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تحقیق حاضر، چهار کتاب متداول آموزش زبان انگلیسی در موسسات زبان انگلیسی ایران ( انگلیش ریزالت، توتال انگلیش، تاپ ناچ و اینترچنج ) را از دیدگاه مدرسان و زبان آموزان ارزیابی و مقایسه نموده است. 366 زبان آموز و 76 مدرس زبان انگلیسی که به طور تصادفی از موسسات زبان استان های گیلان و مازندران انتخاب شده بودند، در این تحقیق مشارکت نمودند. 212 نفر از زبان آموزان و 35 نفر از مدرسان را مردان و 154 نفر از زبان آموزان و 41 نفر از مدرسان را زنان تشکیل می دادند. بازه تجربه تدریس کتاب مورد نظر توسط مدرسان بین دو تا شش سال و بازه تجربه استفاده زبان آموزان از کتاب مورد نظر بین یک تا سه سال بوده است.  جمع آوری داده ها به وسیله پرسشنامه کانینگ ورث (1995) که اصلاحاتی در آن انجام شد و همچنین به وسیله مصاحبه با 25 درصد زبان آموزان و 10 درصد مدرسان شرکت کننده در این تحقیق انجام گردید. تجزیه و تحلیل اطلاعات نشان داد که نقاط قوت کتاب اینترچنج از دیدگاه مدرسان، محتوا و فرهنگ و از دیدگاه زبان آموزان، جلوه های بصری بوده است. بعلاوه، عدم توجه کافی به مهارت های مطالعه و محتوای آموزشی پشتیبان از دیدگاه مدرسان و عدم توجه کافی به آموزش واژگان، مهارت های زبانی، شیوه های آموزش، مهارت های مطالعه، آزمون و تمرین، به عنوان نقاط ضعف از دیدگاه زبان آموزان محسوب گردید. در مورد کتاب انگلیش ریزالت، نقاط قوت از دیدگاه مدرسان شامل شیوه های آموزش، جلوه های بصری و فرهنگ و از دیدگاه زبان آموزان شامل دستور و جلوه های بصری بوده است. علاوه بر این نقاط ضعف کتاب از دیدگاه مدرسان و زبان آموزان، عدم توجه کافی به آموزش واژگان و آموزش تلفظ بوده است. در رابطه با کتاب تاپ ناچ مدرسان اعتقاد داشتند که نقاط قوت کتاب، دستور، جلوه های بصری، محتوای آموزشی پشتیبان و فرهنگ و از دیدگاه زبان آموزان محتوا، دستور، آموزش تلفظ و جلوه های بصری بوده است. در مورد کتاب توتال انگلیش، بخش فرهنگ از دیدگاه مدرسان و جلوه های بصری، آزمون و تمرین از دیدگاه زبان آموزان به عنوان نقاط قوت شناخته شد. در حالیکه تنها نقطه ضعف این کتاب از دیدگاه زبان آموزان عدم توجه کافی به آموزش تلفظ بوده است.

واژگان کلیدی: کتاب آموزش زبان، پرسشنامه، ارزیابی محتوای آموزشی، زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی

Table of contents

Abstract. 1

Chapter one: Introduction.. 2

1.0 Preliminaries. 2

1.1 Statement of the problem.. 4

1.2 Significance of the Study. 6

1.3 Objectives of the study. 7

1.4 Research Questions/Hypotheses. 7

1.5 Definition of Key Terms. 8

1.5.1 Coursebook. 8

1.5.2 Evaluation. 8

1.5.3 Material Evaluation. 8

1.5.4 Checklist 9

1.6Outline of the Study. 9

Chapter two:Literature review… 10

2.0 Preliminaries. 10

2.1 The role of textbooks in English language teaching. 10

2.2 Evaluating ELT Coursebooks. 13

2.3 Criteria for coursebook evaluation. 17

2.3.1 Checklists. 22

2.4 Studies on coursebook evaluation. 24

Chapter three:Methodology.. 36

3.0 Preliminaries. 36

3.1 Participants. 36

3.2Instruments and Materials. 36

3.2.1 Checklist 37

3.2.1.1 Pilot study. 38

3.2.2 Interchange. 38

3.2.3 Top Notch. 39

3.2.4 English Result 40

3.2.5 Total English. 40

3.3 Data collection procedure. 40

3.4 Data Analysis. 41

Chapter four:Results. 42

4.0 Preliminaries. 42

4.1 Data Analysis and Findings. 42

4.1.1 Analysis of the Questionnaires. 43

4.1.1.1 Content from Teachers’ Perspective. 43

4.1.1.2 Content from Students’ Perspective. 51

4.1.1.3 Grammar from Teachers’ Perspective. 60

4.1.1.4 Grammar from Students’ Perspective. 66

4.1.1.5 Vocabulary from Teachers’ Perspective. 72

4.1.1.6 Vocabulary from Students’ Perspective. 76

4.1.1.7 Phonology from Teachers’ Perspective. 80

4.1.1.8 Phonology from Students’ Perspective. 84

4.1.1.9 Language Skills from Teachers’ Perspective. 88

4.1.1.10 Language Skills from Students’ Perspective. 93

4.1.1.11 Methodology from Teachers’ Perspective. 99

4.1.1.12 Methodology from Students’ Perspective. 104

4.1.1.13 Study Skills from Teachers’ Perspective. 110

4.1.1.14 Study Skills from Students’ Perspective. 116

4.1.1.15 Visuals from Teachers’ Perspective. 124

4.1.1.16 Visuals from Students’ Perspective. 129

4.1.1.17 Practice and Testing from Teachers’ Perspective. 134

4.1.1.18 Practice and Testing from Students’ Perspective. 140

4.1.1.19 Supplementary Material from Teachers’ Perspective. 146

4.1.1.20 Objectives from Teachers’ Perspective. 150

4.1.1.21 Content Selection from Teachers’ Perspective. 156

4.1.1.22 Gradation from Teachers’ Perspective. 160

4.1.1.23 Culture from Teachers’ Perspective. 163

4.1.2 Analysis of the Interviews. 178

Chapter five:Discussion.. 181

5.0 Preliminaries. 181

5.1 General Discussion. 181

5.1.1 Research Question 1. 181

5.1.2 Research Question 2. 186

5.1.2.1 Strengths of Interchange from Students’ Perspective. 187

5.1.2.2 Weaknesses of Interchange from Students’ Perspective. 187

5.1.2.3 Strengths of Interchange from Teachers’ Perspective. 188

5.1.2.4 Weaknesses of Interchange from Teachers’ Perspective. 189

5.1.2.5 Strengths of English Result from Students’ Perspective. 189

5.1.2.6 Weaknesses of English Result from Students’ Perspective. 190

5.1.2.7 Strengths of English Result from Teachers’ Perspective. 190

5.1.2.8 Weaknesses of English Result from Teachers’ Perspective. 190

5.1.2.9 Strengths of Top Notch from Students’ Perspective. 191

5.1.2.10 Strengths of Top Notch from Teachers’ Perspective. 192

5.1.2.11 Strengths of Total English from Students’ Perspective. 192

5.1.2.12 Weaknesses of Total English from Students’ Perspective. 193

5.1.2.13 Strengths of Total English from Teachers’ Perspective. 193

5.2 Implications of the Study. 193

5.3 Limitations of the Study. 194

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research. 194

5.5 Summery. 195

Reference. 196

Appendices 203

Appendix A.. 203

Appendix B.. 209

List of Tables

Table                                                                                                                                 Page

4.66    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the teachers’ responses related to practice and testing in the case of English Result coursebook…136

4.68    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the teachers’ responses related to practice and testing in the case of Total English coursebook….139

4.70    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the students’ responses related to practice and testing in the case of English Result coursebook..142

4.73    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the teachers’ responses related to supplementary material in the case of Interchange coursebook.146

4.75    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the teachers’ responses related to supplementary material in the case of Top Notch coursebook..148

