UNDP/KUW/85/005 Assignment Report Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Education

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY: NOT FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION

K U W A I T

Editing of English Language Textbooks

by

J. Coward

This report represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of Unesco

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (Unesco)

Paris, 1987

Serial No. FMR/ED/SCM/87/255(UNDP)

UNDP/KUW/85/005 Assignment Report(Coward) FMR/ED/SCM/87/255(UNDP) Paris, 29 July 1987

(i)

Table of Contents

Page

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. ORIENTATION 1

III. REPORT ON VISITS TO SCHOOLS 1 - 2

IV. WORKPLAN 2 - 3

V. CONSTRAINTS AND CONSIDERATIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK WRITING PROGRAMME 3 - 5

VI. OUTPUTS 5 - 8

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN KUWAIT 8 - 1 2

A. Textbooks 8 - 9

B. Teacher-training 9-10

C. Examinations 10 - 11

D. Audio-visual aids 12

ANNEX - GUIDELINES FOR THE WRITING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS IN KUWAIT

I. INTRODUCTION

1. Within the framework of the Project, "Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Education" (KUW/85/005) a Unesco expert in the editing of English language textbooks carried out a mission to Kuwait from 15 January 1986 to 4 January 1987.

II. ORIENTATION

2. Immediately on arrival in Kuwait, the expert began to implement an orientation programme which had been prepared for him by the Director of the Curriculum Department of the Ministry of Education, Mr. A. Al-Duwaihees.

3. This orientation programme consisted of the following :

i) a programme of visits to schools;

ii) a programme of visits to officials it was considered important for the expert to meet;

iii) a background reading list.

4. The first month of the expert's assignment was taken up almost entirely by visits to schools. The expert had a long meeting with Dr. Y. Sharah, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education. Dr. Sharah requested the expert to devote his attention almost exclusively to observing the teaching of English in intermediate schools. He outlined the project and emphasized its importance to Kuwait. Dr. Sharah stated that the expert was to concern himself initially with the writing of books for intermediate schools and requested the expert to submit a report on his visits to the schools.

5. The expert was working with Mr. Sayed Issawi, responsible for editing the existing locally-produced English textbooks. Mr. Issawi accompanied the expert on a series of visits and consultations with important specialists and institutions working in fields relevant to the expert's work. Among these officials were :

- the Inspector General of English for schools in Kuwait; - the Chairman of the English Department of Kuwait University; - the Director of the Language Centre of Kuwait University; - the Head of the English Department, Kuwait Institute of

Science and Technology; - the Curriculum Research Centre; - the Gulf Arab States Educational Research Institute; - the Faculty of Education, university of Kuwait.

III. REPORT ON VISITS TO SCHOOLS

6. As a result of visits to schools and the meetings and visits outlined above, the expert gained a clear insight of the English-teaching situation in the intermediate schools of Kuwait.

7. The first series of visits to schools consisted of observing classes in five intermediate schools and three secondary schools.

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8. The expert was able to obtain an initial appreciation of the needs of pupils in the English classes, and the limitations of the teachers of English. In addition, the expert was able to assess the effectiveness of the books used in the schools of Kuwait, namely the Crescent English Course.

9. On the basis of his observations, the expert, in his report, recommended in-service courses to improve the level of the teachers' English and to train them in methodology relevant to that on which the Crescent English Course is based, namely the Communicative Method.

10. The expert stressed in his report that the introduction of the Communicative Method in the schools meant inevitably that exams, methodology and skills to be emphasized must all be changed.

IV. WORKPLAN

11. Following completion of the orientation programme, the expert was in a position to prepare a workplan. This workplan, suggesting a four-year programme, was submitted in March 1986. Favourable evaluations of this workplan were made by the office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kuwait, and by Unesco.

12. The expert and his counterpart, Mr. El Sayed Issawi, had meetings with Dr. Belgais Al Najjar, Director of the Language Centre of the University of Kuwait, regarding the possibility of teachers of the Language Centre helping with the writing of new textbooks. Dr. Al Najjar submitted a list of people with relevant academic backgrounds. At the request of the expert, the majority of the names were of teachers of English mother tongue. This request was made to ensure that the language of the textbooks would be based on present-day usage. Writers were also recruited from other educational institutions, including the Department of English of the University of Kuwait, Institute of Science and Technology, and schools in Kuwait.

13. The expert presented his workplan under the following headings :

(a) Duties of the Unesco editor of English language textbooks during his one-year assignement.

