An evaluation of american headway 1 for first year junior college students in electric power university submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of master of arts in tesol

M IN IS TR Y OF EDUCATIO N A N D TR A IN IN G HANOI UNIVERSITY NG UYEN TH I BICH NGOC AN EVALUATION OF AMERICAN HEADWAY FOR FIRST YEAR JUNIOR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN ELECTRIC POWER UNIVERSITY t TIMJNG И М ĩHÚNO TIN THƯ VIỀN NN-VH Nưứ c ỉiGOẲl Т4ГѴ SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL SUPERVISOR: Dr L A M QUANG DONG Hanoi October 2008 ACKNOW LEDGEM ENTS I have had considerable help from a number o f people to accomplish this work, and I would like to thank them here I, first and foremost, owe a great debt to my thesis supervisor Dr Lam Quang Dong, for his immense encouragement W ithout the valuable instructions, comments, criticisms, questions, and corrections which I received along the way fk)m him this thesis would not exist I would like to give my sincere gratitude to Dr Nguyen Van Dai and M.Ed Nguyen Thai Ha - the leaders and the whole staff members o f the Department o f Post-Graduate Studies at Hanoi U niversity fo r their useful lectures and assistance, valuable comments, and suggestions I acknowledge the excellent assistance o f Dr Pham Xuan Khang- Head o f Fundamental Scientific Faculty, m y colleagues，and students in Electric Power University fo r their support, assistance，and cooperation in performing this work I would be remiss i f I d id n 't express my special thanks to my parents, my younger sister whose encouragement and care were accompanying me during the long journey to the university O f course, nothing o f this would have been possible i f it had not been for the love and support from my husband who has helped me in so many ways to ease the burden o f the work Needless to say, their patience and support have kept me going this far and their love w ill keep me going further ABSTRACT This study adopts both quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate the textbook American Headway for the first year junior college students in Electric Power University The study attempts to find out how much the textbook fits with the course aims and the students' needs on the content and methodology Data were gathered by means o f existing information and questionnaires The existing information data were collected by only one subject- the researcher The questionnaires data were obtained by a total o f 200 students from classes and teachers o f English The results indicate that the textbook was basically suited to the course objectives and the students7 needs Nevertheless, the textbook failed to provide the students with pronunciation Moreover, it did not completely satisfy the students^ needs on its content (some difficult grammatical structures, difficult and abundant vocabulary, the difficulties o f writing, listening, and speaking skill), its methodology (some difficult kinds o f exercises, the organization o f pair and group activities, some aids, necessary supplementary missing materials), and its time requirement Based on the findings, a number o f recommendations were made to overcome its weaknesses by using the adding, replacing, and modifying technique as well as to enhance English teaching and learning for the first year junior college students in Electric Power University LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table The Factors that need examining in the materials evaluationprocess Table The detailed information o f the student questionnaires 29 Table The detailed information o f the teachers 31 Table The detailed information o f the topics in the textbook 44 Figure Evaluation Model by Hutchinson & Waters (1987) 11 Figure Evaluation Model by McDonough & Shaw (1993) 13 Figure Evaluation Model by Ellis (1998) 14 Figure Materials adaptation framework by McDonough & Shaw (1993) 23 Figure The students， judgments about the aims o f the textbook 38 Figure The teachers’ judgments about the aims o f the textbook 39 Figure 13 The students^ judgments about the Presentation & Practice o f the 45 language points & language skills Figure The teachers9 judgments about the Presentation & Practice o f the 45 language points & language skills Figure The students’ judgments about