Luận văn an evaluation of the text book new english file pre intermediate for the first year non english majored students at university of social sciences and humanities; suggestions for book use and adaptation

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES ĐẢO THỊ SÁNG AN EVALUATION OF TITE TEXT BOOK “NEW ENGLISH FILE

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES

ĐẢO THỊ SÁNG

AN EVALUATION OF TITE TEXT BOOK “NEW ENGLISH FILE PRE-INTERMEDIATE” FOR THE FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS

AT UNIVERSITY OF SOCTAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES; SUGGESTIONS FOR BOOK USE AND

ADAPTATION

(Đánh giá giáo trình “ New English File Pre-intermediate”

cho sinh viên năm thứ nhất không chuyên tiếng Anh tại Trường Đại học Khoa Học Xã Hội và Nhân Văn; những đã

xuất sử dụng sách và hiệu chỉnh)

MINOR PROGRAM THESIS

IELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY

CODE: 601410

HA NOI-NAM 2011

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STIDIES

FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES

ĐẢO THỊ SÁNG

AN EVALUATION OF TITE TEXT BOOK “NEW ENGLISH FILE PRE-INTERMEDIATE” FOR THE FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS

AT UNIVERSITY OF SOCTAL SCTENCES AND HUMANITIES; SUGGESTIONS FOR BOOK USE AND

ADAPTATION

(Đánh giá giáo trình “ New English File Pre-intermediate”

cho sinh viên năm thứ nhất không chuyên tiếng Anh tại

Trường Đại học Khoa Học Xã Hội và Nhân Văn; những đề

xuất sử dụng sách và hiệu chỉnh)

MINOR PROGRAM THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY

CODE: 601410

SUPERVISOR: VU MAI TRANG, M.A

HANOI-NAM 2011

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ackkhow]edgeii€Hils ion Hư trnhH HH tt thu trgrrrerirorre

Ma

List 0É abbreviafiOs c ch nhung ghi

List of figures and tables

1 Rationale for the thesis

2 Aims of the thesis

3 The significance of the thesis

4, Scope of the thesis,

5 Methods of the study

6 Design of the study

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Text book, coursebook and materials

LLL Definitions

1.1.2 The roles of CoiŒae-bÐ0Ă v.v cọ tt tì HH nh HH the Hư nho

124, Definition

1.2.2, Purposes of materials evatuation and the importance of materials evaluation

L22D Purposes

iv

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„ VIÏ

1.2.2.2, The fMpOrtance veces seve so otro so eet ni na tet nie ea aie ie

1.2.3 Types of materials evaluation

1.2.3 Madels for Materials evaluation

1.2.5.4 Evaluation by Ellis (1997;

1.2.5.2, Evaluation by McDonough and Shaw (1988) nen nen an

4.2.5.3 Evaluation by Hutchinson and Water (1987)

1.2.6 Criteria for Materials evaluation

1.2.7, Need analy

1.3 Suitability of the present study in the research area

DAT, Thee setbit0 0 ceo nee see es

F5 *“ TL ố ằằằắốẮe ố.ố ốằe ố.ố

21 3 Course objectives

LF, COURSE GSSCSSRCRL o.oo co cà HH ees oe tes cas ees nee th nh tr Hành Hàm Hàn

32.1 8uhjeeM uc co

2.2.3 Methods and procedures

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS DISCUSSION

3.1 Data analysis

3.1L Overall rating of the course book New English File pre-intermediate 26

3.12.Teachers' and shudente' prejerenee gƒ the course book New linglish Fe pre— 26

water ned ectbe cà sọ tỉ Họ nỉ HH HH th Hư Hư HH ham

3.1.3 What teachers and students do not like dbout the boGĂ à cv co oi co 2T 3.1.4 The decision to choose the book for Wthữe H$ v.v 27

3.15 Does the material provide students with the opportunity to develop their 27

conmumicative campetence?

