................................................................................................... 22
3.1.3. Course objectives........................................................................................................ 23
3.1.4. Course assessment...................................................................................................... 23
3.2. Research methodology....................................................................................................... 24
3.2.1. Participants................................................................................................................. 24
3.2.2. Research instruments................................................................................................. 26
3.2.3. Data collection procedure........................................................................................... 28
3.2.4. Data analysis methods................................................................................................ 29
3.3. Summary............................................................................................................................ 29

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION................................................................30
4.1. About the learners.............................................................................................................. 30
4.2. The suitability of the coursebook to the objectives of the course.................................... 33
4.2.1. Data collected from the questionnaire....................................................................... 33
4.2.2. Data collected from semi-structured interviews....................................................... 39
4.2.3. Discussion and conclusion.......................................................................................... 39
4.3. The suitability of the coursebook to students’ needs....................................................... 40

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4.3.1. Data collected from questionnaires........................................................................... 40
4.3.2. Data collected from semi-structured interviews....................................................... 42
4.3.3. Discussion and conclusion.......................................................................................... 43
4.4. The suitability of the coursebook to the current teaching and learning methods.........43
4.4.1. Data collected from questionnaires........................................................................... 43
4.4.2. Data collected from semi-structured interviews....................................................... 50
4.4.3. Discussion and conclusion.......................................................................................... 51
4.5. General evaluation and suggestion for further use of the coursebook...........................51
4.5.1. General evaluation...................................................................................................... 51
4.5.2. Suggestions for further use......................................................................................... 52
4.5.3. Summary..................................................................................................................... 53

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION.............................................................................................54
5.1. Recapitulation.................................................................................................................... 54
5.2. Concluding Remarks......................................................................................................... 55
5.2.1. The suitability to the objectives of the course........................................................... 55
5.2.2. The suitability to students’ needs............................................................................... 55
5.2.3. The suitability to current teaching and learning methods.......................................55
5.3. Implications........................................................................................................................ 56
5.4. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Studies............................................................ 56

REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................58
APPENDIX 1: PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT Ý KIẾN SINH VIÊN................................................I
APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS...............................................VIII
APPENDIX 3: TRANSCRIPT OF TEACHER INTERVIEW.....................................XV

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ABSTRACT
The present study evaluates the coursebook “A text-based ESP course
for Pharmacy students” for non-English major students at Hanoi University
of Pharmacy in terms its suitability to the objectives of the course, students’
needs and current teaching and learning method. Eighty-six non-English
major students and four teachers who were using this coursebook were invited
to answer the questionnaires, and four teachers to take part in the interviews.
Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Overall, the results
of the research have shown that teachers’ evaluations of the textbooks are very
positive. Findings revealed the coursebook fundamentally met the course’s
objectives and students’ needs, and fit in with the current teaching and
learning method, though there were still minor unsuitable parts that need
adaptation. The result of this study would benefit both teachers and learners
who work with this material for better use in the future.
Key words: coursebook, textbook, material, coursebook evaluation,
empirical evaluation, A text-based ESP course for Pharmacy students, nonEnglish major.

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LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS
Chart 4.1: Students’ age
Chart 4.2: Students’ period of learning English
Chart 4.3: Students’ background of learning English
Table 4.1: Teachers’ evaluation of the objectives of the coursebook
Table 4.2: Students’ evaluation of the objectives of the coursebook
Table 4.3: Teachers’ evaluation of the suitability of the coursebook
to the students’ needs
Table 4.4: Students’ evaluation of the suitability of the coursebook
to their needs

Table 4.5: Teachers’ views on the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning interactions used with the coursebook
Table 4.6: Students’ views on the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning interactions used with the coursebook
Table 4.7: Teachers’ views on the frequency of the teaching aids
used with the coursebook
Table 4.8: Students’ views on the frequency of the teaching aids
used with the coursebook
Table 4.9: Teachers’ evaluation on the methodology of
the coursebook.
Table 4.10: Students’ evaluation on the methodology of
the coursebook
Table 4.11: Students’ and teachers’ overall rating of the
coursebook unit
Table 4.12: Students’ and teachers’ judgment on the time
allocation for each unit

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE THESIS
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
ESL: English as a Second Language
ESP: English for Special Purpose
ETL: English Teaching and Learning
FLF: Foreign Language Faculty
HUP: Hanoi University of Pharmacy

