R. Rüya Akkar
Tüvan Çakmak
Hilal Demir
CONTENT of Open Doors
INTRODUCTION 1
I. Aims and Approaches 2
1.1 Aims of the coursebook 2
1.2 Aims of the course 2
1.3 Learning and teaching situation 2
1.3.1 Reasons for learning English 2
1.3.2 Learning styles 3
1.3.3 Potential class and learners 3
II .Design and Organization 3
2.1 Coursebook package 3
2.2 Organization of the coursebook 4
2.2.1 Continuity and recycling of the coursebook components 4
III. Language Content 5
3.1 Grammar 5
3.2 Vocabulary 5
3.3 Pronounciation 5
IV. Skills 6
4.1 Listening 6
4.2 Reading 6
4.3 Writing 7
4.4 Speaking 7
4.5 Integrated Skills 7
V. Topic 8
5.1 Variety and Range of Topic 8
5.2 Social and Cultural Contexts 8
CONCLUSION 9
REFERENCES 10
APPENDIX
1.1 Aims of the Coursebook
Term: “Coursebooks try to solve the problem by creating opportunities for the students to use the language in the classroom,as a sort of “halfway house” before using it in real life.” (GRANT:1987,13)
Evaluation: Opendoors emphasizes the communicative functions of language - real life situations – not just the forms (Appendix 1) It tries to reflect the students’ needs and interests (Appendix 2). It emphasizes skills in using the language not just the forms of the language altough it is not activity based. The book encourages work in groups and pair by pair worksheets in the teachers book (Appendix 3). Both content and methods reflect the authentic language of everyday life.
1.2 Aims of the Course
Term: “The problem is that students who have received several years of formal English teaching, frequently remain deficient in the ability to actually use the language, and to understand its use, in normal communication, whether in the spoken or the written mode.”(WIDDOWSON: 1972,15-19)
Evaluation: Open Doors aims to train students to communicate accurately in English by giving them a solid grounding in the basic elements of language. In Open Doors students learn to recognize and produce important language functions, such as introducing people, offering and accepting things, giving instructions and they learn to understand and use rules of English grammar, such as the formation of tenses, the use of some and any, countable and uncountable nouns.Students also recognize and produce vocabulary related to appropriate topics for the age group, such as clothes, sports, school subjects, food and drink (Appendix 4). Moreover, they use features of English pronounciation correctly, such as vowel and consonant sounds, stress, intonation.
1.3 Learning and Teaching Situation
1.3.1 Reasons for Learning English
Term: “The reasons why students are learning English will determine our choice of coursebooks and methods. However, our choice of books and methods will also depend not just on the reasons why our students are learning English but the way they learn it.” (GRANT:1987,10)
Evaluation: Many students learn English simply because they are required to do so bye their education system.Some students learn the language for a specific purpose, such as studying. Some may wish to learn the language in order to study the culture or literature of an English speaking country. Some may even be learning the language as a means of survival – this might be the aim of some immigrants under certain circumstances, for instance.
1.3.2 Learning Styles
Term: “ The way a teacher teaches - and the way the coursebook is designed – should take differences in the students’ learning styles into account.” (GRANT:1987,11)
Evaluation: Some learners like to have a written text in front of them. Others are happier in the oral mode: they like to listen to, and to speak, the language undistracted by the written word. Some learners like to be told grammatical rules whereas others do not like grammatical rules – often because they do not understand them, even when they are explained in mother tongue. They prefer to ‘use their common sense’. By listening to the language, reading it, and trying to use it, they work out rules for themselves, perhaps subconsciously. Some are happiest when the teacher is completely in charge of lesson whereas others like to get busy in pairs or groups. At these times, the teacher acts as a kind of referee or manager.
