newheadway

Written by Asuman Birdal, Oğuz Cincioğlu, Buket Koçikoğlu, Güntülü Çatalbaş, Tuncer Can

FOREWORD

“Foreign Language Teaching” has been an important concept in today’s world. Moreover it is not only an area for the sake of an “innocent” teaching philosophy but also for earning lots of money from that area. That brings out, naturally, a hard competition amoung the companies to reach to the vast areas which means trying to reach to the high quality of the materials as well. Bearing in mind the complexity of the teaching techniques and the different purposes to learn a foreign language; a teacher of English is not to talk in riddles about his materials or choose them without having any considerable criterias although the materials that will be made use of for the miscellaneous aims are whether of basic teaching materials/supplementary materials or else.

The professionals who are keen to try to reproduce the materials published before should prefer to consult the teachers all over the world on the subject that they focused on rather than glance at the general changes in the world.

As far as taking into consideration this relationship between the producers and the users it becomes, surely, a necessity to study on different kinds of materials; but especially the ones that the teachers are familiar with and probably the ones that are in-use. This idea is backed up by the general thought , in fact consensus, about evaluating the famous and/or useful materials in most of the courses. That is why in our study, we tried to examine the series of the course-book named “New Headway” published by the Oxford University Press. Starting with the Elementary level we end up with “New Headway Upper-Intermediate”.

This study is more than a group work, a work; that we also add our experiences both in and outside the university.

This study has been done By first determining the criteria for evaluation and selection of the course-book. The criteria checklists had been determined during the course-book evaluation courses led by Miss Muazzez YAVUZ.

This criteria had given us the chance of systematic search through the “Headway” series . According to the criteria the first layout of the search had been realized. The layout included the first content matters which were “Aims and Approaches”, Design and Organization”, “The Language Content”, “Skills”, Topic, Methodology, Teacher’s Book, Practical Considerations and Questionnaires one of which was applied to the students taking the course followed by series of New Headway and the other of which was applied to the teachers giving the course.

Our study had been realized according to this criteria. Setting these, we went through a deep search through “New Headway Elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate. The findings of our study can be seen below. The search had been realized through discussions of doers of this study. It is an outcome of a team work.

In the first part, components of the course package, syllabus/es of the book considering the approach to the teaching-learning process, suitability of it for students and teachers, the sequence order of the content, the layout of the book , its items in terms of having recycling units and/or subjects are studied in the title of “Design and Organization”.

Second part included the search for the language content, definitely the grammar items, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Then the skills had been gone through and all the skills covered were searched. Special importance had been given to skills one by one.

Topics of the course books had been studied according to their social and cultural contexts. Another part had been methodology which included the approaches and techniques for teaching-learning process. It had also been searched of these course books develop communicative abilities and other skills and if they meet the students’ needs.

Teacher’s book and teacher’s role in the course had been also examined closely

Writing practical considerations keeping in mind the questions about cost of course book package, whether it worths buying or not, if it is attractive in appearance and easy to obtain or not, the study is ended up with questionnaires which had been applied to the students in private courses and English course of a language club and to the teachers of these courses. Thus the findings of this study had been supported by current user of the series of New Headway books.

As the course is a whole in itself the components should be known to be aware of the materials that will be performed in the class. So the includeds are;

* Workbook, * Video guide, * Video, * Activity book, * Resource book ( until ‘Intermediate’ ).

It is based on a theory of language that assumes that the grammatical or structural aspects of language form are the most basic or useful . The structural syllabus can be said to embrace a theory of learning that holds that functional ability arises from structural knowledge or ability.

The content of the structural syllabus is language form, primarily grammatical form and the teaching is defined in terms of form. The demand of structural syllabi has tended to be limited to the sentence. Semantically defined sentence types such as statements, questions, interrogatives and grammatically defined types such as simple, compound and complex sentences are seen. A great deal of morphology can also be found in structural syllabi such as singular, plural marking; determiners, articles, prepositions, gender markers and so on.