(b) Factors determining cohesion and continuity.

(c) Areas of work to be assigned to writers.

(d) Ancillary material to complement textbooks.

(e) Timetable.

(f) Suggested contents for the textbooks of Levels 1-4.

14. The expert's duties in relation to the above workplan were defined as follows :

i) To assist in the selection of a team of writers (proposed maximum number 10).

ii) To edit English textbooks and offer advice on all aspects of editing.

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iii) To evaluate the new textbook for Level 1 in order to ensure :

(a) the teaching material is co-ordinated and harmonized throughout the first level, ensuring continuity;

(b) the teaching material is directly relevant to the official curricula and objectives;

(c) the best possible presentation and organization of the textbook contents.

iv) To give teacher-training in up-to-date methods of teaching relevant to the new textbooks.

v) To provide the recommendations concerning the future development of English teaching in Kuwait.

15. The above duties are those specified by Unesco in the expert's revised job description (with the exception of (i)).

16. In the above list of duties, the expert has referred only to the new book for Level 1. This limitation is in accordance with the length of the expert's assignment: one year.

17. Prior to the expert's arrival in Paris for a ten-day briefing, the Project Officer informed him that he had received three telexes from the UNDP Office, Kuwait, advising that his early arrival as expert in the editing of English language textbooks was a matter of some urgency.

V . CONSTRAINTS AND CONSIDERATIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK WRITING PROGRAMME

18. It is perhaps appropriate that some of the reasons the expert presumes to be responsible for the aforementioned situation should be stated. The incumbents of the key posts of Minister of Education and the Under-Secretary responsible for this project both changed during the time the expert was in Kuwait. This situation, therefore, inevitably resulted in a delay in deciding the date of the project's implementation. It should, of course, also be remembered that very large sums of money are entailed in the production of a series of new English textbooks and ancillary materials for an entire country. Authorizations for these large sums is also still awaited.

19. An English textbook project must, of necessity, be a long-term one. Its potential impact is considerable: on pupils, on teachers and methods of training teachers, on administrators, and on academics both in the field of English teaching and other areas of education. It is, therefore, doubtful whether it is justifiable, both professionally and pedagogically, to announce as a one - year assignment for an expert a book-writing programme (with all obligatory ancillary materials) destined to last a minimum of four years: a project which could, indeed should, affect the teaching of English and the training of English teachers in an entire country during the next ten years (the average validity of a well-written course). An English textbook project requires considerable detailed planning and follow-up study and research.

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20. The delay in beginning the actual writing of the textbooks was, the expert assumes, not envisaged. In the expert's opinion, however, this delay was of considerable value, unexpected though it may have been. It enabled him to familiarize himself with the local situation and problems vis-â-vis the writing of English textbooks for Kuwait. There is a strong argument for a period of "orientation" for an expert responsible for such a project. One year would not be unreasonable. The period of "orientation" should cover the following preliminary considerations.

(a) Familiarisation with the cultural situation in Kuwait, particularly with regard to education.

(b) Observation of the teaching of English in the schools, and the validity of the material currently used.

(c) The professional ability of the English teachers with particular reference to methodology.

(d) The level of English of the teachers of English in relation to the needs of the pupils and the teaching material currently used.

(e) Investigation of the needs of the pupils in the English classes.

(f) The needs of the Government with regard to English.

(g) The establishment of targets realistically related to the abilities of both the pupils and the teachers.

(h) The constraints and problems which can be reasonably anticipated.

(i) Establishing a network of relevant professional contacts.

(j) Research in the field of English textbook writing.

(k) Preparation of an error analysis.

(1) Recruitment of textbook writers with relevant professional qualifications and experience.

(m) Recruitment of a first-class illustrator for textbooks. The success of the textbooks, particularly at the intermediate level, will depend to a large extent on the quality of the illustrations.

21. During the eleven months the expert spent in Kuwait, he was able to complete most of the orientation assignments suggested above. These completed orientation assignments were listed in a separate report.

22. It may appear that the expert placed undue emphasis on the time factor in this project. However, the expert feels he has justified the inclusion of an "orientation" period in the planning. In considering the time factor, two particular aspects of English textbook production to which considerable time should be allocated in the planning, namely ancillary material and pilot testing, must be taken into account.