1.3.3 Potential Class and Learners
Term: “ In some cases we want to evaluate coursebooks in general without having particular classes and learners in mind. For example, a new book could be evaluated to see what it might be good for and in what situations it could be expected to be successful. This is evaluation of materials for their potential without any predetermined used in mind.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,15)
Evaluation: Open Doors is a communicative coursebook for young teenagers aged 13-14 that teaches them how to use language in real situations. It is also a structural course that gives a clear and careful introduction to English grammar. This book aims to teach English students from elementary level to upper-intermediate. The ideal number of students in the classroom should be between 15-20. Since the book starts from elementary level, students do not need to have any background knowledge. The cultural elements are international (Appendix 5)
In design and organization, the components of whole coursebook package and how the grading and progression is suitable for the learners should be taken into consideration.
2.1 Coursebook Package
Term: In a coursebook package it is important to look at how different parts are related to each other. The whole package should consist of ,at least, student’s book, teacher’s book, workbook, cassettes.
Evaluation: “Open Doors consists of 3 sections for young learners. Open doors 1-2-3 are from beginner to upper-intermediate. These 5 levels are integrated in 3 books. Each level of the course includes students book, workbook, teachers book and class cassettes.
Student’s book: In each unit, topics with sub-topics are indicated whereas the number of pages are not given. This is the only lack of clarity in lay-out. Each of the 12 units are divided into 4 parts (Appendix 6) There are 6 optional projects which are designed to follow every 2 units so that Project 1 can be used after Unit 2 and so on (Appendix 7). There are 2 stories which are prepared to be studied after each 5 units (Appendix 8). The grammar summary draws together all the main grammar points introduced in the book (Appendix 9). Teacher’s book contains the same contents of the student’s book. It has introduction for teachers with a classroom manangement section which gives advice on areas such as project book, vocabulary teaching and lesson planning. It has also teaching notes for the 12 units including optional extra activities ( Appendix 10). The wordlist is introduced in the book and all the new vocabulary is arranged in alphabetical order with cross references to the unit where each word first appears (Appendix 11).
In the workbook extra practice material for self-study and wordlist in each unit of student’s book are given (Appendix 12).
Cassettes provide presentation stories which include new grammatical and lexical items.there are also communication exercises which are derived from the presentation stories ( Appendix 13) Besides, cassettes include pronounciation exercises, listening activities, songs and listening activities for the optional parts of test.
2.2 Organization of the Coursebook
Organization of the coursebook is the amount of continuity within the materials and the routes through the materials which are available to the learners.
2.2.1 Continuity and Recycling of the Coursebook Components
Term: “It is very important that a language function and a grammatical form such as a verb tense used in a particular way should reappaer several times after being introduced, for revision, practice and extension.” (GRANT:1987,125)
Evaluation:Grammar and vocabulary teaching needs recycyling. In the coursebook the grammar points and new vocabulary are repeated in different units after they are introduced once.The language skills and functions are reinforced at least four times in different contexts with different items so that students can recall easily.Recycling in the coursebook takes place in 4 skills.As a result, students can compare the items and relate them to their previous knowledge. Students’ language is formed by recycling. For instance, the present perfect tense which is considered as one of the problematic grammar points is firstly introduced in a reading text relating to their life experience. The reinforcement of the tense is provided with listening parts and subject related exercises. Later, grammar table which enables students to see the grammar rules is given. Another table is presented to teach past participle form of the regular and irregular verbs. To make the subject more concrete for the students exercises with pictures are given. At the end of the unit a revision of the present perfect tense is given in the progress diary. In the next unit present perfect is given in a reading text again but this time with a different usage.There are sample exercises comparing past simple and present perfect tense.Also. the present perfect is practiced in a different topic called Injuries and Illnesses.Later on present perfect is reinforced by an exercise which consists of new usages.In the following chapters present perfect tense is practiced
with new items in listening, reading and speaking skills.However, there are no exercises including writing skill.The present perfect tense shoul be reinforced by writing parts through guided compositions. (Appendix 14)
The language is contained in the coursebook with what is being taught such as grammar, vocabulary, pronounciation.