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has been taught to undergraduates
of Hanoi University of Pharmacy (HUP) for many years. The aim of ESP
course is to enable the learners to use English for their professional purposes,
especially to digest professional documents of their field for further study.
There are several factors affecting the ESP teaching and learning process such
as: materials, teaching and learning method, students’ awareness of learning
and so on. One of the factors which is of utmost importance in learning ESP is
to see whether the coursebook is useful for the purpose of the course or not.
At the HUP, the book of “A text-based ESP course for Pharmacy
students”, which was collected and edited from various sources, and put into
use in 2016, is designated to those in the fourth year, who hold certain
knowledge of pharmacy. To some extent, its objectives meet teaching and
learning’s goals such as the vocabulary, grammar points as well as help the
learners how to gain effective reading techniques and ability of choosing the
relevant documents for their job. However, with a view to having a more
objective look at the course material, a textbook evaluation from teachers and
students of HUP is done.
1.2. Aim(s) of the study
The main purpose of the thesis is to evaluate the current ESP
coursebook used at HUP to find out whether the coursebook meets the aims of
the course and the students’ needs and methodology.
1.3. Research questions
In order to fulfill the above aims, the study is expected to answer the
following research questions:

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1. To what extent does the course book “A Text-based ESP Course for
Pharmacy Students” satisfy the aims of the course?
2.

To what extent does the book meet students’ needs?

3.

Is the book suitable to the current teaching and learning methods?

1.4. Scope of the Study
In material evaluation, there has been a great number of criteria that
should be taken into consideration such as: the audience, the content, the
methodology, the cultural bias, the layout, the authenticity, and so on. In this
study, the criteria for evaluation were based on Hutchinson and Water’s
(1995) with focus on the three following criteria: objectives of the material,
contents of the material, and methodology.
1.5. Significance of the study
This study is to provide information on HUP teachers and students’
evaluation of the current ESP coursebook. This information is intended to be
used as additional evidence for improving the current ESP coursebook at the
HUP, making it more relevant to the learners’ needs.
Also, the finding of this study will help ESP teachers at the university
to meet the learners’ expectations better by narrowing the gap between
teaching and learning.
1.6. Research methods
The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative designs to evaluate
the ESP coursebook designed for the students of HUP. In addition to a
questionnaire is used to elicit the students’ perceptions regarding their ESP

coursebook, there is an interview being run with the aim of achieving more
reliable and valid findings.
1.7. Structure of the study
The study consists of 5 chapters:

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Chapter 1 - Introduction - presents a general overview of the study with
specific references to the rationale, the aims of the study, research questions,
scope of the study, significance of the study, overview of the thesis.
Chapter 2 - Literature review - provides theoretical basis for the study
with the detailed discussion about some relevant theories related to textbook,
course book, material, material evaluation and need analysis.
Chapter 3 - Research Methodology - includes an overview of the
approach used in conducting the study. It also provides a thorough description
of the data collection procedure as well as the analytical procedure.
Chapter 4 - Findings and Discussions - includes a detailed description
of the findings as well as full explanation and interpretation of these findings.
Chapter 5 - Conclusion - makes conclusion of the study; recommends
the improvements to the material; expresses the limitations and suggestions
for further research.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter provides theoretical basis for the study with the detailed
discussion about some relevant theories related to textbook, course book,
material, material evaluation and need analysis.

2.1. Text book, coursebook and material
2.1.1. Definitions
Teaching materials are an indispensable component of any language
teaching curricula. There are a number of ways researchers defined this
concept but they share the same viewpoint that materials can be anything used
to facilitate language teaching and learning (Littlejohn 1998, Tomlinson 1998,
McGrath 2002). Littlejohn (1998) and Tomlinson (2011) viewed materials in
various forms which can be students’ books, workbooks, teacher’s guides,
videos, CDs, DVDs, lesson plans, website activities and more. Similarly,
McGrath (2002) provided a broad sense of materials in which he explained
that they could be “realia” (real objects) or presentations (drawings or
photographs). He also added textbooks, worksheets, computer software and
recordings as sources of materials. Among these forms, textbook is considered
the official material and “the visible heart of any ELT programs” (Sheldom,
1988). It plays an important role of teaching a particular subject in schools
and colleges and serves a basis of study for students and a primary teaching
instrument for teachers (Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com, 2008).
As a type of teaching materials, a course book is defined as “a textbook
that students and teachers use as the basis of a course” (Collinsdictionary.com,
2018). In other words, it is used to refer to a book “used by students when they
do a particular course of study” (Dictionary.cambridge.org, 2018). In accordance
with the dictionary definition, Ur (1996) and Tomlinson (2011)

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explains that course books function as the core materials for a language-learning
course that a teacher and each student has a copy. It aims to provide as much as
possible in one book and serves as the only book which the learners basically use
during a course. A coursebook usually includes exercises on not only language

elements like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation but also functions and skills of
reading, writing, listening and speaking.

