VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ****** PHẠM THỊ MINH TÂM HOW TEACHERS EXPLOIT THE TEXTBOOK: A SURVEY AT VINH TUONG HIGH SCHOOL, VINH PHUC (CÁCH GIÁO VIÊN KHAI THÁC SÁCH GIÁO KHOA: KHẢO SÁT TẠI TRƯỜNG THPT VĨNH TƯỜNG, VĨNH PHÚC) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 HANOI, 2012 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: A thematic classification of teacher images for English- language Figure 2: Description of participants Figure 3: The observation schedule Figure 4: The interview schedule Figure 5: Teachers‟ opinions about advantages of textbooks Figure 6: Teachers‟ opinions about the disadvantages of textbooks Figure 7: Adaptation techniques used by teachers iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract List of figures PART I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………. Rationale of the study…………………………………………………. Aims of the study…………………………………. 2 4 Significance of the study……………………………………………….
Scope of the study……………………………………………………… 3 6. Design of the study……………………………………………………. 3 PART II: DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………… 4 CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………. The role of textbooks in the EFL/ESL classroom……………….
Advantages and disadvantages of textbooks……………………. Textbook exploitation and adaptation in EFL classroom……………. Teachers‟ attitudes toward textbook exploitation………………. Different ways in textbook exploitation……………………….
Review of related studies………………………………………………. The influence of context on teachers‟ use of textbook……………. 16 CHAPTER TWO: THE STUDY 1. Setting and background………………………………………………… 18 v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.
The teachers and the students…………………………………… 18 1. 22 CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………. 28 PART III: CONCLUSION…………………………………………………. Pedagogical suggestions for a more effective exploitation of textbooks.
Limitations of the study………………………………………………… 34 4. Suggestions for further research………………………………………. I Apendix A-1 A format of observation notes……………………………… I Appendix A-2 An extract from the observation data of one of the participants…………………………………………………. II Appendix B-1 A format of interview notes……………………………….
III Apendix B-2 A sample of an interview note with one of the participants.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.Phuc PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study According to Richards (2005), textbooks are the core element of most language programs. They are expected to provide teachers and learners with all the essentials of a subject or the general outline of a course. In many cases, textbooks are the main source of the language input the students receive and the language practice which occurs in classroom.
For the inexperienced teachers, the textbook can guide them how to plan and teach the lessons. There are assumptions saying that textbooks have their own negative effects on language teaching and learning (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994) but they are still an important component of almost every language program. In Vietnam, English has been a compulsory subject at upper-secondary schools since late 1980s. Like other subjects at schools, English is taught following the textbook designed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).
There are a considerable number of studies about the difficulties that teachers and learners meet when using the textbook or about the textbook evaluation and adaption. These include the studies by Phung (2008), Vu (2010), Alamri (2008), Litz (2001). Whereas, the teachers‟ attitudes towards textbook and the way they exploit it have not been paid much attention. For such reasons, this research is carried out to investigate what the English teachers at Vinh Tuong upper-secondary school think about textbooks in general and how they exploit them.
The researcher also hopes to give some suggestions and recommendations basing on the results of the study to contribute to English teaching and learning at the school.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Aims of the study The study is aimed to probe the way that the English teachers at Vinh Tuong high school, in Vinh Phuc province, exploit textbooks. Within this purpose, the three central objectives are: (i) To investigate the teachers‟ opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of textbooks (ii) To investigate the way the teachers exploit textbooks (iii) To give some suggestions and recommendations to contribute to the teaching and learning English at Vinh Tuong high school. Research questions In order to achieve the aims of the study, two research questions are raised: 1.
What are the teachers‟ attitudes towards textbooks? a. What are the teachers‟ opinions about the advantages of textbooks? b. What are the teachers‟ opinions about the disadvantages of textbooks? c. What do the teachers use textbook for? 2.
What kind of adaptations do the teachers make when using textbooks? Why? 4. Significance of the study Although the study is carried out as a small scale one, the researcher hopes that its results can (1) help the English teachers at Vinh Tuong high school have an overview about the advantages and disadvantages of the textbook in order to find the most effective way to exploit it; 2) keep teacher trainers aware of the way that some high school teachers exploit the textbook.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Scope of the study The paper focuses on the exploitation of the textbook to teach English at a particular high school. The participants of the study are restricted to a group of English teachers at Vinh Thuong high school, in Vinh Phuc province.
Design of the study The study consists of five chapters Part I: (Introduction), presents the rationale, aims, research questions, significance, scope and the design of the study Part II: Development Chapter 1: (Literature Review) presents an overview of the theoretical background of the research Chapter 2: (Methodology) provides the setting of the study, participants, and instruments Chapter 3: (Results and discussion) presents the findings for the two research questions and further discussion on these findings in the relationship with the literature. Part III: (Conclusion) summarizes the study, the limitations of the study, some recommendations as well as suggestions for further studies. Following this chapter are the Reference list and Appendices.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.Phuc PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter provides an overview of the theoretical background of the research. Definition In the Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary (8th edition), textbook is generally defined as “a book that teaches a particular subject and that is used especially in schools and colleges”.