23. No English textbook project consists of the pupil's book alone. The approprioate ancillary material must be produced, preferably simultaneously,

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for use with the pupil's books, in particular the teachers' books or teachers' notes. The English course used in the schools of Kuwait at present includes the following ancillary material used in conjunction with the pupils' textbook. Presumably the Ministry of Education would expect it to be replaced by something equally comprehensive and practical :

i ii iii iv V vi vii viii

ix

Workbooks. Writing practice books. Supplementary readers. Transparencies for use with overhead projectors. Audio tapes for use in the classroom. Flashcards. Teachers' books or teachers' notes. Wallcharts. Specimen examination paper.

24. In evaluating a new English textbook, the question of pilot testing of new material should be taken into consideration. It is, of course, normal practice to test new material with selected classes prior to final editing and printing. This can often take considerable time.

25. The case for allowing an adequate period for "orientation" in the planning of an English language textbook project is particularly strong in Kuwait, where only one expert is responsible for the project. In this connection, it is worth noting that other completed national English textbook writing projects (Tunisia, Somalia, Yemen, Cameroon, Nigeria) all had a minimum of three expatriate 'experts' and took an absolute minimum of three years to complete the full series of textbooks together with essential ancillary material.

VI. OUTPUTS

26. The project document specifies certain 'outputs' from the expert's one-year assignment in Kuwait. Copies of the expert's workplan were submitted to the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning, Unesco and the UNDP Office in March 1986. This detailed workplan was based on the assumption that the project for the writing of English textbooks had been approved, and that the expert's workplan was to detail the manner in which he proposed to implement it. A starting date of approximately 1 April 1986 was, therefore, envisaged. It was on this basis that the expert's workplan included the completion of all specified 'outputs' by the end of his one-year assignment. At the date of writing this report, no authorization to begin the actual textbooks had been received. It is, therefore, obvious that all the specified 'outputs' cannot be achieved before the end of the expert's assignment.

27. It should be noted that the expert has already been able to complete most of the preparatory work he has recommended above as being essential for the project. Whilst not specified in the project document, these are directly relevant outputs.

28. The expert also submitted the following three major reports to the Ministry of Education, at the request of the Under-Secretary :

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i) A detailed report on visits made to English classes in intermediate and secondary schools in Kuwait.

ii) Guidelines on the writing of English language textbooks in Kuwait.

iii) A detailed workplan covering the expert's one-year assignment in Kuwait.

29. The expert did not, however, receive any comments from the Ministry of Education on these reports.

30. In addition to the work to which the expert has already referred, there is the training of his counterparts. This should, of course, be his main task. The question of the expert's counterpart having not been clarified, he assumed that his colleague, Mr. El Sayed Issawi, who had edited some locally-produced English textbooks, would be his counterpart. The expert is, therefore, responsible for training him in the planning and implementation of a programme for the editing of English language textbooks. However, if the project activities were to have been implemented according to the workplan manpower, the expert would have had a quite different type of counterpart, namely the ten English textbook writers whom he was to train in the actual writing of English textbooks.

31. In the meantime, the expert would like to outline the main activities he has already completed as part of the training of Mr. Issawi, his present counterpart.

(a) Preparation of the workplan in consultation with counterpart (i.e. training counterpart in the production of such a plan).

(b) Preparation of major report on visits to English classes of intermediate and secondary schools in Kuwait in collaboration with the counterpart. This entailed pointing out to the counterpart criteria and points worthy of consideration. Joint detailed discussions with the counterpart and teachers of English in intermediate and secondary schools regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the English language textbooks at present used in the schools, together with the needs, problems and opinions of the teachers of English.

(c) The expert pointed out and discussed with his counterpart the faults in structure, lexis and design of the locally-produced English textbooks which he had edited, and which are currently used in unit credit schools.

(d) The expert established 'Guidelines for the Writing of English Textbooks in Kuwait' for the guidance of all his counterparts in the planning and implementation of such a project.

(e) The expert has prepared a detailed plan of the suggested contents (structure and lexis) for all units of Book 1 of the proposed series of English textbooks. This is intended as a guide for his counterparts, and as a basis for discussion and evaluation.

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(f) Frequent joint evaluation of English textbooks which are routinely passed through the Curriculum Department of the Ministry of Education in which both the expert and his counterpart work.

(g) The expert visited, with his counterpart, numerous individuals and institutions for joint discussions relevant to the production of English language textbooks. Most of these have already been listed in his reports.

32. 'Teacher-training' is specified in the expert's description as one of the outputs. The expert has interpreted this as training teachers in methodology on which the new English textbooks will be based. This interpretation accords with that of Mr. A. Al-Duwaihees, Director of the Curriculum Department, in which the expert works.