4.82    Result of the descriptive statistics, percentage and Chi-square of the teachers’ responses related to content selection in the case of English Result coursebook….157

Abstract

The present study sought to evaluate and compare four popular English coursebooks (English Result, Total English, Top Notch and Interchange series) used in Iran’s language institutes from teachers’ and students’ point of view. Three-hundred and sixty-six students and 76 teachers, who were selected randomly from the language institutes of Guilan and Mazandaran provinces, participated in this study. Two-hundred and twelve of the students and 35 of the teachers were male and 154 of the students and 41 of the teachers were female. The range of teachers’ experience of teaching the coursebook was between 2-6 years and the range of students’ experience of studying the coursebook was between 1-3 years. Data were gathered through modified version of Cunningsworth’s (1995) checklist as well as interviews with 25 percent of the teachers and 10 percent of the students. Data analysis indicated that the strengths of Interchange from the teachers’ perspective are content and culture categories and from the students’ point of view are visuals. In addition, the coursebook’s weaknesses from the teachers’ perspective are reported to be insufficient study skills and supplementary materials and from the students’ point of view are lack of due attention to vocabulary, language skills, methodology, study skills, and practice and testing. In the case of English Result, the strengths from teachers’ perspective are methodology, visuals and culture and from students’ view are grammar and visuals. Moreover, the coursebook’s weaknesses from both teachers’ and students’ perspectives are reported to be lack of due attention to vocabulary and phonology. Regarding Top Notch, teachers believed that the strengths of the coursebook are grammar, visuals, supplementary materials and culture categories and from students’ point of view are content, grammar, phonology and visuals categories. In terms of Total English, culture is considered the strength of the coursebook from teachers’ perspective and visuals as well as practice and testing from students’ point of view. Moreover, from students’ perspective, the primary shortcoming of the coursebook is considered to be phonology. The findings have several implications for language teachers, students, and syllabus designers.

Key words:   Coursebook, checklist, evaluation, EFL

Chapter One:

Introduction

1.0 Introduction

In the process of language teaching and learning, several components are involved in such as the learners, the teachers, the environment in which the learning event is taking place, the purpose of learning, and more importantly the textbooks since they undoubtedly specify the main part of the teaching in the classroom and out-of-class learning of the students. Hutchinson and Torres (1994) state no teaching-learning situation is complete without adopting its appropriate textbook. Materials and textbooks serve as one of the main instruments for shaping knowledge, attitudes, and principles of the students (Nooreen & Arshad, 2010).

Today, coursebooks are of vital significance to educational practices all over the world since they serveas the means of transferring knowledge between teachers and students. In addition, they are considered as the basis formuch ofthe language input and the language practice which learners receive in the classroom. As Richards (2001) states, for learners the textbook might provide the main source of contact they maintain with the language.  Litz (2005) asserts that whether one believes textbooks are too inflexible and biased to be used directly as instructional material, there can be no denying that they are still the most valuable element in educational systems. Garinger (2002) believes that a textbook can serve different purposes for teachers: as a core resource, as a source of supplemental material, as an inspiration for classroom activities, even as the curriculum itself.

Various authors have given various merits of textbooks. In spite of their various limitations, textbooks are very useful tools in the hand of a teacher. Richards (2001, pp. 1-2) lists the following principal advantages of using textbooks:

• They provide structure and syllabus for a program.
• They help standardize instruction.
• They maintain quality.
• They provide a variety of learning resources.
• They are efficient.
• They can provide effective language models and input.
• They can train teachers.
• They are visually appealing.

A relatively new trend in the field of English language teaching (ELT), coursebook evaluation has attracted many language scholars’ and curriculum developers’ attention. Coursebooks have to be evaluated, since they are the basic materials in the learning process. The aim of textbook evaluation was to develop checklists based on which a book could be analyzed in detail in order to assure its usefulness and practicality with such factors as proficiency level of students, learners’ needs, course objectives, gender, and many other contextual factors. (Najafi Sarem, Hamidi, & Mahmoudie, 2013)