A Textbook Evaluation: English in Progress: Grade 6

A Textbook Evaluation:

English in Progress: Grade 6

 

 

A- Bibliographical Data:

English in Progress is intended for grade 6 students. Dr. Irma Ghosn, the coordinator, Mrs.Conny Hadba, Mrs.Joumana Kanafani and Mrs.Amal Richani are the authors of the textbook. The publisher is the NCERD and the book was published in 2000. The textbook is composed of 216 pages. It costs 5640 LBP (2006-2007). The book is part of a series under the same title. A workbook and a teacher’s manual accompany the textbook. Even though it is mentioned in the teacher’s manual that “the listening texts on cassette tapes present authentic listening tasks and varieties of different speakers’ voices” (p.9), yet they have not been given to the teacher. That is why the teacher resorts to reading the scripts from the teacher’s manual.

B- Practical Considerations:

The textbook is clearly laid out. In fact, the type size is 12 New Roman, readable and clear. The organization of units and themes is clear: The former appear on the top right side of the page while the latter appear on the top left side of the page. Both are colored and the themes are written in smaller letters than the units. Hence, the students immediately recognize the themes they are covering. There is a table of contents at the beginning of each theme presenting all the units in clear, readable and colorful type size accompanied by a picture. Simple graphics are used to clarify the different teaching points. For instance, next to Think and Share, there is a small box that shows a boy thinking and shaking hands with others (p. 76). The activity “calculate” is preceded by a box that contains a calculator (p.42). Listening shows a tape in a box (p.52).

The themes and titles of the lessons can be easily found in the table of contents at the beginning of the book as well as at the beginning of each theme. However, nothing is mentioned in the table of contents about grammar, structure and speaking. Thus, it is not easy for students or teachers to locate these lessons.

Six themes are included in the book. They are presented through themes of interest such as sports and pollution (Enjoying Sports, Earth in Trouble), and also through situations of necessity such as the theme instructing students on preventing accidents (Take Care). Each theme is divided into five units which seems appropriate. Therefore the lessons are of appropriate length and number.

In general, the design of pages shows order and balance between the information presented as well as the items. In fact, there is neither too much information nor too many items per page.

The maps of Greece on p.33, of Brazil on p.74, of Alaska on p.174 and of the United States of America on p.180 are clear and accurate, highlighting the point discussed in the reading selection.

Appendices of adjectives for character traits (p.201), of irregular verbs (p.202-205) and a glossary (p.206-216) are available and easy to use. For instance, the first appendix is arranged in two columns: one presenting an adjective and the other presenting its opposite.

Throughout the book, one finds lots of pictures and photos. At the beginning of each theme there are one or more photos illustrating the topic. Most of the units include colorful artwork such as pages 148-149 where several pictures illustrate the several points discussed in the reading selection. Those pictures are simple, clear and free of unnecessary details. Therefore, the book is attractive to the students. The variation of artwork renders the book more attractive to the students allowing them to distinguish between the world of reality and the one of fiction. For instance, when the theme is pollution, garbage fires, dead animals and rainforests are presented in photos (pages 51, 56, 64, 66, 74-5). When the topic is related to fiction such as the story of “Pecos Bill Rides the Tornado”, pictures not photos illustrate the idea (178, 181, 182).

The book is not thick, nor heavy. Therefore, its size seems appropriate for grade 6 students to handle. As to the book’s cover, it is durable enough to withstand wear. The pages are tightly attached together which protects the textbook from falling apart.

 

C- Theoretical Orientation:

National standards and issues are integrated in the textbook. In fact, a lesson about the Palm Islands Reserve presents the importance of protecting endangered species (theme of “Caring for our Planet”). However, this is not enough. More integration of national standards should be included such as traditions and social values in order for the students to grasp those standards through a reading selection or an activity.

The goals of the textbook are to develop all the four skills simultaneously as well as to address the areas of thinking skills, cultural awareness and study skills. The textbook states that its methodological approach is content-based. However, it does not provide a general overview of the approach, nor does it include clear explanations of how to implement it.

The content of the book does not seem consistent with the stated objectives in the national curriculum. In fact, the study skills objectives for cycle II do not conform to the ones stated in the textbook. For instance, by the end of grade 6, students should develop test-taking strategies and develop self-assessment skills. However, the discrepancy lies in the fact that no activities or exercises match with these objectives. Such skills are in fact absent. Therefore, there is no consistency between the content of the book and its theoretical objectives.

 

D- Audience:

The textbook deals with six themes in the following order: 1- Enjoying Sports, 2- Earth in Trouble, 3- Caring for Our Planet, 4- Take Care , 5- Facing Challenges and 6- Nature’s Challenges. Since the themes discuss sports, pollution, earth, safety, dealing with conflicts, then these themes are appropriate to the age of the students because they match with their interests. The content is appealing to the students because it deals with themes that are closely related to them such as sport. The activities are also appropriate to the student’s age (KWL chart, Flow chart...). Some questions are simple but others demand thinking, thus stimulating the student’s critical thinking (p.128). Therefore, the textbook is appropriate to 11-12 year-old students. Furthermore, the learners could identify with Karim writing a letter to his American pen pal telling him about cedar trees. They may also adopt an attitude towards fighting pollution. They would gain awareness of certain issues they used to think harmless or unimportant. For instance, theme 2, unit 1 No Smoke Without Fire discusses the problem of garbage fires and pesticides. It provides the students with knowledge about the dangers of burning their garbage.