3.1.6 The language points available in this material ccc cà cà «co co co c OB

3.1.7.The participants’ opinions about language skills in the book New English File 29

pre-intermediate

3.1.8 What do you think about the topies in this matertal? 30 3.1.9 The update information of the BOOK .à cà cà cà cà tes ne tes eee tet ee cae eee 30

3.1.10 Class time - - 31

3.LLL Teachers and students’ preferences for the topics in New English File pre- 31

ditermediate

3.1.12 Teachers’ suggestions for the materials inyprovement 3

3.3 Recommendation for future material imprevements 3

3.3.1, Why teachers have to adapt the book 33

3.3.2.1 Addition - - ~ 36

33 Deletion 36

vii

3.3.2.4 Reorder or combination - - 36

1 ‘The Conelusion of the study 38

2 Limilation and suggeslions for ñmure rescareh 39

ADĐCHẨÏN Ốc neo eree "— ¬

viii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Humanities

Intemational studies

VST ‘Vietnam National University

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES:

Figure 1 Malcrials Evaluation Madel of McDonough and Shaw (1993, 9.75) 10

Figure 2 Malenals Tivaluation Process (Mulchinsan and Walers 1987, p98) 10

Figure 3 Teaehcre' mmdsluđents' asssssnont of the book New English Pila-pve | 26

intermediate Figure 4 Teachers" and students" opinions about the topies in New English File | 30

pre-intermediate Figure 5 Participants’ opinions about the updale of the topies in New English | 30

File pre intermediate

Table L Teachers’ and students’ opinions of the language point available in the | 28

book New English File pre-intermediate Table2 Teachers and students” viewpoints about the language kills in New | 29

English File pre-intermediate Table 3 ‘Teachers and students” thought of class time each week 31 Table 4 ‘Teachers and students” preferences for the topics in New English File | 31

The summary of the thesis

PART E: INTRODUCTION

1, Rationate of the study

There wc many teasons why [ conduclsd this thesis, Firsily, learning English successfully including: teachers, suitable course book choice, leaming objectives, and environment and among which, choosing an effective course book is always related to the objcetives defined, How to evaluate the course book so that we know whether our aims are well- matched with the chosen book or not is really a demanding task, Secondly, there has been a big change in the choice of Fnglish course book at University of Foreign

Languages an International Studies, ¥

Two years ago, I taught New Way A- the third edition, But since 2010, I have taught them New English File — from elementary to pre-intermediate, and intermediate, Thirdly,

Ina National University, Hanoi since 2010

with the growth of computer- assisted language Icarning, students have an access to many sources of learning materials It is essential that teachers make use of the assessment tools

to evaluate malerials so thal their students can have an opporlunity to tearn the highest quality books providing students both communicative competence and diverse learning experience Last but not least, it is trus that teachers teach students to learn Lnglish best when teachers have profound knowledge of their students’ needs an interests

For all- above reasons, I will choose my minor thesis “ An Evaluation of New English file — pre- intermediate for the first year non- English majored students at University

of Social Sciences anu Tumanities; Suygestions for book uxe und adaptation”

2 Aims of the thesis

‘rhe primary goal of this thesis is to evaluate the textbook New English File pre- micrmediate from both Ieclurers and students’ viewpoints and then investigate the ways teachers adapt the book so that the book meets students’ needs and interests To achieve the aims of the thesis, the following research questions are proposed

(@ To what extent doss New English File Pre-inlermediale salis(y students’ needs and

interests?

bà

(0) What inprovements should be made to the material to meet the students’ needs and

interests?

3 The significance of the thesis

The results of the thesis will provide uscfid information not only for the xescarcher, ths course books designers but also for the teaching staff and the first- year non- English major stulenls at Universily of Social Sciences and humuanities In addition, the findings are regarded as the bases for recommendations of teaching New English File seties more successful Last but not least, the research results are hoped to make small contribution to the ficld of matorials evaluation

4 Scupe of the thesis

At the present, a set of New English File is being taught at Unversity of Social Sciences and ITamanities The researcher, who is in charge of teaching New English File pre- intermediate, teaches the first year students That is the reason why the thesis will firstly focus on evaluating the post use of course book New English bile — pre-intermediate Secondly, duc lo the lirsil of the miner thesis, the course bock will be svahuated in terms

of language providing and skills developing

5, Methods of the study

According to rescarch type, this sis is categorized as an action rescarch, To suppor! the research with varied and valid data, the author combined both qualitative and quantitative approaches As the study deals with two questions: (1) ‘To what extent does New English File Pre-inlermedinte satisfy students” needs? ; (2) Whal improvemouts should be made

to the material to meet students’ needs? The following, methods will be employed to collect data for the study:

Survey — questionnaires, Two

intermediate evaluation designed for both teachers and the first —year students who have experienced using the hook

of questionnaires on New English File pre-

6 Design of the study

The study is divided into three parts: the Introduction the Development and the Conclusion

Parl A: INTRODUCTION

Part B: DEVELOPMENT — consists of three chapters

Chapter 4: Literature review

Chapter 2: Methodology

Chapter 3: Data analysis and results discussions,

Part C: CONCLUSION

PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Text book, coursebook and materials

LLL Definitions

1.12, The roles of Course-book

1.2 Materials evaluation

1.2.1 Definition

1.2.2, Purposes of materials evaluation and the importance of materials evaluation

1.2.2.1 Purposes

1.2.2.2 The importance

1.2.3 Types of materials evaluation

1.2.4 Material evalnators

1.2.5 Models for Materials evatuation

1.2.5.1, Evaluation by Ellis (1997)

1.2.5.2, Evaluation by McDonough and Shaw (1993)

4.2.6 Criteria for Materials evaination

1.2.7 Need analysis

4.2.8 Materials adaptation

1.3 Suitability of the present study in the research area

It is necessary to clariffy how the present study fits info the area of investigation Firstly, with the real teaching context, the r:

archer found it vital nal only to assess the New

English File so that learners can make the best of the book but also enable teachers to apply the best methods ‘Therefore, in this thesis, the writer assesses the book whether it is suitable for the leamers or not Secondly, from two years’ teaching experience, the

researcher has found the significance of adapting the book to make the learners feel motivated as well as leamer- friendly

In brief, the study is supposed to enhance the context of the learning and teaching New English File for English department at the pre-intermediate leva at University of Social Sciences and Humanities

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 Description of the context

21.1 The setting

The study was conducted at University of Social Sciences and Humanitics that

trains a variety of students’ majors such as tourists guides, journalists, librarians

and teachers There are many foreign languages like English, French, Chinese,

Japanese, and Korean Among which English is a compulsory subject with 13 credits at University of Social Sciences and Ilumanities and it has the biggest

Jeamers though most students are nol majored in English Tn the first year, they

leam New English file elementary and New English file pre-intermediate In the

second year, they leam New English File intermediate In the third year they do

nol have (o study English except high qualily students The high qualily students

learn ILLS for one fifteen week semester As scon as they finish their semester,

they take the T-ETS exams As [or normal classes, they aro not going lo take any English exams in the fourth year Hach academic year falls into two semesters,

each lasting 15 weeks, and finishing with end of term examinations For the first

two years, which means the Grst four semesters, students are taught basic language

skills namely listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar [hey learn each

level in four semesters of the first two years During fifteen weeks of each New

Rnglish File, the course is organized in two meetings week, cach 25 — student class has to attend four hours of English a day In each meeting, teacher teaches

hstening, reading, wriling, speaking, aud grammar integratedly The teaching and

Icaming New English File series follow the leamer- center approach, aiming, at

wa

developing students’ English communicative competence Usually three or four

Bnglish tca

hers ars responsible [or a class with different backgrounds of sludents 2.1.2 Course material

2.13 Course objectives

2.1.4, Course assessment

2.2 Research methoddogy

2.2.1 Subjects

‘The subjects involved in this study were 200 first year non Linglish majors and 20 English teachers The research is carried out on only the first year students of school year 2010- 2011 Among them, only samples of the sludents are randomly picked up They inchide both male and female students but the female

Most of them leamed

oulnumbered the male, ranging from the age of 18 to

English for seven years However, they have different levels of English

proficiency because they come from different places in Vietnam with different

background knowledge The students under study have (inished their (rst term and second term of the first year at USSH ‘Therefore, they are supposed to be at pre-intermediate level of English proficiency Regarding English teachers, most

of them have had more than one vear in teaching New English Filo at English department All of them have L.A degree while five of them have M.A degree in

Education or linguistics The teachers wha have graduated are studying MA

courses or preparing to leam MA course in the future ‘he teachers here are the samples of the teacher population who have been working actively with the

material

2.2.2, Instruments

2.2.3 Methods and procedures

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS DISCUSSION 3.1 Data analysis

For the first research question: ‘lo what extent does New Lnglish lille Pre-

intermediate satisfy students” necds and interests?