UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE LA SANTÍSIMA CONCEPCIÓN

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN

“Coursebook”

Ingrid Bello Acuña,

Paulina Escobar Aguayo.

COURSEBOOK ASSIGNMENT

FACTUAL DETAILS

Title: CAE RESULTS (Student’s book)

Author(s): Kathy Gude and Mary Stephens

Publisher: OXFORD Price: $27.027.-

ISBN: 9 780194 B00396 No. of Pages: 183

Components: SB/TB/WB/Tests/Cassettes/Video/CALL/ Other: SB/CD.

Level: Advanced English Physical size: In our perception the book is a little bit heavy

to carry.

Length: 22 /28 cm Units: Lesson/sections 11 Hours: 44

Target skills: Listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Target learners: Students around 18 years old.

Target teachers: English teacher for a University

ASSESSMENT (* Poor ** Fair *** Good **** Excellent)

.

Factor Rating and comments .

Rationale : Excellent

Availability: : Poor

User definition: Excellent

Layout/graphics: Excellent

Accessibility : Poor

Linkage: Good

Selection/grading : Excellent

Physical characteristics: Good

Appropriacy: Excellent

Authenticity: Excellent

Sufficiency: Excellent

Cultural bias: Good

Educational validity: Excellent

Stimulus/practice/revision: Excellent

Flexibility: Good

Guidance: Excellent

Overall value for money: $27.027.-

LANGUAGE CONTENT

Does the coursebook cover the main grammar items appropriate to each level, taking

learners’ needs into account?

Is the material for vocabulary teaching adequate in terms of quantity and range of

vocabulary, emphasis placed on vocabulary development, strategies for individual

learning?

Does the coursebook include material for pronunciation work? If so what is covered:

individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress, intonation?

Does the coursebook deal with structuring and conventions of language use above

sentence level, eg how to take part in conversations, how to structure a piece of extended

writing, how to identify the main points in a reading passage? (More relevant at

intermediate and advanced levels.)

Are style and appropriacy dealt with? If so, is language style matched to social

situation?

SKILLS

Are all four skills adequately covered, bearing in mind your course aims and syllabus

requirements?

Is there material for integrated skills work?

Are reading passages and associated activities suitable for your students’ levels,

interests, etc?

Is there sufficient reading material?

Is listening material well recorded, as authentic as possible, accompanied by

background information, questions and activities which help comprehension?

Is material for spoken English (dialogues, ropleplays, etc) well designed to equip

learners for real-life interactions?

Are writing activities suitable in terms of amount of guidance/control, degree of

accuracy, organization of longer pieces of writing (eg paragraphing) and use of appropriate

styles?

TOPIC

Is there sufficient material of genuine interest to learners?

Is there enough variety and range of topic?

Will the topics help expand students’ awareness and enrich their experience?

Are the topics sophisticated enough in content, yet within the learners’ language level?

Will your students be able to relate to the social and cultural contexts presented in the

coursebook?

Are women portrayed and represented equally with men?

Are other groups represented, with reference to ethnic origin, occupation, disability, etc?

Extracts from an evaluation checklist

Choosing a textbook

Does the book suit your students?

1. Is it attractive? Given the average of YES PARTLY NO

your students, would they enjoy using it?

2. Is it culturally acceptable? YES PARTLY NO

3. Is it about the right length? YES PARTLY NO

4. Does it achieve an acceptable balance YES PARTLY NO

between the relevant language skills,

and integrate them so that work in one

skill area helps the others?

Does the book suit the teacher?

5. Is there a good, clear teacher’s guide YES PARTLY NO

with answers and help on additional

activities?

6. Are the recommended methods and YES PARTLY NO

approaches suitable for you, your

students and your classroom?

7. Are the approaches easily adaptable YES PARTLY NO

if necessary?

8. Does the book use a ‘spiral’ approach YES PARTLY NO

so that items are regularly revised and

used again in different contexts?

Does the book suit the syllabus and the examination?

9. Has the book been recommended or YES PARTLY NO

approved by the authorities?

10. If it does more than the syllabus requires, YES PARTLY NO

is the result an improvement?

11. Is there a good balance between what YES PARTLY NO

the examination requires and what the

students need?