As I have previously mentioned, the themes are interesting and the illustrations colorful and varied. This fact contributes to building a positive attitude by the students towards the textbook.

 

E- Four skills:

The distribution of emphasis is shared among listening, speaking, reading and writing. But some units lack one of the four skills, usually listening. For instance, unit 2 in theme 4 does not include a listening activity though it includes all the other skills. Furthermore, there is no balance among the units. While some units include too much material, others contain too little. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 and theme 4, unit 2 provide a good example of the lack of balance among the lessons. While the former includes two reading selections as well as two listening activities, the latter does not even have one listening activity. Moreover, two grammar lessons are included in theme 1, unit 2 (Yes/no questions and wh-questions). As to theme 4, unit 2, it includes only one grammar lesson (modals). In my opinion, such an overloaded unit as theme 1, unit 2 may decrease the students’ motivation as they feel that they are not moving ahead. Thus, this unit could have been divided into two.

There is no gradual development of the four skills. For instance, the reading selections vary between simple and difficult. In fact, the reading selection Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs is simpler than the reading selection “When the Oil Spilt”. The vocabulary included in this text is above the level of the students.

As to skill-building activities, they are not accompanied by preview nor follow-up activities. Therefore, there is no continuity in the activities. Furthermore, no strategies are suggested for building skills in speaking, reading and listening in the texts. Thus, the teacher has to devise her/his own strategies.

 

F- Structures:

The grammar teaching points are selected and emphasized in the following order:

N.B: Theme 6 includes only tales.

UNITS THEMES	1	2	3	4	5
1	-Imperatives -Word Order Review	- Yes/No Questions-Wh- Questions	- Complex Sentences	- Prepositional Phrases
2	- Expressing Disagreement - Present perfect		- Shift in the Verb Tense
3	- Comparisons	- Subject/Verb Agreements
4	-Negative Imperatives	- Modals			-Sentence Errors
3	- Irregular Verb Tenses	- Abstract and Concrete Nouns	Verb Tenses

 

As we notice, there is no logical order of the grammar lessons. For instance, imperative sentences in theme 1 are taught at the very beginning of the year while negative imperatives are taught towards the end of the year in theme 4. Negative imperatives could have been included in lesson 2 in theme 1 allowing the students to correlate the two types of imperatives. Moreover, the present perfect in theme 2 is taught way before the irregular forms of the past tense in theme 5 though irregular verbs should be grasped before starting the present perfect.

Some units do not include grammar such as theme 2, unit 5 and theme 5, unit 1 while others include more than one grammar rule. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 gives “yes/no questions” and “wh-questions”. The grammar rules in this unit could have been shared between two consecutive units. I am aware that grammar should not be the focus in teaching; however, grammar rules should not be grouped together in one unit and totally excluded from the other units.

The grammar rules are stated clearly usually in a yellow box (p.18). The authors combine the deductive and inductive methods. In fact, “yes/no questions” (p.23) and “wh-questions” (p.26-7) as well as the comparison of adjectives (p.84-86) are taught through the deductive method (Teacher’s Manual p.12)

Grammar points are contextualized. In fact, the reading selections include the structures that are to be explained. For instance, the comparison of adjectives is derived from the reading selection about the comparison between the cedar and the sequoia trees. Another example is the imperative (p.119) which is clear throughout the reading selection concerning the precautions to be taken in the school bus.

Although there are attempts to recycle the information, yet they are doomed to failure because of the large span of time. Presenting the positive imperative at the very beginning of the year, then presenting the negative imperative in theme 4 is not beneficial because it is not reviewing but rather presenting a new grammar point.

Another deficiency in presenting the grammar point is inaccuracy. For instance, the rule of the present perfect is designed in a green box where this tense is written. But how come they introduce a sentence about the present perfect continuous? (p.58)

Practice is not provided except in very small amounts. It is therefore up to the teacher to devise and supply the students with supplementary materials and drills.

We cannot say that there are clear pedagogical considerations in prompting the presentation of sentence patterns. The book starts with word order review, but instead of ending with complex structures, it ends with nouns and sentence errors. I would rather prefer the final structures to be more difficult so that the students would have an idea about what is waiting for them in grade 7. Moreover, irregular verbs are taught towards the end of the year (see the above chart).

Many charts are taught when students are asked to discuss and share their ideas with the class such as page 52 Think/Pair/Share. The students are sometimes asked to convey a certain message to other classes such as the instructions grade 6 students are asked to give to grade 3 students concerning school bus safety (page119).

Adjectives are taught through the comparative and superlative forms pages 84-85. Phonological differences between English and Greek are highlighted on page 30 in the textbook and on page 35 in the teacher’s manual.

Although language control is highly recommended, new structures are not carefully explained before they appear in exercises. Some grammatical presentations are not clear or adequate to give the students an inclusive idea about the grammar point. For instance, negative imperatives page 119 are clearly stated while forming wh-questions is presented insufficiently.