From the above view of “textbook”, “course book” and “materials”, it
can be pointed out that text book and course book are types of materials and
these three terms can be used interchangeably in ELT teaching and learning
context.
2.1.2. Roles of materials in ELT classrooms
According to Richards and Rogers (2001) as cited in Ulaş Kayapinar
(2009), course books play an indispensable part in the curriculum because
they specify content and define coverage for syllabus items. They play multi
essential roles in ELT such as a source of learning and teaching activities with
systematic and standard knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation,
etc., a resource of learners’ self-study, a syllabus in accordance with
determined learning objectives, and a support for inexperienced teachers
(Cunningsworth, 1995). Course books also help standardize instruction, frame
the language contents, and provide language models and practice activities for
teachers and students to follow in class (Ur, 1996). Ur adds more advantages
of course books. For example, they provide available and appropriate texts
and exercises for most learners and classes. They are also the most economic
and convenient ways of providing teaching and learning materials for both
teachers and learners. Thus, the use of course books is more and more popular
among universities, private schools and some state schools. It is the readymade syllabi in the ready-made course books that are preferred by both school

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administrations and teachers of English. Besides, course books provide
opportunities for learners to practice the target language in the classroom
before they use it in real life situations.

However, course books as preplanned instruction materials have some
possible disadvantages. According to Richards and Renandya (2002), as cited
in Ulaş Kayapinar (2009), course books fail to present real-life language
models and contextualize language activities. They fails to address linguistic
competence as well as to teach idioms in everyday language. Lack of equity
in gender representation and the inadequate cultural understanding
encouragement are also among the disadvantages of course books. Ur (1996)
adds the following drawbacks of course books. Firstly, course books are
inadequate in that every class and learner has their own learning needs and a
course book cannot supply these satisfactorily. Secondly, course books are
irrelevant because the topics dealt within the books may not necessarily be
interesting for the class. Course books may lead to boredom and lack of
motivation on the part of the learners. Also, they do not cater for variety of
levels of ability and knowledge that exist in most classes. Moreover, although
coursebooks are considered as the magical instruction tool for language
teachers, highly structured coursebooks may even lead to the de-skilling of
teachers (Hutchinson & Torres 1994 as cited in Osman Dülger 2016).
In conclusion, on one hand, coursebooks prove to be very advantageous
for both school administrations, language teachers and students with available
syllabi and already designed texts and tasks which are suitable for a large
portion of language learners. On the other hand, coursebooks reveal some
limitations such as inadequacy, irrelevance, inauthenticity. That is the reason
why any coursebooks should be evaluated to see whether or not they match
the school curriculum and learners’ needs and interests.

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2.2. Coursebook evaluation
2.2.1. Definitions of coursebook evaluation

Coursebook evaluation is of great significance as it seeks to identify the
strengths and weeknesses of the books and helps to make decisions about
adapting the materials or adopting new ones. In order to conduct the
evaluation of a coursebook, it is necessary to understand what the process of
evaluation involves. There are a number of definitions of evaluation provided
by researchers. According to Tomlinson (2011), coursebook evaluation is an
attempt to measure the potential value of the coursebooks. It involves making
judgements about the effects of coursebooks on such agents as learners,
instructors, administrators who use them through such features of the books as
credibility, validity, flexibility, etc. Coursebook evaluation is also defined by
Rea-Dickins and Germanie (1994) as “the means by which we can gain a
better understanding of what is effective, what is less effective and what
appears to be no use at all”. Effective evaluation relies on asking appropriate
questions and interpreting the answers to them (Cunningsworth, 1995).
In summary, coursebook evaluation is the process of collecting data,
giving judgement on the effectiveness of books based on the collected data to
make precise decisions of effectively using the materials or replacing them.
2.2.2. Models of coursebook evaluation
Material evaluation is “a dynamic process which is fundamentally a
subjective, rule-of-thumb activity" where "no neat formula, grid, or system
will ever provide a definitive yardstick" (Sheldon, 1988). There are a variety
of models and criteria of coursebook evaluation which vary according to the
ELT contexts. Administrators and instructors should choose the most suitable