33. The expert's previous experience of work with Unesco covered all aspects of English teaching and general language teaching, particularly in the field of teacher-training. In order that the Ministry of Education might benefit from his experience, the expert offered to assist in general teacher-training or other areas in which he has particular expertise. However, Mr. Al-Duwaihees requested the expert to restrict himself to the editing of English language textbooks and activities directly relevant to his work. In addition, Mr. Al Zatary, the expert's Programme Officer, advised him that approval must be obtained from Unesco for any work additional to his specified duties.

34. In addition to the above activities, the expert also prepared, in detail, the proposed contents of Book 1, as a guide for the textbook writer.

35. The expert attended meetings of the English Language Development Committee (sub-committee on training). This committee advises the Ministry of Education on English-teaching policy in Kuwait.

36. The expert prepared a report entitled, "Duties of a Supervisor of a Teacher-training Course" (at the request of Dr. Nagat Mutawa, Director of Training in the Faculty of Education, University of Kuwait).

37. The expert would like to refer again to another output, namely the "Guidelines for the Writing of English Language Textbooks in Kuwait"̂ - which he has written for the Ministry of Education.

38. The expert feels that this particular report could be of value in other countries considering the possibility of producing their own English textbooks. In this case, slight adaptation and possibly expansion of certain points would be useful.

39. The expert has completed his final output, namely a report giving his recommendation for the development of English teaching in Kuwait. The Ministry of Education has always stressed that the expert's brief is English teaching in the intermediate and secondary schools of Kuwait. In his report, therefore,

See Annex

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the expert has confined himself to this area. In connection with the preparation of this report, the expert made a second series of visits to eight schools. This series was limited to secondary schools. The expert found the same problems and concerns as he found during his first series of visits. The pupils in the schools are undoubtedly capable of achieving much higher levels of ability in English than at present. The basic problems to which the author drew attention in this report are :

i) the need for in-service training of very high standard;

ii) revision of the types of examination and the level of competence at which pupils are allowed to pass.

40. In conclusion, the experts feels he must express his regret and disappointment that he was not authorized to progress beyond the preparation stages of the English textbook writing project. However, the expert feels that this preparatory work has itself been of value to the Ministry of Education since it remains available for the guidance of any expert who may eventually be involved in an English textbook writing project in Kuwait. The expert has also been able to complete several outputs.

41. In addition, the expert feels he has been in a position to make useful observations and recommendations in his reports concerning the teaching of English in the schools of Kuwait.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN KUWAIT

42. During the year he spent in Kuwait, the expert worked closely with many officials concerned both directly and indirectly with the teaching of English in Kuwait. In addition, the expert visited a number of intermediate and secondary schools. There he observed a large number of lessons, and had long and detailed discussions with teachers of English. Whenever possible, the reactions of pupils, particularly to the teaching materials, were closely observed.

A. Textbooks

43. In both the intermediate and secondary schools, the Crescent English Course is used. In addition, locally-produced textbooks are used in the unit credit schools.

44. The Crescent English Course, in the expert's opinion, provides adequate and varied teaching material. The material is occasionally distributed somewhat unevenly. This results in certain books containing more material than the teacher is able to cope with in the given number of teaching hours. Books 2 and 6 are often cited by teachers as examples of this problem.

45. There is an unreasonable difference between the books used in the intermediate stage and the first two books of the secondary stage, as far as the amount of material contained in them is concerned. Pupils coming from the intermediate school, where comparatively little material is contained in the textbook, find it difficult initially to adapt to a book containing more than double the amount of teaching material to which they have been accustomed.

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46. Ideally, books written to meet the special needs of Kuwait would solve many of the problems presented by the Crescent English Course. In the absence of such books, however, the expert would recommend that Oxford University Press be requested to distribute the teaching material more evenly in future editions.

47. The Crescent English Course is based on the Communicative Method of language teaching. This method requires special attention to be given to the use of the spoken language. It also requires that all language skills be taught in realistic situations. The expert noted, however, during his numerous visits to schools, that lessons are invariably non-communicative in nature. The expert observed approximately fifty lessons. In only half of two of the lessons was the material taught in the way the authors of the course obviously intended. In the remaining forty-eight lessons, no attempt whatsoever was made to teach using the Communicative Method. Later in this report the expert refers again to this problem in respect of teacher-training. It should be pointed out that each book in the course is accompanied by a Teacher's Book giving detailed guidance regarding the presentation of the material using the Communicative Method. It would seem, to the expert, that very little attention is given to these Teacher's Books. The failure to use the required method is, in the expert's opinion, due to limitations in the teachers' knowledge of both the English language and teaching methodology. If these two problems cannot be solved immediately, the expert would recommend that serious consideration be given to the possibility of producing books which take into account the professional limitations of the teachers, and the specific needs of Kuwait and the pupils with regard to English.