 

G- Vocabulary:

Vocabulary is chosen according to thematic units. The new words introduced in the lesson have to do with the topic discussed. When the topic is about garbage fires, then the vocabulary items are based on this knowledge. Vocabulary is not directly introduced as a skill. Therefore what is related to vocabulary such as antonyms/synonyms is absent. It is up to the teacher to highlight the meanings as given in the passage in her/his own methods. The workbook exercise on p. 38 is the only pure vocabulary exercise.

Some units contain an overload of vocabulary while other units present less items. For instance, “Alternative Energy” on p.94 contains a huge number of scientific terms while “Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs” on p.81 introduce only a few words. The new vocabulary words are sometimes repeated throughout the unit. Theme 3 “Caring for Our Planet” shows the term “nature reserve” in two consecutive units. Therefore, there is repetition of the vocabulary words for reinforcement.

 

H- Culture:

Culture is integrated in different types of texts. First, it is found in texts such as theme 1, unit 4 where information about baseball, one of the most popular games in America, is provided. Explanatory cultural notes add to the information presented in the book such as theme 3, unit 1 where the learners are given additional notes about Sequoias and Cedars (under the titles: Sequoia Facts and Cedar Facts).

Biographies also constitute a means of conveying culture. For instance, the biography of Garrett A. Morgan (theme 4, unit 5) presents to the learner the life of the African American who came up with and realized the idea of traffic lights. Letters also convey a cultural message such as the information Andy gives in his letter to Karim telling him about the giant sequoia trees. Karim, in his turn, gives Andy information about the cedar trees. Newspapers play a role in presenting the culture of the target language. In fact, theme 2, unit 3 presents a newspaper article that deals with the outcome of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska. Tales are another form of conveying culture to the students and providing knowledge on other countries such as “A Brave Dog Saves Town”taking place in Alaska.

 

I- Exercises and Activities:

The workbook includes several types of charts such as H-diagram (p.14), the Flow chart (p.24) and the KWL chart on page 28. The use of charts helps the students to develop their thinking skills. The students have to fill in these charts with proper information. Not only are the students asked to fill in charts, but they are also invited to read them. For example, the students are asked to read a table and a pie graph in “Greening the Desert”. Then they are asked to draw a comparison between the United Arab Emirates in 1974 and nowadays. Moreover, the students are asked to draw their own graphs such as page 32 in the workbook. Some exercises refer to realistic activities and situations such as the chart on page 36 in the book that gives accurate numbers on bicycle accidents provided by the US Department of Transportation.

Students are also instructed to tell how far away from a storm they are. In fact, they are given exercises in which they have to calculate the seconds between the rumble of the thunder and the lightning flash. Based on their findings, they should tell if they are safe from lightning strikes or not (theme 4, unit 3).

One of the mentioned aims of the textbook is study skills which develop note-taking on pages 42-43-44 of the workbook where the learners are instructed to find the main ideas of an article as well as the supporting details to these ideas. On page 15 of the workbook, the students are asked to outline a story in which they compare and contrast themselves to the main character.

 

Conclusion:

My overall impression of this textbook is that it is not enough for students or teachers. The main strengths in the book are no doubt the exercises based on thinking skills and the integration of the target language culture. It is not only important to teach the students how to write or read in the Target Language, but to help them think in the TL. In fact, through the exercises the students are instructed to think in the TL. They also get an idea about different sides of the Target Language (baseball, location of some states and cities...). As to the main weaknesses in this textbook, they lie in the grammar and vocabulary. These two are not presented in a complete form. In fact, they lack a lot as I have previously shown. That is why teachers have to rely on outside materials to stress many points.

 

A Textbook Evaluation: English in Progress: Grade 6

A Textbook Evaluation:

English in Progress: Grade 6

 

 

A- Bibliographical Data:

English in Progress is intended for grade 6 students. Dr. Irma Ghosn, the coordinator, Mrs.Conny Hadba, Mrs.Joumana Kanafani and Mrs.Amal Richani are the authors of the textbook. The publisher is the NCERD and the book was published in 2000. The textbook is composed of 216 pages. It costs 5640 LBP (2006-2007). The book is part of a series under the same title. A workbook and a teacher’s manual accompany the textbook. Even though it is mentioned in the teacher’s manual that “the listening texts on cassette tapes present authentic listening tasks and varieties of different speakers’ voices” (p.9), yet they have not been given to the teacher. That is why the teacher resorts to reading the scripts from the teacher’s manual.

B- Practical Considerations:

The textbook is clearly laid out. In fact, the type size is 12 New Roman, readable and clear. The organization of units and themes is clear: The former appear on the top right side of the page while the latter appear on the top left side of the page. Both are colored and the themes are written in smaller letters than the units. Hence, the students immediately recognize the themes they are covering. There is a table of contents at the beginning of each theme presenting all the units in clear, readable and colorful type size accompanied by a picture. Simple graphics are used to clarify the different teaching points. For instance, next to Think and Share, there is a small box that shows a boy thinking and shaking hands with others (p. 76). The activity “calculate” is preceded by a box that contains a calculator (p.42). Listening shows a tape in a box (p.52).

The themes and titles of the lessons can be easily found in the table of contents at the beginning of the book as well as at the beginning of each theme. However, nothing is mentioned in the table of contents about grammar, structure and speaking. Thus, it is not easy for students or teachers to locate these lessons.