the difficult level o f the language 46 points & language skills given in the textbook Figure 10 The teachers’ judgments about the difficult level o f the language 46 points & language skills given in the textbook Figure 11The students9judgments about the variety, attractiveness o f the text- 47 types & the familiarity, interest o f the topics in the textbook Figure 12The teachers5judgments about the variety, attractiveness o f the text- 47 types & the familiarity, interest o f the topics in the textbook Figure 13 The students’ judgments about the teaching-learning techniques in the 51 textbook Figure 14 The teachers’ judgments about the teaching-learning techniques in the 51 textbook Figure 15 The students’ some overall judgments about the textbook 58 Figure 16 The teachers’ some overall judgments about the textbook 57 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EPU Electric Power University GE General English ESP English for Specific M A Master o f Arts B.A Bachelor o f Arts c.v Curriculum Vitae TESOL Teaching English to Speakers o f Other Languages AHI American Headway Purposes TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS V CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study and Statement o f the Problem 1.1.1 Overview o f Electric Power University 1.1.2 Statement o f the problem .2 1.2 Aims o f the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Limitations o f the study 1.5 Scope o f the study 1.6 Organization o f the study CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Some basic concepts in the study 2.1.1 Evaluation 2.1.2 Needs 2.1.3 Learning styles 2.1.4 Textbooks 2.2 Materials Evaluation 2.2.1 The role o f materials 2.2.2 Types o f materials evaluation 2.2.3 Guidelines for evaluation 2.2.3.1 Guidelines for evaluation by Cunningsworth (1995) 2.23.2 Guidelines for evaluation by Grant (1987) 10 2.2.4 Types o f materials evaluators 10 2.2.5 Evaluation models for materials evaluation 11 2.2.5.1 Evaluation model by Hutchinson and Waters 11 2.2.5.2 Evaluation model by McDonough & Shaw 12 2.2.5.3 Evaluation model by E llis 14 2.2.6 Tools for gathering information 15 2.3 Previous studies 18 2.4 Adapting materials 19 2.4.1 Reasons for adapting materials 19 2.4.2 Techniques for adapting materials 21 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 25 3.1 Data collection tools 25 3.1.1 The statement o f the existing inform ation 25 3.1.2 Questionnaires 26 3.1.2.1 The statements o f the questionnaires 26 3.1.2.2 Question formats 27 3.1.2.3 Student questionnaires 28 3.1.2.4 Teacher questionnaires .29 3.2 Subjects 30 3.2.1 The researcher as a subject 30 3.2.2 The teachers 30 3.2.3 The students 31 3.3 Data collection procedures .31 3.3.1 Existing information collection procedures 31 3.3.1.1 Literature review 31 3.3.1.2 The aims o f the course 32 3.3.1.3 Textbook 32 3.3.2 Teacher questionnaire collection procedures 32 3.3.3 Student questionnaire collection procedures 33 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 34 4.1 The results 34 4.1.1 The fitness o f the textbook to the aims o f the course 34 4.1.1.1 Statements o f aim s 34 4.1.1.2 Textbook analysis results 34 vi 4.1.1.3 Questionnaire results 38 4.1.1.4 Matching and discussion 39 4.1.2 The fitness o f the textbook content to the students’ needs 40 4.1.2.1 Textbook analysis results 40 4.1.2.2 Questionnaire results 44 4.1.2.3 Matching and discussion 48 4.1.3 The fitness o f the textbook methodology to the students’ learning styles and expectations 49 4.1.3.1 Textbook analysis results 49 4.1.3.2 Questionnaire results 51 4.1.3.3 Matching and discussion 52 4.1.4 Suggestions for the textbook improvement .53 4.1.4.1 Teacher questionnaire results 54 4.1.4.2 Student questionnaire results 55 4.2 Major findings 56 4.2.1 Strong points 56 4.2.2 Weak points 56 CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 59 5.1 Recommendations 59 5.1.1 Areas o f unfitness 59 5.1.1.1 A im s 59 5.1.1.2 Content 59 5.1.1.3 Methodology .60 5.1.1.4 Time allocated to lessons 61 5.1.2 Techniques for adaptation 61 5.1.2.1 Adding 61 5.1.2.2 M odifying 66 5.1.2.3 Replacing 69 5.1.3 A sample unit for adaptation 69 5.1.3.1 Rationale for the adaptation 69 5.1.3.2 Suggested adaptation 69 5.2 Suggestions for further study 71 5.3 Conclusion 71 REFERENCES 74 APPENDIX 80 