48. The expert would like to refer to the reference books. In his opinion, these are of an extremely high quality. However, it would seem that they are rarely used. Teachers complain that they are too difficult or that they have insufficient time to incorporate them into their teaching. The expert would again wish to stress that adequate first-class in-service training based on the class textbooks would solve this problem.

B. Teacher-training

49. The expert has had more than twenty-five years experience in the teaching of English at all levels from beginners to B.A. level. In addition, the expert was a teacher-training specialist with Unesco for some years. The expert also has experience of teaching both children and adults. This brief outline of the expert's background is intended as some justification for the expert's evaluation of the work he has seen in the classrooms in Kuwait.

50. It is an educational fact that the level of attainment of pupils in any subject will be determined by the teacher's knowledge of his subject and his ability to present it. The expert is of the opinion that many of the teachers of English in Kuwait would require further training in English, particularly in teaching methods and practice. This would help to improve the level of attainment of the pupils in English.

51. In this connection, the expert would strongly recommend that a series of in-service courses directly concerned with the needs of the teachers of English be given.

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52. The expert would recommend that careful consideration be given to the choice of personnel to conduct in-service courses. Teacher-training specialists from the University of Kuwait would probably be in the best position to provide training in the most up-to-date methods of teaching English, in particular methods relevant to the books which the Ministry of Education has chosen for the schools.

53. An in-service course in language development for teachers of English given in October 1986 under the auspices of the English inspectorate is an example of the type of in-service course which should not be given priority at present. It consists of training in two aspects of English teaching - phonetics and syntax.

54. The phonetics course was concerned purely with academic phonetics (i.e. the theory of pronunciation). No practical examination was specified for the end of the course. The syntax course was more commendable. However, the expert would recommend that such a course contain remedial courses.

55. The phonetics course was based on a phonetics textbook (Daniel Jones) which was first published sixty years ago. There have been remarkable advances in phonetics since that time. The expert would suggest that a more up-to-date text containing material which could be used for remedial pronunciation work would have been of greater value. This particular in-service course did not include a methodology course. The expert would recommend that training in up-to-date methodology for teachers should be given priority in English teaching in Kuwait.

C. Examinations

56. The examination results for English for the intermediate and secondary schools are impressive.

57. The expert was informed that the pass rate at the end of both the intermediate and secondary stages averages 93%. In the unit credit schools it is often higher. The expert is familiar with the English teaching situation in 19 countries where English is taught as a foreign language. The pass rate in Kuwait schools is among the highest of all these 19 countries. However, the standard of the pupils in Kuwait is not the highest.

58. Approximately 50% of intermediate school pupils fail the English examination at the end of the first year of secondary school. This is surprising when one considers the very high examination pass rate in the final English examinations of the intermediate school. Consequently, the English Department of the University of Kuwait is obliged to provide a very large number of remedial classes for students arriving at the University of Kuwait to take courses.

59. The above facts are in direct contradiction with the examination pass rates. The expert would recommend that consideration be given to raising the level of competence in English at which a student can expect to pass the final examination. At present, the pupils realize there is little possibility that they will fail their final English examination. The high failure rate at the beginning of both the secondary and tertiary stages of education suggest that the actual standard of English of the pupils is not the one which the results would seem to indicate.

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60. The expert would like to comment on another aspect of examinations, namely the type of questions asked. The English inspectorate issues to the teachers guidelines regarding the types of questions to be asked. The types of questions to be asked are non-communicative. The types of exercise used in the examinations are not similar to those used in the workbooks accompanying the pupils' books. This results in the pupils being unprepared even for the non-communicative type of question based on the communicative course.

61. If the teacher knows that the examination he is expected to give will be traditional and non-communicative in nature, he will obviously adjust his teaching method accordingly.

62. At present, the teacher is expected to spend approximately 60% of class time on oral book, but the final examinations do not allow even 1% of the marks for oral work. The expert would recommend an in-service course in the preparation of examinations. He recommends that the English inspectorate advise teachers to produce communicative-type examinations directly related to the communicative course they are teaching.