Six themes are included in the book. They are presented through themes of interest such as sports and pollution (Enjoying Sports, Earth in Trouble), and also through situations of necessity such as the theme instructing students on preventing accidents (Take Care). Each theme is divided into five units which seems appropriate. Therefore the lessons are of appropriate length and number.

In general, the design of pages shows order and balance between the information presented as well as the items. In fact, there is neither too much information nor too many items per page.

The maps of Greece on p.33, of Brazil on p.74, of Alaska on p.174 and of the United States of America on p.180 are clear and accurate, highlighting the point discussed in the reading selection.

Appendices of adjectives for character traits (p.201), of irregular verbs (p.202-205) and a glossary (p.206-216) are available and easy to use. For instance, the first appendix is arranged in two columns: one presenting an adjective and the other presenting its opposite.

Throughout the book, one finds lots of pictures and photos. At the beginning of each theme there are one or more photos illustrating the topic. Most of the units include colorful artwork such as pages 148-149 where several pictures illustrate the several points discussed in the reading selection. Those pictures are simple, clear and free of unnecessary details. Therefore, the book is attractive to the students. The variation of artwork renders the book more attractive to the students allowing them to distinguish between the world of reality and the one of fiction. For instance, when the theme is pollution, garbage fires, dead animals and rainforests are presented in photos (pages 51, 56, 64, 66, 74-5). When the topic is related to fiction such as the story of “Pecos Bill Rides the Tornado”, pictures not photos illustrate the idea (178, 181, 182).

The book is not thick, nor heavy. Therefore, its size seems appropriate for grade 6 students to handle. As to the book’s cover, it is durable enough to withstand wear. The pages are tightly attached together which protects the textbook from falling apart.

 

C- Theoretical Orientation:

National standards and issues are integrated in the textbook. In fact, a lesson about the Palm Islands Reserve presents the importance of protecting endangered species (theme of “Caring for our Planet”). However, this is not enough. More integration of national standards should be included such as traditions and social values in order for the students to grasp those standards through a reading selection or an activity.

The goals of the textbook are to develop all the four skills simultaneously as well as to address the areas of thinking skills, cultural awareness and study skills. The textbook states that its methodological approach is content-based. However, it does not provide a general overview of the approach, nor does it include clear explanations of how to implement it.

The content of the book does not seem consistent with the stated objectives in the national curriculum. In fact, the study skills objectives for cycle II do not conform to the ones stated in the textbook. For instance, by the end of grade 6, students should develop test-taking strategies and develop self-assessment skills. However, the discrepancy lies in the fact that no activities or exercises match with these objectives. Such skills are in fact absent. Therefore, there is no consistency between the content of the book and its theoretical objectives.

 

D- Audience:

The textbook deals with six themes in the following order: 1- Enjoying Sports, 2- Earth in Trouble, 3- Caring for Our Planet, 4- Take Care , 5- Facing Challenges and 6- Nature’s Challenges. Since the themes discuss sports, pollution, earth, safety, dealing with conflicts, then these themes are appropriate to the age of the students because they match with their interests. The content is appealing to the students because it deals with themes that are closely related to them such as sport. The activities are also appropriate to the student’s age (KWL chart, Flow chart...). Some questions are simple but others demand thinking, thus stimulating the student’s critical thinking (p.128). Therefore, the textbook is appropriate to 11-12 year-old students. Furthermore, the learners could identify with Karim writing a letter to his American pen pal telling him about cedar trees. They may also adopt an attitude towards fighting pollution. They would gain awareness of certain issues they used to think harmless or unimportant. For instance, theme 2, unit 1 No Smoke Without Fire discusses the problem of garbage fires and pesticides. It provides the students with knowledge about the dangers of burning their garbage.

As I have previously mentioned, the themes are interesting and the illustrations colorful and varied. This fact contributes to building a positive attitude by the students towards the textbook.

 

E- Four skills:

The distribution of emphasis is shared among listening, speaking, reading and writing. But some units lack one of the four skills, usually listening. For instance, unit 2 in theme 4 does not include a listening activity though it includes all the other skills. Furthermore, there is no balance among the units. While some units include too much material, others contain too little. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 and theme 4, unit 2 provide a good example of the lack of balance among the lessons. While the former includes two reading selections as well as two listening activities, the latter does not even have one listening activity. Moreover, two grammar lessons are included in theme 1, unit 2 (Yes/no questions and wh-questions). As to theme 4, unit 2, it includes only one grammar lesson (modals). In my opinion, such an overloaded unit as theme 1, unit 2 may decrease the students’ motivation as they feel that they are not moving ahead. Thus, this unit could have been divided into two.

There is no gradual development of the four skills. For instance, the reading selections vary between simple and difficult. In fact, the reading selection Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs is simpler than the reading selection “When the Oil Spilt”. The vocabulary included in this text is above the level of the students.

As to skill-building activities, they are not accompanied by preview nor follow-up activities. Therefore, there is no continuity in the activities. Furthermore, no strategies are suggested for building skills in speaking, reading and listening in the texts. Thus, the teacher has to devise her/his own strategies.

 

F- Structures:

The grammar teaching points are selected and emphasized in the following order:

N.B: Theme 6 includes only tales.

