An evaluation of the coursebook “english for mechanical engineering 3” at a technical university in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ NHUNG AN EVALUATION OF THE COURSEBOOK “ENGLISH FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 3” AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN HANOI Đánh giá giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Cơ Khí 3” trƣờng đại học kỹ thuật Hà Nội M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology HANOI – 2021 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ NHUNG AN EVALUATION OF THE COURSEBOOK “ENGLISH FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 3” AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN HANOI Đánh giá giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Cơ Khí 3” trƣờng đại học kỹ thuật Hà Nội M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Instructor: Dr Duong Thu Mai HANOI – 2021 DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “An evaluation of the course book “English for Mechanical Engineering at a Technical University in Hanoi” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Arts Hanoi, September 2021 Signature Nguyen Thi Nhung I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of this minor thesis, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Duong Thu Mai, for her stimulating ideas, precious support as well as numerous corrections and full of suggestions, who have inspired me greatly through my growing thesis Besides, I am deeply indebted to the staff of the Post - Graduate Department for their generous guidance I also want to express my appreciation to my colleagues and students at Hanoi University of Industry for their enthusiastic co-operation and encouragement Without their help, my thesis would not have been accomplished Last but not least, my gratitude is to my family members who always have constantly supported and boosted my mind to the fulfillment of this academic work To all of them, I dedicate my thesis II ABSTRACT The coursebook “English for Mechanical Engineering 3” was compiled in 2018 by a group of teachers at English Department at Hanoi University of Industry in Hanoi and has been used to teach English for Mechanical Engineering second-year students in the last two years The general purpose of this study is to evaluate the relevance of this coursebook in terms of its aims, contents, methodology, technology and design On the purpose of achieving this goal, a survey for 200 students and interviews for teachers were employed to collect the data The findings of the study revealed that the coursebook was generally appropriate to the intended learners in terms of five criteria although some contents, methodologies, technology or even design issues in the coursebook still need to be adjusted Based on the findings, some suggestions for modifying the coursebook have been proposed to make it better fit to the local learning contexts and make the best use of the material in the coming years III TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF TABLES, CHARTS AND FIGURES vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Method of the study 1.7 Organization of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Materials in language teaching and learning 2.1.1 Definitions of materials 2.1.2 Role of materials 2.1.3 Types of materials 2.1.4 Coursebooks as a type of materials in ELT 2.2 Materials evaluation 10 2.2.1 Definitions and purposes of materials evaluation 10 2.2.2 Types of materials evaluation 12 2.2.3 Models of materials evaluation 14 2.2.4 Criteria of materials evaluation 16 2.3 Blended learning for English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) 18 2.3.1 Blended learning 18 2.3.2 English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) 20 2.3.3 Blended learning for EOP materials 21 2.4 Blended learning for EOP materials evaluation 26 2.5 Previous studies on materials evaluation 29 2.6 Chapter summary 31 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 32 3.1 An overview of the research contexts and the evaluated coursebooks 32 3.1.1 Contexts 32 3.1.2 Coursebook 33 IV 3.2 The participants of the study 34 3.2.1 The teachers 35 3.2.2 The students 35 3.3 Data collection instruments and procedures 35 3.3.1 Survey questionnaires 35 3.3.2 Semi-structured interviews 36 3.3.3 Design of the study and data collection process 37 3.4 Data analysis 38 3.5 Chapter summary 39 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 40 4.1 The students‘ evaluation of the coursebook 40 4.2 The teachers‘ evaluation of the coursebook 47 4.3 Chapter summary 52 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 53 5.1 Conclusion 53 5.2 Recommendations 55 5.3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research 56 REFERENCES 58 APPENDIX I APPENDIX XI APPENDIX XIII APPENDIX XV APPENDIX .XVI APPENDIX .XXI APPENDIX XXVII APPENDIX XXIX APPENDIX XXX V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ELT English Language Teaching EOP English for Occupational Purposes ESP English for Specific Purposes HaUI Hanoi University of Industry FFL Faculty of Foreign Language VI LIST OF