VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES. TRAN THI NGA AN EVALUATION OF THE COURSE BOOK “ENGLISH FOR NAVIGATION STUDENTS’ FOR THE STUDENTS AT NAVIGATION DEPARTMENT, HAIPHONG POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE (Đánh giá giáo trình “English for navigation students” dinh cho sinh vien khoa điều khiến tàu biển tại irờng Cao Đăng nghề Bách Nghệ Hải Phòng) M.A Minor Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodetogy Code: 6 14 10 Super visor: TRẦN THANH NHÀN, MA. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration. Hi Table of contents iv Abbreviations vii List of tables and charts - vill PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale for the study 1 2. Aims and objectives of the study 2 3. Significance of the study 2 4. Scope of the study.
Methods of the study. Organization of the study 3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT. 4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.2 Textbook, course book, and matcrials. cee HH0 HH ren wel 1.2 A wide range of Maritine English maieriaÌs.3 ‘The roles of materials in a language program 6 1.1 Definitions of materials evaluation 7 1.2 Purposes of materials evaluation 8 1.3 Types of materials evaluation 9 1.1 Pro-usc evaluation.3 Post use svaluation.4 Methods of materials evaluation 10 1.1 The impressionstic method.2 The checklist method.cc se eeieiieioroelTl 1.3 The in-depth methad M 1.5 Criteria for materials evaluation 1 1.1 What should be included in the crileria checklist? iF 1.2 The individualized checklist.4 The roles of materials evaluation to adaptation of the course book “Knglish for navigation students” .1 The current ESP teaching and learning situation at HPPC.2 The course objectives 16 2.3 General description of the material.4 Participants " se, ÊỂ 2.1 The ESP Icachơrs 19 2.6 Data collection procedure.7 Data analysis procedure .22 CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR MATERIALS ADAPTATION, ae 23 3.1 The realization of each criterion in the course book “English for navigation students” 3.1 Format and organization 3.
Aims and objectives uf the study This study is carried out with the aim of improving the quality of the teacher-generated material “English for Navigation Students” to meet the students’ occupational requirements, In order to achieve this aim, the objectives were worked out below - ‘To evaluate the material “Linglish for Navigation Students” ftom the view points of Ihe ESP tzachers, subject tcachers and students al Navigation Faculty to identity its strengths, deticiencies and weaknesses, - To offer suggestions for adaptation of the materials basing on the major findings. Significance of the study Fust of all, the study will provide the findings which are not only useful to the researcher herself but also to the course book designers and the teaching stafi These findings help them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the course book so that they can make optinmurn use of the book’s strengths and adjust the shortcomings of ccrlain Jasks and every unit throughout the course book. In addition, the Zindings will be the foundation for enhancing the quality of the in-house material “English for Navigation Students” in order to meet the students’ occupational requirements Lastly, il is expected thal the results of the study would serve as a usclul source of reference for teachers who arc in charge of teaching ESP and/or interested in materials development for ESP, especially Maritime English. Scope of the study The study mainly foeuscs on cvaluating the course book “English for Navigation Students” from the view points of the HSP teachers, subyect teachers and students at Navigation Faculty in terms of format and organization, subject content, langnage content, language skill, and mothadology among # great number of criteria for materials evaluation 5.
Mcthods of the study The accomplishinent of this thesis is first based on (he review of materials in the arca of evaluation to build up a theoretical background for the research. vil LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ULIS, VNUIL University of Languages and International Studies, Victnam National University. Hanoi English as a Foreign Language ELT. English Language Teaching EST, English as a Second T.anguage ESP: English for Specilic Purposes ENS English for Navigation Studcnis HPPC Haiphong Polytechnic College Teaching Finglish as a Forcign Language 2.
Aims and objectives uf the study This study is carried out with the aim of improving the quality of the teacher-generated material “English for Navigation Students” to meet the students’ occupational requirements, In order to achieve this aim, the objectives were worked out below - ‘To evaluate the material “Linglish for Navigation Students” ftom the view points of Ihe ESP tzachers, subject tcachers and students al Navigation Faculty to identity its strengths, deticiencies and weaknesses, - To offer suggestions for adaptation of the materials basing on the major findings. Significance of the study Fust of all, the study will provide the findings which are not only useful to the researcher herself but also to the course book designers and the teaching stafi These findings help them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the course book so that they can make optinmurn use of the book’s strengths and adjust the shortcomings of ccrlain Jasks and every unit throughout the course book. In addition, the Zindings will be the foundation for enhancing the quality of the in-house material “English for Navigation Students” in order to meet the students’ occupational requirements Lastly, il is expected thal the results of the study would serve as a usclul source of reference for teachers who arc in charge of teaching ESP and/or interested in materials development for ESP, especially Maritime English. Scope of the study The study mainly foeuscs on cvaluating the course book “English for Navigation Students” from the view points of the HSP teachers, subyect teachers and students at Navigation Faculty in terms of format and organization, subject content, langnage content, language skill, and mothadology among # great number of criteria for materials evaluation 5.