UNITS THEMES	1	2	3	4	5
1	-Imperatives -Word Order Review	- Yes/No Questions-Wh- Questions	- Complex Sentences	- Prepositional Phrases
2	- Expressing Disagreement - Present perfect		- Shift in the Verb Tense
3	- Comparisons	- Subject/Verb Agreements
4	-Negative Imperatives	- Modals			-Sentence Errors
3	- Irregular Verb Tenses	- Abstract and Concrete Nouns	Verb Tenses

 

As we notice, there is no logical order of the grammar lessons. For instance, imperative sentences in theme 1 are taught at the very beginning of the year while negative imperatives are taught towards the end of the year in theme 4. Negative imperatives could have been included in lesson 2 in theme 1 allowing the students to correlate the two types of imperatives. Moreover, the present perfect in theme 2 is taught way before the irregular forms of the past tense in theme 5 though irregular verbs should be grasped before starting the present perfect.

Some units do not include grammar such as theme 2, unit 5 and theme 5, unit 1 while others include more than one grammar rule. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 gives “yes/no questions” and “wh-questions”. The grammar rules in this unit could have been shared between two consecutive units. I am aware that grammar should not be the focus in teaching; however, grammar rules should not be grouped together in one unit and totally excluded from the other units.

The grammar rules are stated clearly usually in a yellow box (p.18). The authors combine the deductive and inductive methods. In fact, “yes/no questions” (p.23) and “wh-questions” (p.26-7) as well as the comparison of adjectives (p.84-86) are taught through the deductive method (Teacher’s Manual p.12)

Grammar points are contextualized. In fact, the reading selections include the structures that are to be explained. For instance, the comparison of adjectives is derived from the reading selection about the comparison between the cedar and the sequoia trees. Another example is the imperative (p.119) which is clear throughout the reading selection concerning the precautions to be taken in the school bus.

Although there are attempts to recycle the information, yet they are doomed to failure because of the large span of time. Presenting the positive imperative at the very beginning of the year, then presenting the negative imperative in theme 4 is not beneficial because it is not reviewing but rather presenting a new grammar point.

Another deficiency in presenting the grammar point is inaccuracy. For instance, the rule of the present perfect is designed in a green box where this tense is written. But how come they introduce a sentence about the present perfect continuous? (p.58)

Practice is not provided except in very small amounts. It is therefore up to the teacher to devise and supply the students with supplementary materials and drills.

We cannot say that there are clear pedagogical considerations in prompting the presentation of sentence patterns. The book starts with word order review, but instead of ending with complex structures, it ends with nouns and sentence errors. I would rather prefer the final structures to be more difficult so that the students would have an idea about what is waiting for them in grade 7. Moreover, irregular verbs are taught towards the end of the year (see the above chart).

Many charts are taught when students are asked to discuss and share their ideas with the class such as page 52 Think/Pair/Share. The students are sometimes asked to convey a certain message to other classes such as the instructions grade 6 students are asked to give to grade 3 students concerning school bus safety (page119).

Adjectives are taught through the comparative and superlative forms pages 84-85. Phonological differences between English and Greek are highlighted on page 30 in the textbook and on page 35 in the teacher’s manual.

Although language control is highly recommended, new structures are not carefully explained before they appear in exercises. Some grammatical presentations are not clear or adequate to give the students an inclusive idea about the grammar point. For instance, negative imperatives page 119 are clearly stated while forming wh-questions is presented insufficiently.

 

G- Vocabulary:

Vocabulary is chosen according to thematic units. The new words introduced in the lesson have to do with the topic discussed. When the topic is about garbage fires, then the vocabulary items are based on this knowledge. Vocabulary is not directly introduced as a skill. Therefore what is related to vocabulary such as antonyms/synonyms is absent. It is up to the teacher to highlight the meanings as given in the passage in her/his own methods. The workbook exercise on p. 38 is the only pure vocabulary exercise.

Some units contain an overload of vocabulary while other units present less items. For instance, “Alternative Energy” on p.94 contains a huge number of scientific terms while “Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs” on p.81 introduce only a few words. The new vocabulary words are sometimes repeated throughout the unit. Theme 3 “Caring for Our Planet” shows the term “nature reserve” in two consecutive units. Therefore, there is repetition of the vocabulary words for reinforcement.

 

H- Culture:

Culture is integrated in different types of texts. First, it is found in texts such as theme 1, unit 4 where information about baseball, one of the most popular games in America, is provided. Explanatory cultural notes add to the information presented in the book such as theme 3, unit 1 where the learners are given additional notes about Sequoias and Cedars (under the titles: Sequoia Facts and Cedar Facts).

Biographies also constitute a means of conveying culture. For instance, the biography of Garrett A. Morgan (theme 4, unit 5) presents to the learner the life of the African American who came up with and realized the idea of traffic lights. Letters also convey a cultural message such as the information Andy gives in his letter to Karim telling him about the giant sequoia trees. Karim, in his turn, gives Andy information about the cedar trees. Newspapers play a role in presenting the culture of the target language. In fact, theme 2, unit 3 presents a newspaper article that deals with the outcome of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska. Tales are another form of conveying culture to the students and providing knowledge on other countries such as “A Brave Dog Saves Town”taking place in Alaska.