63. The expert would recommend that a reasonable percentage of marks for oral work should be allowed in the examinations. This would encourage the teacher to improve his own level of spoken English. It would also ensure that the pupils make efforts to improve their own spoken English.

64. It should be emphasized that the Communicative Method is not concerned exclusively with spoken English. Whilst the spoken word is obviously the most frequently used skill in communication, the other skills of writing, reading and listening are of equal importance. These skills can also be taught communicatively, and the Crescent English Course makes provision for this. The problem is that most of the teachers have not been trained in the appreciation of the Communicative Method. The expert would, therefore, like to repeat his recommendation concerning the importance of relevant in-service training in methodology.

65. The Ministry of Education has defined very clearly the objectives of English language teaching in Kuwait. The expert was surprised to find that very few teachers were aware of the objectives in any detail. The expert would recommend that senior teachers be advised to ensure that their teachers have a detailed knowledge of the objectives of English teaching in Kuwait. Many of the teachers' complaints were based on ignorance of these objectives.

66. For example, teachers often complained that too much attention was given to the culture of English-speaking countries. However, it is stated quite clearly in the objectives that pupils should acquire such knowledge.

67. As an alternative, the expert would recommend that consideration be given to the possibility of external assessment for some time. This would ensure a certain amount of objectivity in the marking of examination papers.

68. If the high pass rate in the final English examinations represented the achievement of the specified objectives, the pupils in Kuwait schools would undoubtedly have a standard of English equivalent to any in the world.

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D. Audio-visual aids

69. Audio-visual aids are insufficiently used in the schools. Many teachers need training in the effective use of the blackboard.

70. The cassette player is used fairly often, although the quality of sound reproduction is sometimes unsatisfactory.

71. The expert saw only two lessons in which the overhead projector was used. This is one of the most valuable teaching aids. The expert would recommend that overhead projectors D e made more easily accessible to teachers. In addition, the expert would recommend that the in-service course in the use of audio-visual aids be offered to teachers.

72. Many of the intermediate schools had a good selection of English charts and posters on the classroom walls. These were seen only occasionally on the walls of secondary school classrooms.

73. In conclusion, the expert would like to stress the importance of in-service training, since the major problem at present is the work of the teachers already in the schools. In-service courses alone are, however, not guaranteed to produce results unless a system of control exists to ensure that the in-service courses are :

i) directly relevant to the needs of the teachers and the pupils;

ii) based on up-to-date educational theory and practice;

iii) result in an improvement in the work of teachers.

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ANNEX

GUIDELINES FOR THE WRITING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS IN KUWAIT

1. PREPARATIONS

An English textbook project must be a long-term programme affecting both present and future generations of school pupils and teachers of English. Its potential impact is considerable: on pupils, on teachers and methods of training teachers, on administrators, and on academics both in the field of English teaching and other areas of education. An English textbook project requires considerable detailed planning and follow-up study and research. There is always scope for improvement. No textbook is perfect.

An English textbook project should be sufficiently detailed as to include such preliminary considerations as :

a) Familiarization with the cultural situation in Kuwait, particularly with regard to education.

b) Observation of the teaching of English in the schools and the validity and efficiency of the material currently being used.

c) The professional ability of the teachers of English.

d) The level of English of the teachers of English in relation to the demands of the pupils and the teaching material currently in use.

e) Investigation of the needs of the pupils in the English classes.

f) The wants of the pupils and the Government.

g) The establishment of targets which are realistically related to the abilities both of the pupils and the teachers.

h) The constraints and problems which can reasonably be anticipated.

i) Establishing a network of relevant professional contacts.

j) Research in the field of English textbook writing.

k) Recruitment of textbook writers with a relevant professional qualification and experience. These should include native speakers in order to ensure that the English to be used in the textbooks is present day usage.

1) The recruitment of a first-class illustrator for the textbooks. The success of the textbooks, particularly at the intermediate stage, will depend to a large extent on the quality of the illustrations.

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?. DUTIES OF THE ENGLISH TEXTBOOK WRITERS

Obviously the prime duty of the writer is to write interesting, entertaining, lively and appropriate material. In Kuwait, it is envisaged that he will do this as a member of a team of writers under the guidance of an expert. However, in addition to the actual writing of the textbooks, the writer will be expected to assist in the following areas, according to his particular skills, interests and background :

a) To provide relevant information on Kuwaiti life and culture.

b) To provide original source material with a Kuwaiti theme.

c) To advise on content and methodology.

d) To assist in the orientation of teachers in the use of new textbooks.

e) To translate rubrics and other material, as required.

f) To assist in the pilot-testing of materials in the schools.

g) To assist in liaison with schools and institutions, if necessary.