APPENDIX 84 APPENDIX 92 APPENDIX 100 APPENDIX 104 APPENDIX 105 APPENDIX 113 A P P EN D IX T H E O U T L IN E OF E N G LIS H I & I I FOR FIR S T-Y E A R JU N IO R C O LL E G E STUDENTS IN E L E C T R IC POW ER U N IV E R S ITY I A IM S The English program for the first-year junior college students in EPU aims to help the students to: ♦ get acquainted with English as a foreign language; ♦ practice and enrich essential grammar, structures, and vocabulary; ♦ develop skills including listening, speaking, reading, and w riting in order to communicate in social situations; ♦ pronounce some key English consonants and vowels precisely; ♦ acquire the basic knowledge o f English in order to self-study or to study further (e.g., ESP) II T IM E A L L O T T M E N T Total time budget: 150 periods/ two semesters 75 periods (theory: 25，practice: 46, testing: 4)/ semester periods/ days/ week I I I IN S T R U C T IO N A L M A T E R IA L S American Headway by Soars, L and J (2001) Oxford University Press Americari Headway by Soars, L and J (2001) Oxford University Press IV M A T E R IA L S FOR REFERENCE Grammar Խ use by Murphy, R (1994) Cambridge University Press Essential Grammar by Naylor, H & Murphy, R (1998) Cambridge University Press New Headway Elementary by Soars, し and J (2000) Oxford University Press New Headway Pre-Intermediate by Soars, し and J (2000) Oxford University Press Lifelines Elementary by Hutchinson, T (1997) Oxford University Press Lifelines Pre-Intermediate by Hutchinson, T (1997) Oxford University Press 104 APPENDIX 6: A SAMPLE OF AN ORIGINAL UNIT The world of work Present Simple Ỵ ֊ he/she/it - Questions and negatives » Jobs * What time is it? STARTER » What are the jobs of the people in your family? Tell the class My mother h Ü M y fa t h e r is a ctor ᄀ / ^ ՜ M y b r o th e r ՜ THREE JOBS Present Simple he/she/it T3.1 Listen and read about David and Pam Pam is a doctor She's Canadian but now she lives in Nairobi, Kenya, in East Africa She isn't an ordinary doctor֊ ֊ she's a flying doctor Every day, from A M to 10 Л.М she speaks to people on her radio, then she flies to help them She works լ hours a day nonstop but she loves her job She isn't married She has no free time ĩ ì m ỉ i ủ is a computer scientist He comes from Taipei in Taiwan, but now he lives in the United States He works three days a week for Golden Gate Computers in the small tQ |v n of Lake Forest, California He speaks three languages: Chinese, English, and Japanese He's married and has a daughter He likes playing tennis and riding his bicycle in his free time p 1 ： IS ; GRAMMAR SPOT Underline all the verbs in the texts, is comes What is the last letter of these verbs? Practice saying the verbs Read the texts aloud 16 Unit • The world of work 105 Compỉck the semences about David ami Pam l ie 's a c o m p u te r scicn iib t S h e ձ d o c to r David comes from Hiiwan Pam _ _ Canada She lives ill a big city, but h e _ill a _ tow n ᅧ He _ ih re e d a y s w eek S h e ᅳ 16 h o u r s a d ay _ bhe to sick people oil her radio H e three languages She loves her job and he ， too ᄀ, H e daughter She married He playing lennis and riding his in his free time, she never _ Irct* lime Ể Ể I 표 Listen and duxk PRACTICE Talking about people Read the information about Fernando lalk about Fernando Г Fenuwdo is a tiL\i driver 下 H w o rk s H e cottics fro m B razil lìm i Ili ՛ FortalcZiì ᅳ / le spỉks P ortuguese u n d ᄀ - ! He 1կԼ< •• Hư likes ""ᄀ 广 VVriie about a iriend or a relative Talk to a partner about him/ll a՛ My friend Awia is a student She lives ІИ 17 106 PRACTICE WHAT DOES SHE DO? Questions and negatives A skin g a b o u t p e o p le Reiìd П1КІ listen, с 이ììplete the answers Practicc the questions and answers Read the informal ion about Keiko or Mark Where does David come from? Taipei. Taiwan What does he do? He's _ computer scientist Does he speak Chinese? he does Keiko Wilson Does he speak Spanish? , he doesn't Job an interpreter co u n try Japan Town New York Ш К Ш Ш Ш В Ш Ш Ш К ІШ К Ш Л What does she/he do? = What's her/his job? Place of w ork at the united Nations Complete these sentences with the correct form o f Languages Japanese, English, arid French Family married to an American, two sons Free tim e skiing co m e Affirmative He _ from Taiwan Negative He _ from japan Question