3.1 Grammar
Term: “ It is the effective teaching of grammar that distinguish a true language course from a phrase book and it is an understanding of and an ability to use grammar that equips learners with the ability to create their own utterences and use language for their own purposes.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,32)
Evaluation:Grammar is presented in the context of a photo story which is always followed by comprehension questions. Students practice language functions in the communication section.Students understand and use the rules of English grammar such as formation of tenses, the use of some / any, countable / uncountable nouns.Grammar and study skill parts aim to consolidate students’ grammatical knowledge with explanations and through practice of new structures intorduced in the units.Students are often asked to work out simple grammar rules for themselves. The study skill section shows the students how to develop language learning techniques that they can use in class and at home in order to become more independent in their learning.At the end of each book there is a grammar summary part which is useful for self study. (Appendix 15) In each unit there is a table called ‘Learn This’ which gives clues about grammatical rules for students. (Appendix 16)
3.2 Vocabulary
Term: “As well as teaching many new words as possible, coursebooks can help equip students with strategies for handling the unfamiliar vocabulary that they will inevitably meet.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,38)
Evaluation: In each unit of Open Doors, there is a page that focuses specifically on vocabulary building, but new vocabulary is introduced in other sections of units. The new vocabulary that is introduced in each unit is listed in the teaching notes, divided into active-passive vocabulary. The list of active vocabulary contains the most important words which students need to focus on and learn to use; the list of passive vocabulary contains words which students need to be able to recognize and understand but are not expected to use actively at this stage (Appendix 17). In the first two books new words are given under the topics such as environment (A ppendix 18). In the 3. book, word families are presented to the students after the 4. unit (Appendix 19).
3.3 Pronounciation
Term: “Emphasis should be at least as much on the global aspect of phonology – weak forms, stress, rythm – as on producing individual sounds, because the production of natural – sounding connected speech depends on the speaker’s ability to handle the sentence stress and intonation of English with some degree of appropriateness.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,41)
Evaluation: Open Doors contains a section which focuses on common pronounciation problems. By means of this section, students learn to recognize and use correct features of English pronounciation such as vowel and consonant sounds, stress, intonation. Pronounciation part can correct errors and help individuals with particular problems. Most useful study skills are applied for pronounciation (Appendix 20). In open doors study skills sections students are trained to ask questions about pronounciation. Pronounciation with IPA is presented with listening activities so students are given phonology training in learning.
4.1 Listening
Term: “A coursebook should aim to teach major skills to the students which are discriminating between sounds both in single words and connected speech, recognizing and understanding various stress and intonation patterns, recognizing language signals in talks and lectures lastly overall comprehension skills.” (GRANT:1987,19-20)
Evaluation: Open Doors gives helpful directions for developing listening skill. At the beginning of each unit students listen to presentation stories (Appendix 21). New grammatical and lexical items are introduced by these stories. After the presentation stories there are communication exercises which are derived from these stories, students listen to these exercises in the form of dialogues (Appendix 22). Pronounciation part enables students to listen and repeat the words (Appendix 23). In some units the new words are listened by the students (Appendix 24). Generally at the end of the units there is a part called skills work and in this part listening which are related to learning are provided to the students (Appendix 25). Lastly, in each progress diary there is a song which is fun for students. There aren’t any audio-visual materials for listening such as video.
4.2 Reading
Term: “Reading texts allow students to reflect on the structure and use of language at their own pace without the sometimes stressful real-time constraints that go with listening and speaking.” (CUNNINGSWORTH: 1995,73)
Evaluation: At the beginning of each unit new language items are introduced in reading passages sometimes in the form of dialogues (Appendix 26). Depending on the level complexity of the passages increases. The reading material is linked to other skills such as listening. Some reading passages are also listened by the students (Appendix 27). The texts encourage both intensive and extensive reading. The texts which are in the form of dialogues provide authentic language for the students. The subject matter is appropriate for the students since it provides interesting dialogues, challenging reading passages and some topical projects. Some reading texts reflect cultural aspects (Appendix 28). All of the texts are complete and teher are pre-reading questions before some of the reading passages (Appendix 29). After the reading passages there are comprehension questions to measure up the level of students2 understanding (Appendix 30). Also, workbooks provide reading passages which improve students’ understanding level and give them a chance for self-study (Appendix 31).