TABLES, CHARTS AND FIGURES Table 1: Criteria to evaluate blended learning materials suggested by Bowyer, J (2017) Table 2: Criteria to evaluate ESP coursebook suggested by Nezhad, H.Y., Atarodi, I., & Khalili, M (2013) Table 3: The students‘ evaluation about the coursebook‘s general contents Table 4: The students‘ evaluation about format of one unit in the coursebook Table5: The students‘ evaluation about the appropriateness of the coursebook to methodology Table 6: The students‘ evaluation about the appropriateness of the coursebook to technology Chart1: The students‘ evaluation about the appropriate of coursebook to the course objectives Chart 2: The students‘ evaluation about the coursebook‘s language Chart 3: The students‘ evaluation about the coursebook‘s topics Chart 4: The students‘ evaluation about the appropriateness of the coursebook to design Figure 1: The materials evaluation model of Hutchinson and Waters (1987:97) Figure 2: A framework for blended language learning by Mayer (2005) Figure 3: Techniques for adapting materials (based on Islam and Mares, 2003:91-92) Figure 4: A blended learning model for an English Public Speaking course by Shih, R C (2010) Figure 5: Researcher‘s own framework adapted from different authors VII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale The field of material development and evaluation has always been an important one in the history of English language teaching According to Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997), materials evaluation supports teachers to move beyond impressionistic assessments and help them have contextual insights into the nature of materials Besides, William (1983) suggests that all English language teachers need to identify the different criteria, models, approaches and principles of materials evaluation to check if the materials are appropriate for the teaching and learning process as well as recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the different materials It can be seen that the ability of materials evaluation is considered as an extremely essential activity for all English language teachers as well as program designers At Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI), improving the quality and efficiency of English language training programs for learners to help them find suitable jobs and foster their professional knowledge and skills after graduation is identified as one of the principal goals of the school In 2017, blended learning materials for English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) are built up by teachers at FFL (Faculty of Foreign Language) and then applied widely into most of English classes with specialized majors during the first three years at university to complete the objectives The blended learning model has become more popular to benefit both teachers and learners because of its importance, advantages and applications into the real world According to Reay (2001), blended learning is a blend of online and face-to-face instruction since it offers flexibility for teachers and affordable for students as well In addition, it provides student autonomy and makes them more independent language learners As a result, when they enter the real world, they are more self-confident and conscious of how to use the language It is clear that blended learning for EOP plays a vital role in the modern classroom today since it lets learning to be more individualized and more simply connected However, it is very hard to recognize what type of EOP materials are really helpful to apply into learning programs in this local context One question is whether or not the English coursebooks written at HaUI, especially the coursebook “English for Mechanical Engineering 3”, are good enough to benefit both teachers and learners Besides, there are some issues that arise during the teaching process Although most APPENDIX Screenshot of units and four unit- tests on EOP software XXIX APPENDIX Sample of one unit in the coursebook “English for Mechanical Engineering 3” Overall objectives At the end of this unit, students will be able to:  ask and answer about measurements of items and properties of materials  describe features of objects: materials, properties, measurements Key language knowledge Vocabulary Order Words/Phrases Material (n) Alloy (n) Aluminum (n) Ceramics (n) Conductor (n) Copper (n) Glass (n) Insulator (n) 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Iron (n) Metal (n) Non-metal (n) Plastic (n) Rubber (n) Stainless steel (nphr) Steel (n) Wood (n) Property (n) Brittle (n) Corrosion-resistant (adj.) Elastic (adj.) Ferrous (adj.) Flexible (adj.) Hard (adj.) Heat-resistant (adj.) Heavy (adj.) Light (adj.) Malleable (adj.) Transcriptions /məˈtɪəriəl/ /ˈælɔɪ/ /ˌæljəˈmɪniəm/ /səˈræmɪkz/ /kənˈdʌktə/ /ˈkɒpə(r)/ /ɡlɑːs/ /ˈɪnsjʊleɪtə/ /ˈaɪən/ /ˈmetl/ / nɒn ˈmetl/ /ˈplæstɪk/ /ˈrʌbə(r)/ /ˌsteɪnləs ˈstiːl/ /stiːl/ /wʊd/ /ˈprɒpəti/ /ˈbrɪtl/ /kəˈrəʊʒ(ə)n rɪˈzɪstənt/ /i'læstik/ /ˈferəs/ /ˈfleksəbl/ /hɑːd/ /ˈhiːt rɪˈzɪstənt / /ˈhevi/ /laɪt/ /ˈmæliəbl/ XXX 28 Natural (adj.) 29 Non-ferrous (adj.) 30 Soft (adj.) 31 Strong (adj.) 32 Synthetic (adj.) 33 Weak (adj.) 34 Centimeter/ Centimetre = cm (n) 35 Foot – feet (số nhiều foot) (n) 36 Inch (n) 37 Meter/metre = m (n) 38 Millimeter/ Millimetre = mm (n) Grammar 1: Simple Present Passive /'næt∫rəl/ /nɒnˈferəs / /sɔft/ /strɒŋ/ /sin'θetik/ /wiːk/ /ˈsentɪmiːtə(r)/ /fʊt/ - /fiːt/ /ɪn(t)ʃ/ /ˈmiːtə(r)/ /ˈmɪlimiːtə(r)/ Active Passive  In the active voice the subject of the sentence DOES the action      To change an active voice sentence into a passive voice sentence: Change the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive sentence Use the verb ―be‖ in the same tense as the main verb of the active sentence Use the past participle of the main verb of the active sentence In the passive voice the subject of the sentence RECEIVES the action Grammar 2: Structures to ask and answer about materials and properties  Structures to ask and answer about materials Forms Examples XXXI What is this screwdriver made of? What + [be] + S + made of?  It‘s made of steel and plastic  S + [be] + made of /from+ material Note:  ―be made of‖ is used when we can see the material in the product E.g.: Tyres are made of rubber  ―be made from‖ is used when we can‘t see the material in the product E.g.: Paper is made from wood  Structures to ask and answer about properties Forms Examples What is the property of glass? What + [be] + the property of + S?  It is brittle / It is a brittle material  S + [be] + adj S + [be] + (a/an) adj + N Grammar 3: Structures to ask and answer about measurements  Some commonly- used nouns and adjectives Adjectives  Nouns Long Length Wide Width High Height Deep Depth Thick Thickness Structure to ask and answer about measurements Forms Examples XXXII   Questions - What + [be] +the + N+ of + S? What is the length of the bolt? - How + adj + [be] +S? How long is the bolt? Answers - S + [be] + ……… adj It is cm long - S + [be] + ………in + N It is cm in length - The + N + of… is…… The length of the table is 40 cm Online learning checklist Look at the list of online learning tasks below and tick the tasks you have completed XXXIII Task focus Online learning task Presentation Materials Presentation Properties Presentation Measurements Task Remember meaning-practice: Pictures- word choice Task Remember spelling and meaning - practice: Transcriptions- word arrangements Task Practice pronunciation: Listening- word writing Task Practice the meaning of vocabulary: Multiple choices Practice the meaning of vocabulary: Matching Task Task Section test Practice the meaning of vocabulary: Sentence completion Remember meaning and spelling assessment Presentation Present passive Presentation Structures to ask and answer about materials and properties Structures to ask and answer about measurements Practice the usage of position of adjective: Multiple choices Practice the usage of present passive: ActivePassive changing Practice the usage of structures to ask and answer about materials and properties: Sentence building Presentation Task Task Grammar Task Task Task Section test Listening Practice the usage of structures to ask and answer about measurement: Question making Practice the usage of structures to ask and answer about measurement: Question making The structure and use of the position of adjective, present passive, structures to ask and answer about materials and properties and structures to ask and answer about measurement Task Listen for specific information identification: Gap filling Task Listen for specific information identification: Gap filling Listen for specific information identification: Answering questions – Gap filling Listen for specific information identification: True- False - Gap filling Listen for specific information identification: Answering questions Task Task Task XXXIV Completed Task Task Task Task Reading Task Task Task Task Task Task Writing Task Task Task Listen for specific information identification: Gap filling Read for specific information identification: Matching Read for specific information identification: Multiple choices Read for specific information identification: Table completion Read for specific information identification: Diagram- completion Read for specific information identification: Matching Read for specific information identification: True or False Practice the position of adjective: Sentence building Practice the structure of ―be made of‖: Sentence building Practice the structure of ―be made of‖: Sentence building Practice the usage of structures to ask and answer about materials and properties: Sentence building Practice the usage of structures to ask and answer about measurement: Question-making Practice writing to describe an object: Object description Face to face materials XXXV Warm up:  Work in groups  Watch a video and write down words about materials and properties Materials Properties Activity 1A: Magic wheel  Work in groups  Each group takes turns to spin the wheel  Use the suggested information to complete sentences with ONE word Activity 2A: What’s it made of?  