 

I- Exercises and Activities:

The workbook includes several types of charts such as H-diagram (p.14), the Flow chart (p.24) and the KWL chart on page 28. The use of charts helps the students to develop their thinking skills. The students have to fill in these charts with proper information. Not only are the students asked to fill in charts, but they are also invited to read them. For example, the students are asked to read a table and a pie graph in “Greening the Desert”. Then they are asked to draw a comparison between the United Arab Emirates in 1974 and nowadays. Moreover, the students are asked to draw their own graphs such as page 32 in the workbook. Some exercises refer to realistic activities and situations such as the chart on page 36 in the book that gives accurate numbers on bicycle accidents provided by the US Department of Transportation.

Students are also instructed to tell how far away from a storm they are. In fact, they are given exercises in which they have to calculate the seconds between the rumble of the thunder and the lightning flash. Based on their findings, they should tell if they are safe from lightning strikes or not (theme 4, unit 3).

One of the mentioned aims of the textbook is study skills which develop note-taking on pages 42-43-44 of the workbook where the learners are instructed to find the main ideas of an article as well as the supporting details to these ideas. On page 15 of the workbook, the students are asked to outline a story in which they compare and contrast themselves to the main character.

 

Conclusion:

My overall impression of this textbook is that it is not enough for students or teachers. The main strengths in the book are no doubt the exercises based on thinking skills and the integration of the target language culture. It is not only important to teach the students how to write or read in the Target Language, but to help them think in the TL. In fact, through the exercises the students are instructed to think in the TL. They also get an idea about different sides of the Target Language (baseball, location of some states and cities...). As to the main weaknesses in this textbook, they lie in the grammar and vocabulary. These two are not presented in a complete form. In fact, they lack a lot as I have previously shown. That is why teachers have to rely on outside materials to stress many points.

 

A Textbook Evaluation: English in Progress: Grade 6

A Textbook Evaluation:

English in Progress: Grade 6

 

 

A- Bibliographical Data:

English in Progress is intended for grade 6 students. Dr. Irma Ghosn, the coordinator, Mrs.Conny Hadba, Mrs.Joumana Kanafani and Mrs.Amal Richani are the authors of the textbook. The publisher is the NCERD and the book was published in 2000. The textbook is composed of 216 pages. It costs 5640 LBP (2006-2007). The book is part of a series under the same title. A workbook and a teacher’s manual accompany the textbook. Even though it is mentioned in the teacher’s manual that “the listening texts on cassette tapes present authentic listening tasks and varieties of different speakers’ voices” (p.9), yet they have not been given to the teacher. That is why the teacher resorts to reading the scripts from the teacher’s manual.

B- Practical Considerations:

The textbook is clearly laid out. In fact, the type size is 12 New Roman, readable and clear. The organization of units and themes is clear: The former appear on the top right side of the page while the latter appear on the top left side of the page. Both are colored and the themes are written in smaller letters than the units. Hence, the students immediately recognize the themes they are covering. There is a table of contents at the beginning of each theme presenting all the units in clear, readable and colorful type size accompanied by a picture. Simple graphics are used to clarify the different teaching points. For instance, next to Think and Share, there is a small box that shows a boy thinking and shaking hands with others (p. 76). The activity “calculate” is preceded by a box that contains a calculator (p.42). Listening shows a tape in a box (p.52).

The themes and titles of the lessons can be easily found in the table of contents at the beginning of the book as well as at the beginning of each theme. However, nothing is mentioned in the table of contents about grammar, structure and speaking. Thus, it is not easy for students or teachers to locate these lessons.

Six themes are included in the book. They are presented through themes of interest such as sports and pollution (Enjoying Sports, Earth in Trouble), and also through situations of necessity such as the theme instructing students on preventing accidents (Take Care). Each theme is divided into five units which seems appropriate. Therefore the lessons are of appropriate length and number.

In general, the design of pages shows order and balance between the information presented as well as the items. In fact, there is neither too much information nor too many items per page.

The maps of Greece on p.33, of Brazil on p.74, of Alaska on p.174 and of the United States of America on p.180 are clear and accurate, highlighting the point discussed in the reading selection.

Appendices of adjectives for character traits (p.201), of irregular verbs (p.202-205) and a glossary (p.206-216) are available and easy to use. For instance, the first appendix is arranged in two columns: one presenting an adjective and the other presenting its opposite.

Throughout the book, one finds lots of pictures and photos. At the beginning of each theme there are one or more photos illustrating the topic. Most of the units include colorful artwork such as pages 148-149 where several pictures illustrate the several points discussed in the reading selection. Those pictures are simple, clear and free of unnecessary details. Therefore, the book is attractive to the students. The variation of artwork renders the book more attractive to the students allowing them to distinguish between the world of reality and the one of fiction. For instance, when the theme is pollution, garbage fires, dead animals and rainforests are presented in photos (pages 51, 56, 64, 66, 74-5). When the topic is related to fiction such as the story of “Pecos Bill Rides the Tornado”, pictures not photos illustrate the idea (178, 181, 182).

The book is not thick, nor heavy. Therefore, its size seems appropriate for grade 6 students to handle. As to the book’s cover, it is durable enough to withstand wear. The pages are tightly attached together which protects the textbook from falling apart.

