yes!yesplease

Written by Ayça Öner, Didem Öztürk, Havva Öztürk, Özlem Öztürk

Yes , Yes Please

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

I. DESIGN AND ORGANISATION

1.1 . What components make up the total coursebook package?

1.2. How is the content organized?

1.3. Is the organization right for the learners' level

or the teacher's?

1.4. How is the content sequenced?

1.5. Is there adequate recycling and revision?

1.6. Are there reference sections for grammar?

1.7. Is the layout clear?

II. LANGUAGE CONTENT

2.1. Grammar

2.2. Vocabulary

2.3. Pronunciation

III. SKILLS

3.1. The four skills in the coursebook

3.2. Reading

3.3. Listening

3.4. Speaking

3.5. Writing

IV. TOPIC

4.1. Topic and subject content

4.2. Social and cultural values

V. METHODOLOGY

5.1. Principles and approaches

5.2. Learning / teaching procedures

5.3. Student's role and study skills

VI. TEACHER'S BOOKS

6.1. Teacher's role

6.2. Evaluation of teacher's book

VII. SOME PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE

COURSEBOOK

VIII. QUESTIONAIRE

8.1. Evaluation of questions for learners

8.2. Teacher's evaluation of the coursebook

IX. APPENDICES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. DESIGN AND ORGANIZATION

1.1. WHAT COMPONENTS MAKEUP THE TOTAL COURSEBOOK PACKAGE?

Yes! is an intermediate -level coursebook which is followed by an upper- intermediate level coursebook Yes Please! Both coursebooks are topic- based.

Student's Book 1 consists of 7 units, whereas Student's Book 2 include 6. Each book contains the following sections: Reading, Working With Grammar, Interaction, Vocabulary Strategies, Reading Strategies, Writing Strategies, Further Practice and Consolidation.

At the back of the student's Books, there are grammar summaries which provide students with verb tables, spelling rules and other tips. There are also lists of irregular verbs.

Teacher's Book 1 and 2 are designed to provide teachers with detailed information which will be needed while using the Student's Books. They give the lesson plan of each unit and the tape scripts. They are very flexible.

Workbook 1 and 2 provide further reading and writing activities and exercises on grammar and vocabulary. Each unit in Workbooks contains a Culture Corner page where Student's can learn more about life in Britain.

2 cassettes include interviews, texts, songs and pronunciation material.

The Teacher's Books, Workbooks and the cassettes all relate to the Students Books and their pats are all interrelated to each other i.e., there is cross-referencing between the materials.

1.2. HOW IS THE CONTENT ORGANIZED?

Coursebooks are designed according to different syllabus types. While evaluating a coursebook, the syllabus type adapted by the coursebook should be revealed. There fore in this section the most common 4 syllabus types will be explained briefly.

defines syllabus types in "Approaches to Syllabus Design ( ):

The structural or grammatical syllabi gives emphasis to language form, primarily grammatical form, and the teaching of language from, primarily grammatical form, and the teaching of language is defined in terms of form. In the content of functional syllabi, the teaching is defined in terms of forms and functions which are taught in isolated pairs. According to the situational syllabi, language is taught realistically or semi-realistically by using real-life situations in the form of dialogues or role-plays in the classroom. The topic-based syllabi is defined as the teaching of content or information in the language being learned with little or no direct or explicit effort to teach the language itself separately from the content being taught. AS cited in Stoller (1990; 10) Eskay (1984) states "A topic-based syllabi focuses on subject matter or themes with an additional concern for language form and function. As in real language situation learners do not begin with a list of either forms or functions that they wish to produce, but with a subject that they are interested in and would like to learn more or say something about. The concern form thematic substance is what distinguishes topic - based syllabus from other syllabus."

In the light of these information it can be presumed that Yes! and Yes Please! are organized according to topic - based syllabi.

1.3. IS THE ORGANIZATION RIGHT FOR THE STUDENTS' LEVEL AND TEACHER'S?

The level of the students and the teacher should be determined in order to understand whether the organization of a coursebook is right or not. Determining the level provides the information that is needed for choosing the items to be taught and recycled.

point out "It is rarely sufficient for students to meet new items only once...... they need to be recycled three, four or more times before they become stored in the long term memory. "( ;28) Then, a question appears to be answered: How can new items be recycled in coursebooks?

One of the ways of recycling is to let the students encounter the language items on several occasions in different contexts. This provides them a progressive exposure of language items and their different areas of use. Another way is that learning a new language structure by comparing or contrasting it with the familiar structures provides a recycling of the familiar and differentiating between the structures. Revision or Progress Tests occuring after a definite number of units can be another useful way of recycling.

1.4. HOW IS THE CONTENT SEQUENCED?

The contents of the coursebooks are sequenced from simple to complex in each section. For instance, grammar in Yes! starts with simple present and present continuous then it continuous with past tenses and perfect lenses.

In reading, every unit deals with another task. Students first learn to predict from title, then they skim for general meaning, after that they scan for specific information. These are followed by understanding a whole text, linking words and finding key information.

In writing, students begin with writing a description, they go on with writing narratives and letters. Then they write a review as the next stage. Finally, they learn to write an opinion composition.

These are only examples taken from Yes! so as to show that coursebooks have sequenced contents which go from simple to complex. Other sections and the book. Yes Please! also include such an order.

1.5. IS THERE AN ADEQUATE RECYLING AND REVISION?

In Yes!, in the case of grammar new items are recycled. For instance, simple past tense is given with its rules and some examples in Unit 2 and it is recycled in Unit 3 when it is compared with present perfect tense.

In the case of vocabulary, since the coursebook package is designed according to topic - based syllabi the vocabulary taught in one unit is recycled only in the boundaries of the same unit. For instance, in Yes! in Unit 1 vocabulary about home and family relationships are given. Unit 2, on the other hand, is about holidays and travel, so the vocabulary is about these topics. There is not any reference to the vocabulary of Unit 1.

To sum up, it can be said that recycling and revision are done for grammar, but not for vocabulary.

1.6. ARE THERE REFERENCE SECTIONS FOR GRAMMAR?

There exists a "grammar summary" part at the back pages of the Student's Books. In these parts, grammar items are given unit by unit. The structures are in the form of tables (grammar boxes). Examples and significant explanations on the structures are given below the grammar boxes. Also, at the back of the Workbooks, there are grammar revision sections organized alphabetically for easy reference.

1.7. IS THE LAYOUT CLEAR?

As it is pointed out in Cunnigsworth (1995:28) "many teachers and students are happier when they have a straightforward route through a course and they sometimes feel more secure when the conventional beginning - to - end direction is used."

In Yes! and Yes Please! each unit is structured in the same way. They all include start thinking, reading, working with grammar 1, interaction, vocabulary strategies, reading strategies, working with grammar 2, vocabulary extension, writing strategies, further practical and consolidation parts in the same order. Aims of reach unit are given at the very beginning in terms of grammar, reading, writing, vocabulary and interaction. All these provide the teachers and students to find their way around the coursebook easily.