3. FACTORS, POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE WRITING OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS

(a) The material must be graded. A natural progression of functions and lexical items must unite all the books. This will ensure continuity and a balanced distribution of material throughout the series of textbooks.

The teaching material should be divided into sections, each section corresponding to a unit of teaching time.

Each unit should, as far as possible, give both a presentation and practice of each of the four skills. The emphasis given to each skill will, of course, depend on the particular method decided upon. It is suggested that an eclectic method would be appropriate. In this connection, reference should be made to the section concerned with 'Needs Analysis' in these guidelines.

There should be frequent sections containing revision exercises. The possibility of including a grammar summary, bilingual word lists and glossaries should also be considered.

The material should be illustrated with pictures and diagrams which are both functional and pedagogically justifiable. They should help to clarify the meaning and stimulate oral communication. More information on illustration of texts is given later in the guidelines.

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It should, however, be noted that flexibility must be allowed in the design of the course. A final decision regarding the distribution of grammar, lexis and textual features cannot be made until all the material has been written and pilot-tested in the schools. For this reason, it is reasonable to suggest only the contents of the first book of a series in detail, since the contents and design of subsequent books will, naturally, be influenced and largely determined by the final version of the first book of the series.

(b) The books should be enjoyable. If the pupils find the material uninteresting and unattractively presented, then they will lose interest in the learning of English. Initially, enjoyment and interest can be provided by bearing in mind such factors as :

i) The relevance of the material to the pupil's everyday experiences. This is particularly important at the intermediate level.

ii) The quality of the illustrations.

iii) The variety of activities.

iv) The inclusion of songs and games.

(c) The ability of the teacher to teach the material effectively. If the material deviates to any large degree from the methods to which the teacher has become accustomed, then he will initially have problems teaching the new material. For this reason, the provision of orientation and in-service training relevant to the new material is vital.

(d) The level of English of the teachers. If the teacher's competence in the use of English is limited, then he will obviously not feel confident enough to use the material as a basis for expanding the skills of the pupils by adding his own material. If the course material is to be communicative in nature, then the teacher must have a high level of competence in spoken English in order to be effective.

(e) The examinations must be relevant to the contents and method of the new textbooks. It is quite pointless, for example, to base the textbook on the communicative approach to English teaching, and give an examination based on traditional methods emphasizing the teaching of grammar.

(f) The offical syllabus of the Ministry of Education of Kuwait must, of course, form the basis of any new English textbooks. The obvious first stage of any textbook project will be provision of books for the beginning years (i.e. the intermediate schools of Kuwait).

(g) Eilot testing: The material cannot, of course, be of any real value in the classroom unless it is pilot-tested. When a reasonably long section of material has been written, it should be copied and tested in selected schools. It can then be evaluated and necessary modifications can be made. More information regarding pilot-testing is given later in the guidelines.

(h) Teacher's books. The extent to which detailed instructions in methodology need to be provided for the teacher depends, of course, on the level of professional competence of the teachers. In Kuwait, there is still considerable

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scope for improvement at the time of writing these guidelines. For this reason, the teachers books and the orientation of teachers in the use of the new text­books is very important.

(i) Ancillary material: The following tyoes of ancillary material will be needed if the course is to be fully effective in the schools :

i) workbooks; ii) writine practice books;

iii) supplementary readers; iv) transparencies for use with overhead projectors; v) tapes for use in the classroom; vi) flashcards;

vii) teachers books or teachers notes; viii) wallcharts;

ix) specimen examination papers.

(j) A decision should be made regarding the type of English to be used in the books. Are the writers going to use British English or another form of English? It is essential to have a consistent policy.

(k) To what extent are grammatical paradigms to be included?

(1) Timetable: It is essential that a timetable for the production of the books be prepared. The following factors are among those which could determine whether the books are published on time :

i) the ability of writers to meet deadlines;

ii) the time needed by the printers to print the books;

iii) the time needed by the illustrator to complete his work;

iv) the amount of re-writing of material needed as a result of the pilot-testing in the schools.