Where he from? Talk to a partner Notice the pronunciation of e s and d o e s n 't ՚ձ\7, лЬл d \z n i Does he speak Chinese? Yes he does./No he doesn’t ► ► Grammar Reference 3.1 p 136 k e ։ k o 's a n in te r p r e te r S he com es f r o n t J a p a n , s h e l i v e s к Complete I he questions and answers W here Pam trom? teil 攀 Canada W h a t she ? She’s a doctor ! _she rtv U) help people? Yes, she _ she Chinese aiul lapancse? No, she l isten and chcck Write similar questions about remando the Uixi driver Ask and answer with a partner Ỉ W h e re (io c s F e n K I/K lo c o m e f iv n i? Y 18 107 Ỉ Write questions about Keiko or Mark • Where/come from? Where does Keiko come from? • Where/live? • What/do? • Where/work? • Does he/she speak French/Spanish ? • W hat in his/her free time? • listen to music? • How many children • •.? • a dog? D ont look at the information Ask and answer questions with your partner Now ask your partner the same questions about a friend or relative Listening and pronunciation ỂỂH 월 Listen to the sentences about Fernando, Keiko、 and Mark Correct the wrong sentences / -F ernando comes fr o m B razil 노 ՜ " У F e rn a n d o lives in N e w York ■ V ՜ ՜ [ No, he ՜ doesn’t H e lives in Fortaleza - ^ - ՜ 7 Q D Yes, th a t's rig h t Put a check ( / ) next to the scntcncc you hear □ He likes his job □ She likes her job 니 She loves walking □ She loves working D Hcs married □ He isn't married 니 Does she have three children? □ Does he have three children? □ What docs he do? □ Where does he go? a journalist for CNN Moscow in an office English, Russian, and German married, three daughters playing tennis Check it Put a check ( / ) next to the correct sentence □ She comes from Japan □ She COme from Japan □ Does she has two sons? □ Does she have two sons: 그 What he in his free time? What does he in hib free time? D He doesn’t play soccer □ He no plays soccer ᄃ Whert, lives she? □ Where docs she live? □ She d ü c s n l love Peter □ She doesn't loves Peter □ He isn’t married He doesn’t married □ What’s he’s address? What s his address? п READING AND LISTENING Seamus McSporran—the man with thirteen jobs! Seamus McSporran /'Jeim^s т э к 'sparsa7 comes from Scotland Look at the photographs of some o f the things he does everv day The man with thirteen jobs 109 S e a m u s M c S p o r r a n is a very busy man He is 60 years o ld and he has 13 jobs H e is a m ail carrier, a police officer, a fire fighter, a taxi driver, a schoolbus driver, a boatm an, an ambulance d river, an accountant, a gas station attendant, a bartender, and an undertaker Also, he and his w ife , M arga re t, have a shop and a small hotel Seamus lives and works on the island o f Gigha /'д іуэ/ in the west o f Scotland O n ly 120 people live on the island b ut in the summer 150 tourists come by boat every day Every weekday Seamus gets up at :0 and makes breakfast fo r the hotel guests A t 8:00 he drives the island’s children to school A t :00 he gets the mail fro m the boat and delivers i t to all the houses on the island H e also delivers beer to the island’s only pub T he n he helps M argaret in the shop H e says: “ M argaret likes being busy, too Wc never take vacations and we d o n ’ t like w atching television In the evenings M argaret makes supper and I pay the bills A t 10:00 we have a glass o f w ine and then we go to bed Perhaps o u r life isn’ t very exciting, b u t we like it:” Read about Seamus Answer the questions Where does Seamus live? H ow old is he? How many jobs does he have? What’s his wife’s name? What does she do? How many people live on the island ot Cjigha? ᄀ How many tourists visit Gigha in the summer? What does Seamus in the morning? What he and Margaret in the evening? Look at the photographs Ask and answer questions with a partner about times in Seamus’s day W h a t does h e d o a t o'clo ck? H e g e ts u p a n d m a ke s b re a k fa s t ( Listen to four conversations from Seamus’s day After each one answer these questions Is it morning ， afternoon, or evening? vvho are the people? Where arc they? What is Seamus’s job? Complete the conversations A G ood _ Can I two ice creams, please? В Chocolate or vanilla? A One chocolate，one vanilla, please В That’s £1.80 A nything ? A No，thank you A O n ly _ _ letters for you th is _ , Mrs Craig В