VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES HỨA THỊ MAI HOA EVALUATING THE TEXTBOOK “ENGLISH FOR ENGINEERING” FOR STUDENTS AT HANOI INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL COLLEGE (HNIVC) (ĐÁNH GIÁ GIÁO TRÌNH “TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH CƠ KHÍ” DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN TRONG TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG NGHỀ CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI) M. Minor Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Prof. Hoàng Văn Vân HANOI- 2011 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration………………………………………………………………………… …… iii Retention and use of the thesis………………………………………………………. … iv Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………… v Abstract……………………………………………………………………….
………… vi Table of content…………………………………………………………………………. vi List of abbreviations…………………………………………………………. xi Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study……………………………………………………………… 1 1.
Aims of the study…………………………………………………………… …. Scope of the study…………………………………………………………. Methods of the study………………………………………………………………… 3 1. Design of the study………………………………………………… ……………….
4 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. Materials in language teaching and learning………………………………………. Roles of textbooks in EFL/ESL class……………………………………………. Types of textbooks……………………………………………………………….
English for specific purpose ( ESP) 2. What is ESP?. Characteristics of ESP……………………………………………………………. Conditions of applying ESP…………………………………….
What is textbooks evaluation?. Why textbooks evaluation?. Types of textbooks evaluation……………………………………………………. Models for materials evaluation………………………………………………… 2.
Criteria for textbooks evaluation…………………………………………………. 18 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………… 21 Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. Description of teaching ESP and its objectives at HNIVC 3.
Description of the students at HNIVC……………………………………………. Description of the teachers at HNIVC……………………………………………. The teaching and learning ESP at HNIVC…………………………. Data collection procedures 3.
Questionnaires for teachers (Q1)………………………. Questionnaires for students (Q2)………………………………………………. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………… 26 Chapter 4 DATA ANALYSIS 4. Objectives of the course…………………………………………………….
Significance of each criterion……………………………………………………. The aims of the materials…………………………………………. The contents of the textbook……………………………………………………. The realization of each criterion in the textbook “English for Engineering” (EFE) 4.
The aim of EFE……………………………………………………………………. The content of EFE………………………………………………………………… 30 4. Data analysis and discussion LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. The appropriateness of the material to the aims of the course 4.
The appropriateness of the aims of the coursebook in terms of language aspects. The appropriateness of the aims of the coursebook in term of language skills…. The appropriateness of the material to the content requirements of the course 4. The appropriateness of the content of the coursebook in terms of language aspects…………………………………………………………………………………….
The appropriateness of the content of the courrsebook in terms of language skills……………………………………………………………………………………… 36 4. Matching and discussion…………………………………………………………. The appropriateness of the material to the methodology requirements of the course 4. Material analysis result…………………………………………………………… 37 4.
Matching and discussion…………………………………………………………. The teachers' teaching experience and suggestions…………………………………. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… Chapter 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. Areas for adaptation………………………………………………………………….
Suggestions for further study………………………………………………………… 42 5. Evaluation checklist for the teachers' questionnaire……………………… I Appendix 2. Evaluation checklist for the students‟ questionnaire………………………. Syllabus design……………………………………………………………… IX Appendix 4.
XI LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 9 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VNU : VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI ULIS : University of Language and International Studies ESP : English for Specific Purpose TESP : Teaching English for Specific Purpose HNIVC : Hanoi Industrial Vocational College EFE : English For Engineering ESL : English as a Second Language ESOL : English for Speakers of Other Languages EFL : English as a Foreign Language ELT : English Language teaching TESL : Teaching English as a Second Language TESOL : Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages TEFL : Teaching English as a Foreign Language EST : English for Science and Technology LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 10 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, we discuss about the rationale that we choose this topic, why this topic is necessary for our career. Then, we say the aims of the study and the research questions, these are like the way we go through the research. Next, we explore the scope and the methods of the study, and at last, we design the form that we will do during conducting to work on this thesis. Rationale of the study In this thesis, we will look at the textbook which aims to suggest, to the teacher, ways of going about the task of materials evaluation.
Generally, the textbook evaluation is so necessary for us as the teachers, because it can give us the chance to know whether the textbook we used is good enough for teaching and learning or whether it can be adapted something. Let us now begin by discussing some of the different emphases that can be found in texts about materials analysis; especially, here we will focus on the textbook of English for Specific Purpose (ESP). While producing our own materials, we should check that ESP materials meet target needs and that the language taught matches the language that the students will use. Besides we should put emphasis on the development of specific skills and strategies for operating in the ESP context.
In fact, textbook work approach fits comfortably within teaching English for Specific Purpose (TESP) since it responds to the learners specific purposes, the students operate in the target language, it is activity and research based, multi- skilled (develops linguistic & research skills), involves learners in both individual and group work, uses authentic material, is set up in collaboration with subject teachers. It provides an opportunity for real world and classroom experience to overlap, gives learners a feeling of achievement. Besides, this textbook can also encourage positive classroom behaviors such as co-operation, enjoyment, motivation and interest. It can be an elegant culmination of the ESP course.