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criteria to evaluate coursebooks, considering the specific teaching and
learning contexts.
The following sets out a range of models to coursebook evaluation

which all tend to evaluate coursebooks on four main aspects, including the
internal content, the aims and approaches, the supporting sources and the
physical appearance of the coursebook.
Ellis’s approach (1997)
According to Ellis (1997), there are two main types of coursebook
evaluation: predictive evaluation and retrospective evaluation. A predictive
evaluation is designed to help teachers decide what coursebooks to use whereas
a retrospective evaluation may be conducted once the book is used to find out if
the material matches the learners’ need and current teaching methodology.
Predictive evaluation, according to Ellis, can be carried out in two principal
ways. One involves teachers relying on evaluations carried out by experts
specializing in coursebook evaluation. Alternatively, teachers can carry out their
own predictive evaluations by making use of various checklists and guidelines
available in the literature. Another kind of evaluation – retrospective evaluation –
is carried out while a coursebook is in use (whilst-use evaluation) or after it has
been used (post-use evaluation). There are two ways of retrospective
evaluations: impressionistic and empirical one. While the impressionistic
evaluation is based on observation of learners’ engagement and enthusiasm in
activities and contents of the book, empirical one relates to “collecting data in a
more systematic manner” (Ellis, 1997). To conduct empirical evaluation,
teachers use “end-of-course questionnaires to judge the effectiveness of their
teaching, including the material used”; therefore, it is often more objective and
reliable than other kinds of evaluation as it is based on users’ feedback. Such an
evaluation provides information that can be used

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to determine whether the material is worth using again. In addition, Ellis
(1997) states that retrospective evaluation is a good way of testing the validity

of a predictive evaluation.
Tomlinson’s approach (2003)
Another approach of evaluating coursebooks is proposed by Tomlinson
(2003) with a three-stage process of evaluation: pre-use evaluation, whilst-use
evaluation and post-use evaluation. The first stage, pre-use evaluation is,
according to Tomlinson (2003), “impressionistic and consists of a teacher
flicking through a book to gain a quick impression of its potential value’. It
involves assessing the potential value of materials for their users, including a
quick scan of a book’s physical appearance and content pages to get an
impression of its potential value. The second stage, whilst-use evaluation,
involves evaluating materials in use. This can be more reliable than pre-use
evaluation, as it involves deeper evaluation of the content of materials and makes
use of classroom observation and feedback from the users although, according to
Tomlinson (2003), this stage includes controversial issues about what exactly can
be measured. The criteria seem to be general and some (e.g. credibility of tasks,
achievement of performance objectives, motivating power of the materials, etc.)
are not easy to measure. However, he also suggests that these criteria “can be
estimated during an open-ended, impressionistic observation of materials in use
but greater reliability can be achieved by focusing on one criterion at a time”.
They can be measured by different methods. For example, to measure the
motivating power of the materials he suggests ‘noting such features as student
eye focus, proximity to the materials, time on task and facial animation’
(Tomlinson, 2003). In the last stage of evaluation in this approach, post-use
evaluation, most evaluators tend to seek answers to such questions as: What is
the impact of the coursebook on learners?

9


What is its impact on teachers? And what is its impact on administrators?

According to Tomlinson (2003), this stage is probably the most valuable stage
in the evaluation process as it involves measuring the effects of the materials
on users after the coursebook has been used. Also, as Cunningsworth (1995)
points out, post-use evaluation is useful in helping to decide whether to
continue using a coursebook or not in the future.
Littlejohn’s approach (1998 & 2011)
The third major approach for coursebook evaluation is suggested by
Littlejohn (1998 & 2011). He suggested a three-level evaluation checklist
including: (1) What is there? (2) What is required of users? and (3) What is
implied? At the first level, there are questions about the physical properties of
the coursebook. These cover publication date, intended audience, physical
aspects (number of pages, paper quality, artwork, etc.), and are similar to the
ones in Tomlinson (2003). Level 2 focuses on the language learning activities
and tasks in the coursebook to see what teachers and learners using the
coursebooks need to do. It moves slightly deeper into an analysis of what is
assumed to be the most important aspect of coursebooks. At the third level,
there are questions on the approach, philosophy and aims of the coursebook.
Littlejohn points out that his levels of evaluation move from more objective
criteria to less objective ones. The first level is the most objective while the
third level is the least.
McGrath’s approach (2002)
The fourth approach to coursebook evaluation is suggested by McGrath
(2002). He points out the aspects which need evaluating in a two-stage process of
systematic materials evaluation. They are ‘first-glance’ evaluation and ‘in-depth’
evaluation. Each stage consists of a series of criteria by which to evaluate the
coursebook. The ‘first glance’ evaluation has four steps. In step 1