rhank you very much, Mr McSporran And _ ， s Mrs McSporran th is ? A Oh, shes very well, thank you She’s _ in the shop A A glass of before bed，my dear? В Oh, yes please A vou are В Thank you, my dear I’m very •this A Hello, Mr McSporran! В G ood 、 boys and girls Hurry up, we re late A Can 1sit here, Mr McSporran? С No, no, I to sit there В Be q u ie t _ o f you, and SIT DOWN! Practice the conversations w ith your partner 21 VOCABULARY AND PRONUNCIATION Jobs Use your dictionary and match a picture w ith a job in Column A d b c d e f g h i A В A p ilo t An interpreter A nurse A bartender An accountant A journalist A chef An architect A sales assistant designs buildings, cooks food \ \ \ \ \ takes care of people in the hospital takes care of peoples money writes for a newspaper translates things sells things 4flies planes, serves drinks Match a job in A with a line in B Memorize the jobs Close your books Ask and answer questions w ith a partner W h a t es lì p i l o t do? [ J iHe e/ /S S h k e flic s pla n e s 22 111 EVERYDAY ENGLISH What time is it? Look at the clocks Write the times Practice saying them Փ _ It's five -th irty © © đ â Its five o'clock â It s a quarter to six © It’s five after five It’s tw enty-five after five © It's twenty to six It’s ten to six Listen and check Look at the times What time is it now? What time (Joes the class end? Listen and practicc the conversations Conversation Conversation Excuse m e D o yo u E xcuse me D o y o u k n o w w ii i lt tim e i t is? k n o w w h a t tim e i t is? / Yes It's a b o u t s ix I 'm so rry, 0*clock I d o n 't h a ve a w atch Thanks T h a t ’s O K T h a n k s a n yw a y With a partner, draw clocks on a piece of paper Make more conversations 112 d o n t kno w T 23 A P P E N D IX A S A M P LE OF AN A D A P T E D U N IT Lesson (p 16-17) Adding a pronunciation task o f intonation o f statements in exercise in the Presentation section (v ᄀ) 3.2 Listen and check These statements go up or down at the end? T3.2 Listen again, repeat these statements Adding a pronunciation exercise on s-endiri2 s after exercise in the Presentation section (p i 7) We can pronounce the third person -s in three ways: /s/ /z/ /izJ looks opens Watches a Listen and write the verbs in the correct column, opens arrives comes stands practices travels gets washes likes closes goes plays delivers helps pumps makes b W ork w ith your partner Say these verbs: lives speaks loves does works flies stays drives Check the rules for the pronunciation o f present tense endings in Grammar Reference 3.1 * Note: Hewings (2004: 179-181) offers a procedure for teaching the pronunciation o f s in verbs at elementary level w ith steps as follows: 1• W rite the follow ing words on the board: begins keeps dances Remind students that -s endings are important in English in the third person present simple Ask students what different pronunciations -s endings have in these words (Answer: /z/: begins; /s/ keeps; /iz/ dances) Then say the words and students repeat U lve out the handout Check that students know the meaning o f the words Students w ork m pairs and identify the odd one out in each list o f words: four o f the words have the same -s pronunciation and one (the odd one out) is different 113 A llo w students to check their answers by saying each list (or play the recording) with the odd one out at the end Explain this to students first For example, read list i as 'speaks, stops, gets, laughs, washes' Then say each list again and students repeat Explain that the pronunciation o f s- in words like this depends on the previous sound Finally, ask students i f they can see any patterns relating the -s pronunciation to the previous sound It is not necessary to be too technical about this: /iz/ follows sounds that 'hiss'; /s/ follows other voiceless sounds (where you can't feel a vibration on your throat when the sound is made); and Iz l follows voiced consonants and vowels (where you can feel a vibration) Adding a sentence com pletion exercise after exercise in the Practice section (p i 7) Complete the follow ing sentences: M y friend/ student/ Electric Power University He/ come/ Hai Phong/ Vietnam Не/ live/ Hanoi now He/ speak/ Vietnamsese/ a little English He/ not married He/ like/ playing computer games/ dancing/ his free time Reỵìacin