Being aware of the importance of the English learning for their students, the Hanoi Industrial Vocational College (HNIVC) and the Faculty of Basic Sciences are always searching for the most suitable materials used as core material. And since 2007, the text book English for Engineering (EFE) edited by Tran Lan Phuong used in teaching ESP at the third semester for technical students. Though the material has been in use at HNIVC for 5 years and applied to technical students since 2007, it has never been formally evaluated. So, it is LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 11 essential, therefore, that we should establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbook to assess its appropriateness against the learning purpose.
Aims of the study An evaluation of teaching materials helps to identify particular strengths and weaknesses of the materials. The finding of the thesis will be very useful for both the researcher and the teachers, who are teaching the coursebook “English for Engineering”. It will provide the authorities and the teachers with scientific evidence to improve the quality of the current book used for the second-year students of HNIVC. Research questions The thesis will be conducted to answer the following research question : How does the textbook, used for the second-year students at HNIVC, meet the course requirements in terms of the aims, the contents and the methodology? In order to answer the question above, the researcher intents to carry out the following procedures: - Reviewing the literature relating to material evaluation and setting up the criteria for evaluating the material.
Based on the theoretical framework the researcher analyses the material; - Conducting a questionnaire for the students to find out their opinions about the materials they have learned; - Conducting a questionnaire for the teacher to find out the opinion about the material they have used; - Finally, the researcher makes suggestion and recommendations on the development of the material. Scope of the study Evaluating teaching is complicated work and it needs to take into consideration lots of different aspects such as materials effectiveness, efficiency, attitudes, specialty, validity, reliability, etc. In this study, the researcher just focuses on three criteria which are stated in the requirements of the students at Hanoi Industrial Vocational College: in terms of the aims, the content and the methodology in the textbook „ English for Engineering‟. Methods of the study To collect the data, the methods used in this thesis are document analysis, survey questionnaires, and informal interviews.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 12 Document analysis here refers to the analysis of the materials itself and the requirements of the course. Survey questionnaires specifically designed for both the teachers and the second- year students who have experienced using the book. Informal interview is used to seek for detailed and objective opinions of examples of teachers and students on the material and students‟ needs. This method we used when researching some opinions on the aims, the content and the methodology of the teachers and students in our college.
Therefore, it is not written in the appendix. Design of the study The study is organized into five main chapters as follows : - Chapter 1. Discusses the background to the study and statement of problem, the aims, the researcher question, the limitations and overview of the thesis; - Chapter 2. Presents a review of literature, concentrating on the issues related to ESP material evaluation; - Chapter 3.
Describes the research methodology; description of teaching ESP and its objectives at HIVC; the data collection instruments, the subjects as well as the data collection procedures; - Chapter 4. Discusses findings of the data analysis, objectives of the course; significance of each criterion; - Chapter 5. Suggests solutions to improve the material and concludes the study. Conclusion In this chapter, we showed the procedure that we will do in the thesis; the reason that we chose this topic; the aims of the study that needs to evaluate this textbook; to conduct the work, we need to give the research questions, whether this question need to analysis during working on the thesis; then we introduced the scope of the study, we focus more on the aims, the content and the methodology in the textbook when we analysis the data that we collected for the study; next we discussed about the methods of the study; and finally, the design of the thesis is introduced in order to join all the parts of the thesis closely and consequently.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 13 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. Introduction This chapter gives an overview of the literature of the evaluation materials. It introduces the theorical apparatus of the theory of materials in language teaching and learning; roles of textbooks in EFL/ESL class; types of textbooks. It includes the definition of English for specific purpose (ESP), its characteristics and the conditions of applying ESP, also in this chapter we will describe the textbooks evaluation, why here we need textbook evaluation, the types of textbook evaluation and there obtains the different models for materials evaluation in the literature; a collection of criteria proposed by various researchers; and finally, we say some types of the materials adaptation: addition, deletion/ omission, and modification/ changing.
Materials in language teaching and learning ESL (English as a Second Language), ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with a different native language. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is described below. These terms are most commonly used in relation to teaching and learning English, but they may also be used in relation to demographic information. ELT (English Language Teaching) is a widely-used teacher- centred term, as in the English language teaching divisions of large publishing houses, ELT training, etc.
The abbreviations TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) are also used. The literature on the subject of textbook evaluation is not very extensive. Various writers have suggested ways of helping teachers in particular to be more sophisticated in their evaluative approach, by positing „checklists‟ based on supposedly generalizable criteria. These sometimes elaborate systems use a variety of „scoring‟ methods to assess how well specific textbooks measure up under scrutiny (see Tucker 1975, van Lier 1979, Allwright 1981, and Williams 1983).