4. NEEDS ANALYSIS

Reference has already been made to the value of a needs analysis. It is important to recognize the fact that needs for the pupils are, in fact, needs which will not arise for them until several years after they have started learning English. They can, therefore, not very often be used to motivate the pupil. However, they can often be anticipated, particularly at the secondary school level. Five main areas of needs in English can be identified: English for academic, social, occupational, general and educational purposes, and English for technical training.

At the intermediate level, it is obviously the English for social, general and educational purposes which will be of greater importance.

Each of the above categories obviously requires emphasis on different linguistic skills. At the intermediate level, all the linguistic skills need to be developed, in particular the ability to communicate orally. At the secondary stage, special emphasis can be given to particular skills according to identifiable needs.

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5. ERROR ANALYSIS

In the opinion of the expert, error analysis is often very much neglected in the writing of English textbooks. The use of error analysis in the design of exercises and in deciding areas in which special emphasis is needed is of great value when a textbooks is being designed for a particular country. The linguistic errors of pupils are usually due to the interference of the first language. Identifying potential errors and their cause is a time-consuming but valuable process. Ideally, time permitting, such an analysis should be made before the final version of a new English textbook is published. The expert has experience of preparing such error analyses, and is, therefore, aware of their value.

6. ILLUSTRATION OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS

On the basis of his considerable experience, the expert would like to stress the importance of illustrations in the textbooks. Very often the success of a textbook in the classroom depends on the extent to which the illustrations hold and direct the attention of the pupils. In the opinion of the expert, a textbook project should include a professional illustrator. The illustration is central to both the writing and the printing of a textbook. Photographs often fail to depict precisely the situation the writer had in mind. Liaison between a writer and an illustrator producing hand-drawn illustrations can often produce more valuable results for the textbooks. Illustrations in the textbook are important for the following reasons :

(a) Continuity of identity in the book's characters. The illustrations introduce the characters with whom the pupils will become familiar.

(b) To introduce and depict the work of characters, e.g. the father as a carpenter, the daughter as a nurse, etc.

(c) To introduce the theme of a lesson.

(d) To introduce the physical background of a lesson, i.e. city, desert, seashore.

(e) As a basis for communicative exercises.

(f) To tell a story in cartoon form.

7. ANCILLARY MATERIAL

The subject of ancillary material has already been mentioned. In this connection, the expert would like to comment further on two particular types of ancillary material :

(a) Supplementary readers

In referring above to a needs analysis, the expert mentioned various categories of anticipated needs. It should be noted that in most of these categories (e.g. academic, educational, occupational, technical), the ability to read, particularly professional books and instruction material, is an

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essential skill. It is, therefore, highly desirable that supplementary readers be available, and that pupils be encouraged to read them. These readers, like the textbooks they supplement, must be graded.

(b) Tapes

The use of tapes is very important. The pupils must be able to understand voices and accents other than those of their teachers. The speech on the tapes should be at normal conversational speed.

In the orientation course given to the teachers, it should be emphasised that pupils often fail to understand the speech on tapes because their teachers rarely speak to them in class at normal conversational speed. Of course, teachers can only speak at normal speed in the classroom if the standard of their own spoken English is of the standard normally expected of a competent teacher of English.

8. TEACHER-TRAINING

It is essential that the introduction of new English textbooks be preceded by an orientation course. This course will help the teachers to become familiar with new textbooks. At the same time, suggestions and advice regarding appropriate methodology will be given. It would be extremely useful if the expert or a senior teacher could give a demonstration lesson to selected classes to show teachers how the new textbooks might be used.

It is also essential that teachers who are going to pilot-test the new material in selected schools should attend a brief orientation course.

9. PILOT-TESTING

Reference has already been made to pilot-testing. It is essential that new material be tried in selected schools. Sections of the new material will subsequently need to be re-written or modified.

The following is a checklist on the material which could form the basis for a questionnaire. The results should produce the information the writers need :

(a) Level of difficulty. Was the section too easy or too difficult ?

(b) Was it suitable for the age of the particular pupils ?

(c) Was the material well-balanced ? (i.e. was there too much or too little of a particular element - lexis, structure exercises ?).

(d) Was the lesson too long or too short for the class time allocated for it ?

(e) Was the material relevant to the needs or wants of the pupils ?

(f) Was the material culturally acceptable ?

(g) Which parts of the lesson were obviously liked or disliked by the pupils ?

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(h) Which parts of the material did the teachers like or dislike ? Why ?

(i) Was the recommended methodology suitable for the particular group of pupils ?

(j) Did the pupils learn anything from the lesson ? (i .e. was the material effective ?).