Work in pairs  Student A looks at pictures on this page  Student B looks at pictures on page 108  Ask and answer about things as sample Sample: A: What is it? / What is it called? B: It is a work bench / It is called a work bench XXXVI A: What are they? / What are they called? B: They are bottles / They are called bottles A: What is it made of? B: It is made of wood A: What is the property of it? /What‘s its property? B: It is strong A: What are they made of? B: They are made of glass A: What is the property of it? /What‘s its property? B: It is brittle Student A Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture Activity 3A: Describing pictures  Work in groups  Look at the pictures  Take turns to make as many sentences as possible to describe each picture (name of thing, material, property of material, color, quantity, origin, function.) Sample: Picture 1: They are (called) nuts There are nuts They are made of steel It‘s strong and corrosionresistant … XXXVII Activity 4A : Role-play  Work in pairs  Play roles of a shop assistant (SA) and a client (C) to make a conversation in a PPE shop and a hard ware store based on the information in the following cards Sample: SA: Good morning Can I help you? C: I‘d like to buy…… CARD 1: Shop assistant Customer Greeting Say you want a pair of goggles Ask what kind needed Ask for recommendation Say: kinds available Ask about origin Say: 1: Japan, 2: Viet Nam Ask about the materials Say: 1: plastic & rubber 2: plastic & glass Ask about the properties Give properties: 1: light, elastic 2: light, brittle Ask about special feature Special feature: prevent flying particles from damaging the eyes Ask about the price Say the price: 1: $10.25 2: $8.55 Choose one to buy Continue to end the conversation CARD 2: Shop assistant Customer XXXVIII Greeting Say you want a work bench Ask what kind needed Ask for recommendation Say: kinds available Ask about materials Say: 1: wood, 2: steel Ask about origin Say: 1: wood – Russia 2: steel – Italy Ask about the properties Give properties: 1: natural, good insulator, heavy 2: corrosion-resistant, hard, strong Ask about the price Say the price: 1: $ 22.45 2: $25.35 Choose one to buy Continue to end the conversation Warm up:  Work in groups  Stand in lines  Listen to the words given by the teacher  Put the words into the right category Materials aluminum Properties heavy Measurement long Activity 1B: Describing objects  Watch a video and pass the ball  Describe measurements and materials of the items appearing in the video  Use both nouns and adjectives in the answers Sample: XXXIX The door is meter wide/ in width and m high/ in height It‘s made of wood Activity 2B: Objects measurement  Work in pairs  Look at the pictures  Ask and answer the questions about objects  Student A uses “How‖, and ―adjectives‖ for question and answer  Student B uses ―What‖, and ―nouns‖ for question and answer Sample: Student A Student B A: What is it? / What is it called? A: What is it? / What is it called? B: It‘s a socket./ It‘s called a socket B: It‘s a socket./ It‘s called a socket A: How long is it? A: What is the length of it?/ What is its length? B: It is 100mm long B: It is 100mm in length A: How wide is it? A: What is the width of it?/ What is its width? B: It is 100 mm wide B: It is 100 mm in width Student A: XL 1:………………………………………………… 2:…………………………………………… 3…………………………………… 4:…………………………………………… ……………………………………… …………………………………………… Student B: 5:………………………………………………… 6:…………………………………………… ………………………………………………… ……………………………………………… 7…………………………………… …………………………………………… ……………………………………… …………………………………………… XLI Activity 3B: Exchanging information  Work in pairs  Ask and answer to complete the information about the oil tank  Student A looks at the picture on this page  Student B looks at the picture on page 109 Student A’s picture OIL TANK Number 1: tank Steel malleable Number 2: cover Plastic light Height (tank) Number 3:.…………… ……………… ……………… Number 4: …………… ………………… ……………… Length (cover) ……………………………………… Width (cover) ………………………………………… 65cm ACTIVITY B: Describing things  Work individually  Look at the picture  Complete the label using your imagination  Make a description based on the following suggested questions: What is it called? What is it used for? How many pipes does it have? What are the pipes made of? What is the cover made of? What is the property of this material? What is the height, width and length of the tank? XLII It is called a tank; it is for putting oil or liquid This tank has pipes and a cover………… Students’ self-assessment Look at the objectives specified at the beginning of the unit and write down what you have (not) achieved and what you need to to improve your English XLIII ... theoretical basis for the study with literature review on the aspects relating to materials in language teaching and learning; material evaluation, blended learning for EOP materials evaluation and... Mechanical Engineering at HaUI In the first chapter of the study, materials in language teaching and learning including definitions, types and role of materials and coursebooks as a type of ELT materials... content) and internal evaluation The external evaluation aims at giving an overview of the organizational foundation of the materials involved To achieve this, some following information should