Score: 2 points for every YES answer, 1 point for every PARTLYanswer, 0 for every NO answer.

Source: Grant (1987:122-6)

METHODOLOLY

1. What approach/approaches to language learning are taken by the coursebook?

Is this appropriate to the learning/teaching situation?

2. What level of active learner involvement can be expected? Does this match

your students' learning styles and expectations?

3. What techniques are used for presenting/practising new language items? Are

they suitable for the learners?

4. How are the different skills taught?

5. How are communicative abilities developed?

6. Does the material include any advice/help to students on study skills and

learning strategies?

7. Are students expected to take a degree of responsibility for their own learning

(eg by setting their own

individual targets)?

Source: Cunnigsworth (1995:3-4)

Essay

CAE Result by Kathy Gude and Mary Stephens is an useful student coursebook

which is intended to use with Advanced English learners , it tries to cover skills

development such as, listening, reading, writing and speaking and also the systems as

grammar and vocabulary is presented in it. This coursebook is a tool to face the CAE exam,

the resources are appropriated according to level of requirement, and each activity is

focused in a suitable way.

In the case of topics, the coursebook presents enough material of genuine interest to

learners, there are enough variety and range of topic, the topics help students `awareness

and enrich their experiences, learner will be able to relate these unit with their social and

cultural contexts, and includes different information of ethnic origin, occupation and so on.

According to the level and learners `interests, this kind of coursebook has very realistic and

authentic material in comparison with other kind of book for example PET because this

book presents topics about personalities, lucky, customs and traditions, health matters, etc

and the listening use native speakers. According to the text “A comparison of textbook and

authentic interactions by Alex Gilmore” refers to topics such as “Reserving a hotel room

by telephone”, there are no rooms available on the ground floor, and a discussion

about elevators and executive rooms versus standards room ensues” Which could be a

real situation if you have to travel from one place to another. These kinds of material are

very useful for students and in this book (CAE RESULTS) we can find these authentic and

meaningful material not only in the pieces of reading but also in listening because the

recording are fantastic and with a real speech. These are not dialogues; these are real

conversations about an actual topic.

We think that in this coursebook the approach used is the following

“Communicative approach” because the main objective of this book is the students can

speak fluently and at the same time the students can understand the usage of the language in

real context. For example the entire piece of reading is focus on actual themes and after

reading the students can discuss about these and give their own opinion. Certainly

grammar in this book is important but in order to develop speaking. The English is taught

in a communicative way.

Moreover; this book involves an active learner roll, because the teacher only guide

the activities; nonetheless, students are crucial and essential. This book is base on the

student’s participation. According to the techniques used for presenting and practising new

language items are suitable for learners because there are exercises based on scaffolding,

modelling and so on. The different skills are divided i.e. one unit begins with a lead in

about reading and some exercises after then present new vocabulary and complete reading,

other part present grammar , listening, activities with speaking, use of English and writing

and a brief review.

The communicative abilities are developed using exercises, such as debates,

conversation, write essay, letters and so on. Unfortunately, this book does not present any

advice or help to students in grammar points, only a review after each unit to reinforce the

new vocabulary, structures and new information. Each student could take a degree of

responsibility for their own learning, because it is not only practice and easy to use but also

motivate to learners to use it.

As a summary we would say that this book accomplishes most of the criteria taken

from the book called “Seeking consensus in coursebook evaluation” by Fred Chambers

which are the following: suitability for age, cultural appropriateness, methodology, level

quality, number and type of exercises, skills, teachers book, pace, personal involvement and

problem solving( Cunningswoth 1984, Rea- Dickins and Germaine 1992, Mc Donough and

Show 1993) and also think that a book will or will not be useful to specified audience

(Rea.-Dickins 19994. 82) In addition, according to the paper called “The empirical

evaluation of language teaching materials” by Rool Ellis, we considered that the teacher

made a predictive evaluation. The teacher selected this book because he or she thought that

this book accomplished with the requirements for this level; nonetheless, students don’t

have any feedback to say if they learn with this book or they don’t.

Finally and apart from the last comment, we recommended this book for the future

teachers.

REFERENCES

“A comparison of textbook and authentic interactions by Alex Gilmore”

“Seeking consensus in coursebook evaluation” by Fred Chambers

“The empirical evaluation of language teaching materials”