This definition just provides a simple understanding about textbook. For a more comprehensive view about who use textbooks, and how they are employed, the definition of Tomlinson (1998) is more suitable. He states that a course book or a textbook “provides the core materials for a course. It aims to provide as much as possible in one book and is designed so that it could serve as the only book which the learners necessarily use during a course.
Such a book usually includes work on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, functions and the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking” (Tomlinson, 1998, p. The role of textbooks in the EFL/ESL classroom According to Sheldon (1987) as cited in Lawrence (2011, p.5), textbook is especially designed and published to help learner to improve their language skills. Textbook is not only a learning instruments, it also supports teachers in their teaching (O‟neil, 1982; Ur, 1996). Textbook has been used widespread in different ELT contexts and it plays a vital role in ELT classrooms all over the world (Laurence, 2011).
It is almost a universal element of ELT teaching (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994) and essensial in any ELT program (Sheldon, 1988). It is extremely common to see 4 (LUAN.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.Phuc ELT teachers use textbooks in their daily teaching; very few of them would not (Laurence, 2011). The important role of textbooks in ELT teaching is obvious. However, the question of whether textbooks can actually help or hinder the teaching and learning process has been discussing.
From this point, the researcher would like to review on both the advantages and disadvantages in using textbooks in ELT teaching. Advantages and disadvantages of textbooks Throughout the history of language teaching and learning research, there are many studies about using textbooks. These studies express arguments for as well as against the use of textbooks.105) approves of using textbooks in teaching because 1) he can find many things suitable for his students in the materials; 2) they allow his students to see the lessons beforehand and revise what they have learned; 3) they save his money and time in preparing the lessons; 4) they guide his adaption and improvisation in the process of teaching.237) identifies three main reasons for which textbooks are widely used. Firstly, developing their own classroom materials is extremely difficult for teachers.
Secondly, textbooks are “labor-saving tools”, they save the teachers‟ time and effort in preparing teaching materials. Last but not least, textbooks help teachers cope with external pressures, such as the heavy timetables. Hutchinson and Torres (1994) argue that textbooks play a positive role in everyday use and in the process of change. They provide a structure for lesson management and a basis for negotiation in education.
They are a “flexible frame-work” that learners and teachers need to make informed choices.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.Phuc term of negotiation, textbooks are visible, which makes it possible for all the relevant parties take part in the process. Moreover, textbooks help to “re-skill” the teachers; when textbooks are developed, teachers will need more skills to use it.193) states that the course book provides a set framework and a “jumping-off point” for his new ideas in teaching. His students also feel that their learning is taken more seriously when using a textbook. Additionally, Richards (2005) claims that textbooks help to standardize the instruction.
Students in different classes get exposed to the same content so they can be tested in the same way. Wen-Cheng,W (2011) also shares Richards in the idea that textbooks may provide multiple learning and teaching resources, for example, workbooks, CDs and Videos. In general, the most prominent positive effect of textbooks is they meet the teachers‟ and learners‟ needs. Learners need a textbook for it shows them what is to be learned and what will be tested; it makes their learning outside classroom possible.
Teachers need a textbook because it is a map, a structure for their teaching; it saves their time and effort in designing materials; it helps to standardize the instruction and testing; a highly developed textbook can even improve the teachers‟ teaching skill. Besides, administrators can use textbooks to ensure that there is some degree of standardization and parents can use them to measure their children‟s progress. It is obvious that “Textbook not only survives, it thrives” (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994, p.316) for many of its advantages. However, we should be aware of its potential negative effects in order to make full use of the textbook.
One of the advantages of the textbooks mentioned earlier is that they provide a basic framework on how a lesson can be delivered. In fact, many teachers, therefore, would rely heavily on the textbook and become uncreative in 6 (LUAN.Phuc TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.Phuc teaching and follow the textbook uncritically (Ur, 1996, p. This might lead to the situation that teachers do not want to design their own materials and teach the textbook, not the language itself (McGrath, 2002). Although the textbook can be a structure for both teaching and learning process, they cannot satisfy all the needs of every different learner or class (Ur, 1996; Williams, 1983).
Allwright (1981) argues that textbooks may affect the involvement of students in the language acquisition process. He suggests that a pre-packaged set of textbooks cannot sufficiently cater for the complex learning process. The set structure of textbooks may confine the teachers‟ creativity and imagination and demotivate the learners (Ur, 1996). Teachers may even be led to the thought that the activities and tasks in the textbook are better than their own ideas (McGrath, 2002).
In short, the textbook has a lot of positive effects in the learning and teaching process in spite of some limitations in certain cases. This is the reason that makes textbooks an “essential constituent” of almost all teaching-learning conditions in EFL classrooms (Litz, 2001, p. Textbook exploitation in EFL classroom 2.