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PART III: Skills |
3.1.
Are four skills adequately covered ?
Listening:
It
is supplied by tapescripts and when
we consider the types of listening passages there are different kinds of tasks
that are compensated by means of listening activity. To give an example:
-Listening
a group of people talking about a subject( the passage is not given)
-Listening
to an interview
-Listening
to check the completed dialogue.
-Listening
to check the matched dialogue,etc.
Reading: It
is provided by different text types such as a story, a letter, a fax, newspaper article, advertisement. To give an
example for each of them:
-a
story on
pp. 24-5 in Intermediate level. see appendix.
-a
letter
-a
magazine article
-a
text for enjoyment
-a
tale
-a
biography,etc.
Speaking: It
is done through:
-Group
discussions. There are a lot of group discussions in all of the levels of New Headway. To give an example:
on
P.70 in Elementary
“Work in small groups and discuss these questions about your country.
1.What
is a typical breakfast?
2.What
does your family have for breakfast?
3.Is
lunch 0r dinner the main meal of the day?
4.What
is a typical main meal?”
By
such discussion questions, Ss are motivated in speaking; because they are
presented with a meaningful context.
-pre-reading
questions which warm up Ss into the subject
-Information
gap activities
-Discussion
questions which aim to get Ss’ ideas on the subject, etc.
Writing:
There are different kinds of text types that are written and required to be
written; but the importance given to the writing activities are not in the same
degree for all the levels of New Headway.
-In
Elementary coursebook writing activities are not enough. However writing skills
are practiced in Elementary workbook. To give an example:
on
p.36
a letter see appendix
-In
Intermediate level there are adequate writing activities and it is provided by
different text types such as a fax, a letter, etc.
Having
given a superficial knowledge on the importance given to four skills, it is
essential to speculate upon them in detail.
3.2.Reading
*
Is the level suitable for Students: Yes.
*Do the texts are in the interests of Students:
on pp. 94-5 in Elementary New Headway “Sky diver & Racing diver” It does not interest everybody; yet again it changes according to the groups of Students.
However, there are a lot of reading passages that attract Students’ attentions in Intermediate New Headway. To give an example:
On pp10-1 in Intermediate level “The Seven Wonders of the World” is then compared with the “Wonders of the modern World” see appendix.
*
Are there sufficient reading texts in terms of the quantity?: Yes. There are
regular reading texts in each unit.
*
Is the reading activity used for introducing new vocabulary
items and new long items ?
*Does
it extend vocabulary knowledge? yes.
*Stimulating
and work:
on
p.56 in Elementary
By making students both Read & Speak
it enables students to talk about one chosen subject. Furthermore it does
this by presenting a meaningful context . One of the students has knowledge that
the other doesn’t know; so there is a reason to communicate.
*
Is the course-book or workbook focus on reading skills and strategies ?
Generally looking, although there aren’t specific tasks that provide students
to improve their reading strategies, we can see some activities exemplifying the
questions enabling students to confront with reading strategies. To give an
example:
on
p.94 in Elementary New
Headway
“These numbers are in your text. What do they refer to?
5
6
20
100”
A
student should have an idea about some techniques to answer this question
properly in the most soonest time.
*Is
reading skill linked to other skills work ?: In all the levels of New Headway,
reading is integrated especially with speaking. This is done through pre-reading
discussion questions, information gaps, group discussion on the subject that is
given in parallel to the written text, etc.
*Is
there an emphasis on reading for pleasure and for intellectual
satisfaction ?:
Yes. To give an example from different levels of New Headway:
0n
p. 71 in Elementary level
“Food around the world „
On
pp 30-1 in Intermediate level
“The Writer, The Painter, The Musician „(Agatha Christie, Pablo
Picasso, Scott Joplin; one or all of which can attract the attentions of Ss and
give an intellectual satisfaction )
*How many reading texts are there in the books ? How frequently do they occur ? Each unit has a reading text.
*How
early do on in the course do reading texts start to appear ?
At
the very end reading passages begin
to appear. See pp.9, 14, 16 … in
Elementary level.
*How
long are the reading passages in general? Do they encourage intensive /
extensive reading ?