4.3 Writing
Term: “Different kinds of writing have diffrent conventions for their organization and expression, and a coursebook should cover as many of these as is appropriate for the level and aims of the learners.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,80)
Evaluation: In Open Doors there is a writing part at the end of each unit which is devoted to the careful development of the writing skill (Appendix 32). Students are introduced to the skills of, for example, sentence building, paragraph writing, summary writing, letter writing, and composition planning. Language points focused on include connectors and linking words. In addition, students are taught the skills of note-taking and note making, checking grammar, spelling and punctuation. In each books there are six projects which enables students develop their writing skill, for example, conducting a survey in order to write an article (Appendix 33). Workbooks also provide writing exercises in order to contribute to students’ writing skillo (Appendix 34).
4.4 Speaking
Term: “Speaking practice takes place through the oral presentation and practice of new language items, in dialogue work and in roleplay.” (CUNNINSWORTH:1995,49)
Evaluation: Speaking skills are throughout each unit. Speaking activities include dialogue practice, controlled communication work and more open-ended texts involving information gap-fills, pair work, group discussion and activities in which students are asked to prepare and give small speeches (Appendix 35). Oral presentation and practice of language items are contained in the coursebook including dialogues, fixed and restricted roleplays. Coursebooks also include discussion parts which encourage students to brainstorm and share their ideas about the related subject.
4.5 Integrated Skills
Term: “Weneed to check if the coursebook deals adequately with all four skills taking the level and overall aims into account and if there is a suitable balance between the skills.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,64)
Evaluation: In Open Doors practice in four skills is included in balance by listening, writing, speaking and reading activities. The skills work progress in the book is achieved in line with the gramatical and lexical progression of the course. The presentation and practice activities include the integration of skills in realistic contexts (Appendix 36).
Coursebooks must and do represent language as it is actually used and therefore they contain subject matter and deal with various kinds.
5.1 Variety and Range of Topic
Term: “A study of a language solely as an abstract system wolud not equip learners to use it in thge real world. Coursebooks must and do represent language as it is actually used and they contain subject matter and deal with topics of various kinds.”(CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,86)
Evaluation: Real topics are included in the series of Open Doors. They are varied from hobbies, interest to technology. By the variety of topics, the coursebook contribute to expanding learners’ awareness and enriching their experience. It relates to and engage the learners’ knowledge system. At each level, the topics are linguistically sophisticated enough in content for the learners. They actually do what they out to do. They are informatic such as technology: sound recording, health education: fitness etc. (Appendix 37). The topics at each book are suitable for the age group. So, students can link the topics with other subjects (geography, science, history).
5.2 Social and Cultural Contexts
Term: “The coursebook should set its material in social and cultural contexts that are coprehensible and recognizable to the learners, in terms of location, social mores, age group etc. In addition to physical context, the relations, modes of behaviour and intentions of the characters in the book should be interpretable by the students, so that they relate the language used to it’s purpose in the social context.” (CUNNINGSWORTH:1995,90)
Evaluation: The social and cultural contexts in the coursebook are comprehensible to the learners as they are suitable enough for their level and interest. So learners can interpret the relationships, behaviour, intentions of the characters portrayed in the book. In terms of gender and sexism, women are given equal prominenece to men in all aspects of the coursebook Women are shown as engineer, teacher, doctor as occupations (Appendix 38). Students read character’s feelings and reactions in the context so they can learn about the inner lives of characters (Appendix 39). The coursebook’s characters exist in a social setting such as school, shopping, cinema, concert and their social relationships are portrayed realistically (Appendix 40).
CUNNINGSWORTH, A., Choosing Your Coursebook, The Bath Press A Devision Heinnemann Publishers Ltd., Oxford, (1995)
GRANT, N., Making The Most of Your Textbook, Heinnemann Publishers Ltd., Oxford, (1987)
WIDDOWSON, H.G., Teaching in Foreign Language, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (1972)
YAVUZ, M., Lecture Notes