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– practical considerations, features evaluated in this step include: availability,
cost, and the levels of the book which are available. If these are judged
satisfactory, the evaluation proceeds to step 2 – support for teaching and
learning. Features assessed at this step include the teacher’s book and how well

it relates to the student book, supporting resources (e.g. cassette recordings,
photocopiable worksheets, etc.). If all these are satisfied, the evaluator
proceeds to step 3 - context relevance. At this stage the evaluator assesses the
suitability of the coursebook in terms of aims, syllabus, length and its
suitability for learners’ proficiency level, age and background. If all of these
meet the requirements, the evaluator goes further to step 4 - learner appeal.
This step involves considering the appeal of the book to learners. This is
mainly related to the appearance of the book. The evaluation starts from the
first sub-step. If a coursebook meets all of the key criteria for each step, the
process continues with the next one. If it does not meet the key criteria in any
sub-step, the process stops and the coursebook is rejected. If all of the abovementioned key criteria are met, the in-depth evaluation step is carried out to
assess the coursebook in detail.
According to McGrath (2002), the in-depth evaluation tends to address
the following points:
-

The aims and content of the book

-

What they require learners to do

-

What they require the teacher to do

-

Their function as a classroom resource

-

Learner needs and interests

-

Learner approaches to language learning

-

The teaching-learning approach in the teacher’s own classroom

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McDonough and Shaw’s approach (1993 & 2003)
Another important approach for coursebook evaluation is suggested by
McDonough and Shaw’s (1993 & 2003) with three stages: external
evaluation, internal evaluation and overall evaluation. This implies that
evaluation is continuous and never static, as the criteria can be changed to suit
different teaching and learning contexts. External evaluation is similar to
McGrath’s (2002) ‘first-glance evaluation’, Tomlinson’s (2003) ‘pre-use
evaluation’ and Littlejohn’s (1998 & 2011) ‘level 1 evaluation’. It focuses on
the intended audience, the proficiency level, the context, the organization and
presentation of units, the author’s views and methodology, the learning

process and the learner, and the physical appearance. Issues of layout and
design and local availability, supporting resources (teacher’s book, audiovisual materials, etc.) are also included in this stage. The internal evaluation is
concerned with the content, including grading and sequencing. This stage
seems to resemble McGrath’s (2002) ‘in-depth evaluation’ and Tomlinson’s
(2003) ‘whilst-use evaluation’.
In general each approach to coursebook evaluation, as mentioned
above, has its own strengths and weaknesses, evaluators should choose or
even devise an approach which is the most principled, systematic and suitable
for their context. In the researcher’s opinion, it is also important for evaluators
to combine approaches, in order to offset the weaknesses of one approach
with the strengths of others. The present study uses a mixed approach, mainly
based on Ellis’s framework (1997), though modified, with evaluation criteria
from other authors.

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2.2.3. Criteria for coursebook evaluation
From different approaches to the evaluation of coursebooks, there are
also different sets of criteria for evaluating coursebooks.
Criteria proposed by Hutchinson and Water (1987)
Hutchinson and Water (1987) proposed a checklist of material
evaluation including items related to subjective and objective analysis of the
book such as: audience, aim, content, methodology, price and its availability.
Audience: This part of the checklist consists of some questions related
to information about the learners such as their age, sex, nationalities, study or
work specialism, language background and interests.
Aim: Evaluators need to consider if the aims and objectives of the
coursebook match those of the course/ school program.
Content: The questions involving the language description, language

point, macro-skill and their proportion, micro-skill, types, subject matter
areas, topics, organization through the course, organization within the course
unit, content sequence are covered in this part.
Methodology: In this part, the checklist investigates methodology
including questions about the theory of learning, the attitudes or the
expectation of the learners about learning, exercises and tasks, teaching and
learning techniques used, teaching aids, teaching guidance needed and the
flexibility of the material in different teaching situations.
Criteria suggested by Cunningsworth (1995)
Cunningsworth (1995) proposed a number of criteria to consider the
materials, which was presented as a basic quick-reference checklist for
evaluation and selection, including: aims and approaches, design and
organization, language content, skills, topic, methodology, teacher’s books
and practical considerations.

13


Aims and approaches: Evaluators should take into consideration the
suitability of the aims of the coursebook with the aims of the teaching
program and the needs of the learners as well as the suitability of the book
with the learning/ teaching situation and styles.
Design and organization: The components of the book package, the
organization of the content, the recycling and revision included in the
coursebook are concerned in this criterion.
Language content: The language components such as grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation are considered carefully through detailed questions
in Ellis’ checklist.
Skills: The questions involved four skills are to be investigated in this
set of criteria with regard to the adequacy, authenticity, integrity and

suitability of the skills in the coursebook with students’ level.
Topic: Evaluators need to consider whether the coursebook provides
students with enough variety and range of topics of genuine interest to
learners; whether the topics equally address men and women as well as other
groups of various ethnic origin, occupation, disability; whether the social and
cultural values are conveyed in the range of topics in the book.
Methodology: Approaches to language learning presented in the
coursebook, the language presenting/ practicing techniques, the method to
teach different skills and the guideline to students’ self-study are taken into
account in this set of criteria.
Teachers’ books: The guidance, supporting materials and the answer
key that the book provides for teachers as well as the teaching techniques,
language items and cultural content that they cover are to be evaluated.

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Last but not least, the practical considerations which involves the
price, the duration, the appearance of the book and the equipment it requires
are also considered.
Criteria proposed by Wong Pak Wing Lawrence (2011)
Wong Pak Wing Lawrence (2011) proposed a self-constructed
evaluation framework for evaluating curriculum fitness with the following
criteria:
Use of task-based approach teaching and learning strategies:
Evaluators base on this set of criteria to check if the materials are designed
with learner-centered instruction, target-oriented English learning, integrative
and creative language use, learning grammar in context, purposeful tasks and
exercises as well as extended tasks and project learning.
Integrated skills: In this part, the checklist examines if the four skills –

listening, speaking, reading and writing – are integrated in the book for
authentic purposeful communication.
The teaching of language arts: Evaluators take into consideration the
place of language arts (i.e. films, songs, lyrics, movies, dramas, novels, short
stories, etc.) in the English Language Curriculum and considerations for
selecting language arts materials.
Other criteria are to check if the book promotes independent language
learning or provide information technology for interactive learning and lifewide learning.
In summary, the criteria set by both established material evaluators like
Hutchinson and Water (1987), Cunningsworth (1995) and novice research
scholars like Wong Pak Wing Lawrence (2011) for an in-depth and objective
analysis of teaching materials. They share some core factors and the criteria
listed in them may not always be effective in a specific context. Therefore, it is

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necessary to prepare “a new one or modify the existing ones in order to cover
all aspects of evaluation” (Cunningsworth, 1995). In this regard, in this study
the author used and modified ideas from these checklists to design a set of
criteria for the empirical evaluation of the course book “A Text-based ESP
Course for Pharmacy Students” for non-English major students at Hanoi
University of Pharmacy.
2.3. Needs analysis
Needs analysis (also known as needs assessment) play a vital role in the
process of designing and carrying out any language courses, and its
importance has been acknowledged by several scholars and authors.
The term “needs analysis”, according to Elaine Tarone and George Yule
(2000), refers to the collection and evaluation of information to answer the
question: “What aspects of the language does some particular group of learners

need to know?” Mountford (1981) offers the definition that “needs” can be
defined as what students should be able to do at the end of their language course,
or “what the user institution or society at large regards as necessary or desirable
to be learnt from a program of language instruction”. Another definition given by
Brindley (1984) is that “needs” refers to wants, desires, demands, expectations,
motivations, lacks, constraints, and requirements. It is evident that course
designers may take students’ needs into consideration when designing a course.
For Johns (1991), needs analysis is the first step in course design and it provides
validity and relevancy for all subsequent course design activities. Different
approaches to needs analysis attempt to meet the needs of the learners in the
process of learning a second language. Among which, a modern and
comprehensive concept of needs analysis is proposed by Dudley-Evans and St.
John (1998) with the concept of needs analysis as follows:
 Environmental situation – information about the situation in which the

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