At
the beginning the passages are short; then it gets longer. As for reading
strategies,there is no specifically determined reading strategy.
*How
authentic are the reading texts? Since they are not simplified forms we can say
that all the reading texts are
authentic. They are generally taken from the recent time events. Even there are
passages taken from newspaper articles.
*Are
there different kinds of text types?
Yes.
There are forms of poetry, song, letter, fax, tale, questionnaire, etc. To give
some examples:
On
p.54 in Intermediate there is a format of fax.
See appendix
On
p.123 in Intermediate level there is a poem
SEE appendix
On
p.43 in Intermediate level there is an application form SEE appendix
*are
all the texts complete or gapped ?
Some
of them are complete but some are
gapped. Example:
On
pp.24-5 in Intermediate level
incomplete story SEE appendix
*Does
the material help comprehension by;
-
Setting the scene ?: Both by the teacher with the help of Teacher’s
book and warm-up questions as it is on p.24 in Intermediate
“ Look at the pictures. They tell the story of one of Aesop’s fables,.
What can you see? What can you guess about the story?”.
-
Does it provide background information?:
-
Does it give Pre-reading questions ?: This is one of the most common
types of activities which prepare students for the reading text that are aimed
to be read. To give one of these types of examples:
On
p.69 in Intermediate
“Close your eyes for a few minutes. Imagine it is one hundred years ago
and you are very rich.
-What
is your life like?
-Where
do you live? What do you?
-Do
you have any servants?
How
many? What do they do for you?
-What
do you know about the lives of your servants* Where do they live?”
3.3.Listening
*What
kind of listening material is contained in the course ?
*
part of dialogue ? yes.
*are
there specific listening activities?
-Tick
the sentence you hear
-Listening
reading passages.
e.g.
on p.45 in Intermediate
“Read and listen to the dialogue between John and Anna”
-Ranging
the dialogues
-Listen
and repeat ( p. 13-19 )
-
Listening dialogues. On
p.45 in INTERMEDÝATE
*
Are there Specific listening passages ?
-Listening
to the conversations that are not written in the book ( p.16-25 )
-Firstly
fill in the blanks; then listen and check ( p.21-22-27 )
Is
the listening material set in a meaningful context ?
*Supported
by the context both in the coursebook an in itself - music-
*Are
there pre-listening tasks, qq etc. ?
*Reading
passages before listening
*What’s
the recorded material or audio-cassette like in the terms of ;
sound
quality ***
accent ****
speed
of delivery ***
authenticity *****
*Is
there any video material ? +
but financial problems
If
so good use of the visual medium to provide meaningful context and show facial
expression, gesture … etc ?
3.4.Speaking
*How
much emphasis is given on speaking activities ?: Through dialogues,
questionnaires which are suitable
for Pair Work/ Group Work, speaking
skill is handled.
Also
some questions aimed to provide students to express themselves are found in both
student’s book and work book. To have a look at one of them ;
On
p. 44 in Intermendiate Workbook, there is a part titled « talking about
you » with the following instruction :
« Answer
the questions about you.
a.Have you
been shopping recently ?
b.What did
you buy ?, etc.»
*
What type/s are used? :
-Oral
presentation and practice of language items:
-dialogues:
-roleplay OK.
-communication
activities ( info gap ) OK.
3.5.Writing
*How
does the material handle
·
controlled
writing:
·
guided writing:
It is provided by giving the words/ structures on which the study is being
carried on.
e.g.
on p.44 in Intermediate New HEADWAY Work book, there is a writing activity
directed as it is seen in its instruction given below:
“Write sentences for the situations, using just, already, or yet.”(see
appendix*** to see the writing activity)
·
free or semi-free
writing?
*Is
there appropriate progression and variety of task?
*Are
the conventions of different sorts of writing taught? If so, which ones and how
are they presented?
*Is
paragraphing taught adequately?
*Is
there emphasis on the style of written English? At advanced level, is there
attention to different styles according to text type?:
*Is
attention given to the language resources specific to the written form, such as
punctuation, spelling, layout,etc.?:
*How
much emphasis is there on accuracy?:
*Are
learners encouraged to review and edit their written work?:
*Is
a readership identified for writing activities?: