3.2 The Material versus the Course: Content Requirement
3.2.1 Analysis: Course versus the material
Content requirements of the course
Content of the material
1. Language points:
- Grammar structures:
- Basic English grammar as simple present tense and past simple tense;
comparatives and
superlatives; the passive voice; model verbs; some structures: infinitive clause and phrases of purpose, imperative
forms, making
suggestions, adverbs, and expression of like and dislike.
- The material “ English for Chefs” provide basic English grammar structures as the present simple tense; past simple tense;
comparatives and superlatives; the imperative form; the passive voice; model verbs; expression of quantity, the structure:
It + adj + to infinitive; infinitive clause and phrases of purpose; sequence adverbs;
making suggestions; expression of like and dislike. Each grammar item in the material has the rule, form and the exercises for students to practice and understand.
- Vocabulary: - Words specialize in cooking, food and restaurant
- Words specializing in cooking; food and restaurant are overwhelming the whole material.
- Pronunciation: - Some special features of English pronunciation as:
S- ending, question intonation, stressed, reduced forms, and linked sounds.
- S- ending, blending with does, question intonation, stressed and unstressed words, syllable stress, stress in response, contrastive stress linked sounds, reduced form of ought to, have to, “did you, have you”, small words as “ a, an, to, and, for”;
They are not too hard for student to understand and use it in speaking English.
- Some pronunciation patterns are just
given out without explanation and practice exercises, for example, unit 2 – question intonation, unit 4 & 7 – linked sound, unit 6, 9 & 12 – reduced form of ought to and have to, did you, small words.
- Some others are introduced but not many exercises are provided for further practices
2. Macro – Skills - Speaking, reading, listening, writing
- Four separate sections of four skills with practice exercises
- Reading tasks have two or three reading passages in each unit.
- Speaking skill varies from individual presentation to pair work and group work.
- Listening skill: not many listening exercises for students to practice in each unit
- Writing skill: not enough detail writing instruction.
3. Micro – skills - Speaking: ask and answer questions, talk about your favourite food
or dishes, make
comparison, make orders and give suggestions at the restaurant and in the kitchen, give the instructions of the cooking recipes.
- Speaking tasks in the material require students to ask and answer questions, talk about favourite food or dishes, make comparison, make orders and give suggestions at the restaurant and in the kitchen, give the instructions of the cooking recipes.
- Reading: Scanning, skimming and guessing
- Reading:
Skimming skill: reading for general information
Scanning skill and guessing: reading for specific information by doing some tasks as answering questions, true/false exercises, choosing correct answers, putting in correct order, and so on.
- Listening: listen for gist, listen and choose the correct answers, listen and answer the questions, and fill in the blanks
- Listening: Listen for gist, listen and check, listen and answer the questions, choose the correct answers, and fill in the blanks are presented in every unit but too short
For example: unit 2, 3, 8 have only one exercise which asks students to fill in the blanks; unit 9 has one listening task which asks to choose correct answers with only five sentences
- Writing: sentences completion, letters, menu, cooking recipes
- Writing: different kinds of tasks such as sentence completion in unit 1, write the instruction of cooking, cooking recipes (unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8..), plan a menu in English (unit 11, 12), and write letter to friend to describe your favourite food, dishes
4. Text – type: - Reading text, dialogues, cooking recipes, menu - The words used in the material should be like
- Dialogues appear in the grammar study part of all units which are provided to introduce the new grammar phenomena - The cooking recipes and the menu.
real – like English and the level of difficulty should be suitable with students at the elementary level
appear in the reading parts
- The words used are like real – like English and easy enough for understanding
5. Subject matter: - Food, kitchen, restaurant, French dishes,
European dishes,
Vietnamese dishes
- Jobs and workplaces (unit 1), Food selection (unit 2), In the kitchen (unit 3), French dishes (unit 6), European dishes (unit 7), Vietnamese dishes (unit 8)…
6. Layout and design: Around the language points
- Objectives are apparent in every unit
- Detail overview of each unit
- The material includes the four skills
- Objectives are apparent in every unit
- No detail overview of each unit
- Each unit in the material is divided into eight parts
Part 1: Presentation: dialogue.
Part 2: Language study – grammar structure with rules, forms and practice exercises Part 3: Vocabulary
Part 4: Pronunciation Part 5: Listening.
Part 6: Speaking Part 7: Reading Part 8: Writing - Vocabulary list and
glossary
- Revision units
- Vocabulary list and glossary - Revision units: Unit 5, 10, 15
7. Sequence of content
- From easy to difficult and recycling.
- From easy to difficult and recycling
8. Time allocation - Six periods per unit - Six periods per unit
Table 3.3: The appropriateness of the Material to the content of the Course
Conclusion
From the analysis above, it can be concluded that the material has met the aim of the course in terms of grammar, vocabulary, speaking skill, and reading skill; partly accomplished the aims of the course in terms of writing skill and listening skill and pronunciation.
3.2.2 Survey: Teachers and students’ opinions about the appropriateness of the material