 

C- Theoretical Orientation:

National standards and issues are integrated in the textbook. In fact, a lesson about the Palm Islands Reserve presents the importance of protecting endangered species (theme of “Caring for our Planet”). However, this is not enough. More integration of national standards should be included such as traditions and social values in order for the students to grasp those standards through a reading selection or an activity.

The goals of the textbook are to develop all the four skills simultaneously as well as to address the areas of thinking skills, cultural awareness and study skills. The textbook states that its methodological approach is content-based. However, it does not provide a general overview of the approach, nor does it include clear explanations of how to implement it.

The content of the book does not seem consistent with the stated objectives in the national curriculum. In fact, the study skills objectives for cycle II do not conform to the ones stated in the textbook. For instance, by the end of grade 6, students should develop test-taking strategies and develop self-assessment skills. However, the discrepancy lies in the fact that no activities or exercises match with these objectives. Such skills are in fact absent. Therefore, there is no consistency between the content of the book and its theoretical objectives.

 

D- Audience:

The textbook deals with six themes in the following order: 1- Enjoying Sports, 2- Earth in Trouble, 3- Caring for Our Planet, 4- Take Care , 5- Facing Challenges and 6- Nature’s Challenges. Since the themes discuss sports, pollution, earth, safety, dealing with conflicts, then these themes are appropriate to the age of the students because they match with their interests. The content is appealing to the students because it deals with themes that are closely related to them such as sport. The activities are also appropriate to the student’s age (KWL chart, Flow chart...). Some questions are simple but others demand thinking, thus stimulating the student’s critical thinking (p.128). Therefore, the textbook is appropriate to 11-12 year-old students. Furthermore, the learners could identify with Karim writing a letter to his American pen pal telling him about cedar trees. They may also adopt an attitude towards fighting pollution. They would gain awareness of certain issues they used to think harmless or unimportant. For instance, theme 2, unit 1 No Smoke Without Fire discusses the problem of garbage fires and pesticides. It provides the students with knowledge about the dangers of burning their garbage.

As I have previously mentioned, the themes are interesting and the illustrations colorful and varied. This fact contributes to building a positive attitude by the students towards the textbook.

 

E- Four skills:

The distribution of emphasis is shared among listening, speaking, reading and writing. But some units lack one of the four skills, usually listening. For instance, unit 2 in theme 4 does not include a listening activity though it includes all the other skills. Furthermore, there is no balance among the units. While some units include too much material, others contain too little. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 and theme 4, unit 2 provide a good example of the lack of balance among the lessons. While the former includes two reading selections as well as two listening activities, the latter does not even have one listening activity. Moreover, two grammar lessons are included in theme 1, unit 2 (Yes/no questions and wh-questions). As to theme 4, unit 2, it includes only one grammar lesson (modals). In my opinion, such an overloaded unit as theme 1, unit 2 may decrease the students’ motivation as they feel that they are not moving ahead. Thus, this unit could have been divided into two.

There is no gradual development of the four skills. For instance, the reading selections vary between simple and difficult. In fact, the reading selection Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs is simpler than the reading selection “When the Oil Spilt”. The vocabulary included in this text is above the level of the students.

As to skill-building activities, they are not accompanied by preview nor follow-up activities. Therefore, there is no continuity in the activities. Furthermore, no strategies are suggested for building skills in speaking, reading and listening in the texts. Thus, the teacher has to devise her/his own strategies.

 

F- Structures:

The grammar teaching points are selected and emphasized in the following order:

N.B: Theme 6 includes only tales.

UNITS THEMES	1	2	3	4	5
1	-Imperatives -Word Order Review	- Yes/No Questions-Wh- Questions	- Complex Sentences	- Prepositional Phrases
2	- Expressing Disagreement - Present perfect		- Shift in the Verb Tense
3	- Comparisons	- Subject/Verb Agreements
4	-Negative Imperatives	- Modals			-Sentence Errors
3	- Irregular Verb Tenses	- Abstract and Concrete Nouns	Verb Tenses

 

As we notice, there is no logical order of the grammar lessons. For instance, imperative sentences in theme 1 are taught at the very beginning of the year while negative imperatives are taught towards the end of the year in theme 4. Negative imperatives could have been included in lesson 2 in theme 1 allowing the students to correlate the two types of imperatives. Moreover, the present perfect in theme 2 is taught way before the irregular forms of the past tense in theme 5 though irregular verbs should be grasped before starting the present perfect.

Some units do not include grammar such as theme 2, unit 5 and theme 5, unit 1 while others include more than one grammar rule. In fact, theme 1, unit 2 gives “yes/no questions” and “wh-questions”. The grammar rules in this unit could have been shared between two consecutive units. I am aware that grammar should not be the focus in teaching; however, grammar rules should not be grouped together in one unit and totally excluded from the other units.

The grammar rules are stated clearly usually in a yellow box (p.18). The authors combine the deductive and inductive methods. In fact, “yes/no questions” (p.23) and “wh-questions” (p.26-7) as well as the comparison of adjectives (p.84-86) are taught through the deductive method (Teacher’s Manual p.12)

Grammar points are contextualized. In fact, the reading selections include the structures that are to be explained. For instance, the comparison of adjectives is derived from the reading selection about the comparison between the cedar and the sequoia trees. Another example is the imperative (p.119) which is clear throughout the reading selection concerning the precautions to be taken in the school bus.