Mcthods of the study The accomplishinent of this thesis is first based on (he review of materials in the arca of evaluation to build up a theoretical background for the research. PART B: DEVELOPMENT CIIAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. An introduction Matcrials svaluation is part ofa limguage course and plays an iraportanl role im a matorials development; and teaching and learning process. Therefore, this issue has not only become a topic of great interest among foreign researchers but also Vietnamese ones.
Being aware of its importance, in Victnam, as Tran Thanh Nhan (2006) stated that “only recently has evaluation confirmed its vital role in guaranteeing educational quality. Its significance still holds tras within the scope of materials evaluation.” Tlence, this research field has drawn attention to numerous postgraduates at ULIS, YNUH, who chose and wrote their theses on materials evaluation, especially evaluation of ESP materials. The following researchers are worthy to be mentioned: Nguyen Do ‘hn Hoai (2004); ‘Tran ‘Thanh Nhan (2006); Giap Thi Yon (2008) and Nguyen Thi Xuan Thy (2008), cte. Thoy mado a great deal of contzibution to the post-graduate research field of materials evaluation at ULIS, VNUH and their previous works help lay a reliable foundation for this study.
Although each thesis was carried out with different aims, contexts ond participants, and based on various theories of linguists abroad, findamentally they shared the ffamework for materials evaluation namely: types, purposes, methods, models and criteria. In this present study, the 1oscarolter is going (o exploit the [amework for evaluation of the course book “English for ‘Navigation Students” which is currently used at Haiphong Polytechnic College.2, Textbook, course book, and materials 1. Definitions As the theme of this thesis is the evaluation of the course boak “English for Navigation Students” that is being exploited for teaching and learning at HPPC, the rescarcher would like to start the literature review by considering and clarifying the three basic terms textbook, course book, and iaterials. These terms are commanly used in discussing inaterials evaluation.
As defined in I.ongmsn Dieliorsy (1998:1394), toxIbook is a book which contains information for the study ofa particular subject, for cxample, a history textbook or a vi 3.2 Suggestions for materials adaptation.1 Format and organization 3. sec PART €: CONCLUSION. Limitations and suggestions for further study. 39 Appendix 1: Evaluation checklist for the students (in English).
i Appendix 2: Evaluation checklist for the students (in Vietnamese) v Appendix 3: A sample of an original unit. ix Appendix4: A sample ofa newly-adapted unit xv viii LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES ‘Table & chart 3.1: ‘lhe realization of the format and organization criteria ‘Table & chart 3.2: ‘Ihe realization of the maritime content criterion Table & chart 3.3: The realization of the language content criterion Table & chart 3.4: The realization of the language skill criterion 2. Aims and objectives uf the study This study is carried out with the aim of improving the quality of the teacher-generated material “English for Navigation Students” to meet the students’ occupational requirements, In order to achieve this aim, the objectives were worked out below - ‘To evaluate the material “Linglish for Navigation Students” ftom the view points of Ihe ESP tzachers, subject tcachers and students al Navigation Faculty to identity its strengths, deticiencies and weaknesses, - To offer suggestions for adaptation of the materials basing on the major findings. Significance of the study Fust of all, the study will provide the findings which are not only useful to the researcher herself but also to the course book designers and the teaching stafi These findings help them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the course book so that they can make optinmurn use of the book’s strengths and adjust the shortcomings of ccrlain Jasks and every unit throughout the course book.
In addition, the Zindings will be the foundation for enhancing the quality of the in-house material “English for Navigation Students” in order to meet the students’ occupational requirements Lastly, il is expected thal the results of the study would serve as a usclul source of reference for teachers who arc in charge of teaching ESP and/or interested in materials development for ESP, especially Maritime English. Scope of the study The study mainly foeuscs on cvaluating the course book “English for Navigation Students” from the view points of the HSP teachers, subyect teachers and students at Navigation Faculty in terms of format and organization, subject content, langnage content, language skill, and mothadology among # great number of criteria for materials evaluation 5. Mcthods of the study The accomplishinent of this thesis is first based on (he review of materials in the arca of evaluation to build up a theoretical background for the research. Rationale for the study English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has developed to become one of the most prominent atcas of ELT jcaching.
The growth of ESP has also ted io an inoreasing mimber of specialized materials. Maritime English materials are not an exception. The importance of materials is undeniable due to its important role in the curriculum as Nunan (1988, cited in Pritchard, 2003:1) states that “.materials, in fact, are an essential element within the curriculum, and do morc than simply hubricate the wheels of learning, At their best they provide concrete models of desirable classroom practice, they act as curriculum models, and al their very best they fulfill a leacher development role.” Mereaver, malerials, whether commercially developed or teacher-produced, are considered a key component in. most EFL programs essential for both teachers and learners.
Obviously, most teachers use Tutorials as their primary icaching resource in providing the content of the lessons and class room praolice, In some siluations, however, materials arc only used to supplement the teachar’s instruction. For learners, materials generally serve as the basis for the language input they receive and the language practice they take part during their classes, Materials arc also considered a re! nee source for earners on various asp 15 of language such as pronunciation, grammer, vocabulary, etc. Nevertheless, as Swales (1980) points out that materials exhibit problems and in extreme cases are examples of educational failure. Although materials arc a core clement in most ESP classes, there has been little materials evaluation made.