Although there are attempts to recycle the information, yet they are doomed to failure because of the large span of time. Presenting the positive imperative at the very beginning of the year, then presenting the negative imperative in theme 4 is not beneficial because it is not reviewing but rather presenting a new grammar point.

Another deficiency in presenting the grammar point is inaccuracy. For instance, the rule of the present perfect is designed in a green box where this tense is written. But how come they introduce a sentence about the present perfect continuous? (p.58)

Practice is not provided except in very small amounts. It is therefore up to the teacher to devise and supply the students with supplementary materials and drills.

We cannot say that there are clear pedagogical considerations in prompting the presentation of sentence patterns. The book starts with word order review, but instead of ending with complex structures, it ends with nouns and sentence errors. I would rather prefer the final structures to be more difficult so that the students would have an idea about what is waiting for them in grade 7. Moreover, irregular verbs are taught towards the end of the year (see the above chart).

Many charts are taught when students are asked to discuss and share their ideas with the class such as page 52 Think/Pair/Share. The students are sometimes asked to convey a certain message to other classes such as the instructions grade 6 students are asked to give to grade 3 students concerning school bus safety (page119).

Adjectives are taught through the comparative and superlative forms pages 84-85. Phonological differences between English and Greek are highlighted on page 30 in the textbook and on page 35 in the teacher’s manual.

Although language control is highly recommended, new structures are not carefully explained before they appear in exercises. Some grammatical presentations are not clear or adequate to give the students an inclusive idea about the grammar point. For instance, negative imperatives page 119 are clearly stated while forming wh-questions is presented insufficiently.

 

G- Vocabulary:

Vocabulary is chosen according to thematic units. The new words introduced in the lesson have to do with the topic discussed. When the topic is about garbage fires, then the vocabulary items are based on this knowledge. Vocabulary is not directly introduced as a skill. Therefore what is related to vocabulary such as antonyms/synonyms is absent. It is up to the teacher to highlight the meanings as given in the passage in her/his own methods. The workbook exercise on p. 38 is the only pure vocabulary exercise.

Some units contain an overload of vocabulary while other units present less items. For instance, “Alternative Energy” on p.94 contains a huge number of scientific terms while “Trees Bigger than Dinosaurs” on p.81 introduce only a few words. The new vocabulary words are sometimes repeated throughout the unit. Theme 3 “Caring for Our Planet” shows the term “nature reserve” in two consecutive units. Therefore, there is repetition of the vocabulary words for reinforcement.

 

H- Culture:

Culture is integrated in different types of texts. First, it is found in texts such as theme 1, unit 4 where information about baseball, one of the most popular games in America, is provided. Explanatory cultural notes add to the information presented in the book such as theme 3, unit 1 where the learners are given additional notes about Sequoias and Cedars (under the titles: Sequoia Facts and Cedar Facts).

Biographies also constitute a means of conveying culture. For instance, the biography of Garrett A. Morgan (theme 4, unit 5) presents to the learner the life of the African American who came up with and realized the idea of traffic lights. Letters also convey a cultural message such as the information Andy gives in his letter to Karim telling him about the giant sequoia trees. Karim, in his turn, gives Andy information about the cedar trees. Newspapers play a role in presenting the culture of the target language. In fact, theme 2, unit 3 presents a newspaper article that deals with the outcome of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska. Tales are another form of conveying culture to the students and providing knowledge on other countries such as “A Brave Dog Saves Town”taking place in Alaska.

 

I- Exercises and Activities:

The workbook includes several types of charts such as H-diagram (p.14), the Flow chart (p.24) and the KWL chart on page 28. The use of charts helps the students to develop their thinking skills. The students have to fill in these charts with proper information. Not only are the students asked to fill in charts, but they are also invited to read them. For example, the students are asked to read a table and a pie graph in “Greening the Desert”. Then they are asked to draw a comparison between the United Arab Emirates in 1974 and nowadays. Moreover, the students are asked to draw their own graphs such as page 32 in the workbook. Some exercises refer to realistic activities and situations such as the chart on page 36 in the book that gives accurate numbers on bicycle accidents provided by the US Department of Transportation.

Students are also instructed to tell how far away from a storm they are. In fact, they are given exercises in which they have to calculate the seconds between the rumble of the thunder and the lightning flash. Based on their findings, they should tell if they are safe from lightning strikes or not (theme 4, unit 3).

One of the mentioned aims of the textbook is study skills which develop note-taking on pages 42-43-44 of the workbook where the learners are instructed to find the main ideas of an article as well as the supporting details to these ideas. On page 15 of the workbook, the students are asked to outline a story in which they compare and contrast themselves to the main character.

 

Conclusion:

My overall impression of this textbook is that it is not enough for students or teachers. The main strengths in the book are no doubt the exercises based on thinking skills and the integration of the target language culture. It is not only important to teach the students how to write or read in the Target Language, but to help them think in the TL. In fact, through the exercises the students are instructed to think in the TL. They also get an idea about different sides of the Target Language (baseball, location of some states and cities...). As to the main weaknesses in this textbook, they lie in the grammar and vocabulary. These two are not presented in a complete form. In fact, they lack a lot as I have previously shown. That is why teachers have to rely on outside materials to stress many points.