Structural syllabi have most frequently been associated with cognitive methods of language teaching, Audio- lingual, Grammar Translation Method, Silent Way, and etc. In the contents, a grammatical point can be presented in a basic or general way, with little detail and few exceptions or it can be presented with all of its quirks and intricacies- structures are to be mastered on initial presentation or gradually refined and expanded during repeated presentations.(spiralling)

“Grammar” is frequently expected in a language class and usually constitutes familiar content. The grammar of language may be complex; but the basic outlines are generally well known and make up a relatively finite body of knowledge. According to that syllabi , grammatical concepts such as nouns, imperatives, plural, gerund are simply better defined than functional ones and also easily measured. For example , to make right or wrong decisions about the structural aspects of learners’ language is easy in a grammar test.( In progress tests there are questions related with grammar.) Yet the low transferability of structural knowledge to actual language behaviour severely limits its application in language teaching settings ,at least to language instruction whose goal is the ability to function in the language.

Notional/ functional syllabus has been closely associated with what has been called “ communicative language teaching”. According to communicative approach , language is used as vehicle for the expression of functional meaning. The functional view emphasizes the semantic and communicative dimension rather than the grammatical characteristics of language . It leads to a specification and organization of language teaching content by categories of meaning and function rather than by elements of structure and grammar functional/ notional syllabus includes not only the elements of grammar and lexis but also specify the topics, notions and concepts the learner needs to communicate. So learners will be able to communicatively competent.

Notional/ Functionalism was initially associated with a cognitive type of learning theory that called for explicit presentation of language material, conscious recognition and practice. Sequencing and grading of language material do not seem to be of major concern. Functions associated with multiple forms are the basis for instruction.

Notional/ Functional syllabi has simple series of isolated form- function pairings, thus these isolated functions are not syntesized into discourse. The content is tied to specifics of use, the instruction is less generalizable than structural content ; so a few structures can be used to perform many functions. Also, the syllabi is limited to short utterances or exchanges involving the functions in question. Routines are short and presented primarily a vehicle for teaching, formualic utterances generally used to perform some specific function such as “No, thank you!” for polite refusal. As the syllabus relates forms to functions. It may be an excellent way to import conscious knowledge of structure and function of a language.

Many methods have used examples of the language being learned in situations and settings. Many collections of conversations and communication activities are organized in terms of situations.

There are three types of situational syllabus differentiated by their informational content and linguistic content.

1. Limbo: Specific setting of the situation is of little or no importance. What is important is the particular language focus involved.

2. Concrete: Situations are enacted to specific settings and the language associated with it.

3. Mythical : Situations depend on a fictional cast of characters in a fictional place.

Sets of structures and vocabulary items are emphasized in situations. Situations may be constructed to present various types of discourse or interactional phenomena. Students are expected to create or modify parts or all of it so form and meaning coincide.

The most familiar way of presenting a situation is as a dialogue, usually at the beginning of a lesson and the topics, settings, participants in situations can vary infinitely. Situational material in many forms may be used simply to provide comprehensible input to learners. Situations are used to presented new material providing examples and more focused exercises.

Situational content has been used with audio-lingual( behaviourist ), cognitive and experimental( acquisition-based) instruction.

Well-prepared situations can show how native speakers act and what they talk about and are concerned about.

The term “skill” in language teaching is used as a specific way of using language that combines structural and functional ability but exists independently of specific settings or situations. Examples are reading skills such as skimming and scanning; writing skills such as writing specific topic sentences or writing memos, reports; speaking skills of giving instructions, personal information, asking for emergency help over the telephone; and listening skills such as getting specific information, listening to foreign radio for news, talking orders in a restaurant and so on. It is also called competency-based instruction.

The ability to use language in specific ways is partially dependent on general language ability, but partly based on experience and the need for specific skills. Efficiency and relevance of instruction are major strengths of skill-based syllabus.

The skills are presented broadly and with varied applications( e.g. intensive reading of many different types of texts) so that specific skills and global ability are developed simultaneously.

The general theory of learning is that the learning of complex behaviours such as language is best facilitated by breaking them down into small bits(skills) , teaching the bits, and hoping that the learner will be able to put them together when actually using them.

The task-based content consists of activities that the learners have to do for noninstructional purposes outside of the classrooms opportunities for language learning. Tasks are distinct from other activities. The content of the situations is provided by the students themselves tasks require the student to apply cognitive processes of evaluation, selection, combination, modification, or supplementation( so called “”higher-order thinking skills”) to a combination of new and old information language form is learned through language use.

The primary theory of learning underlying task-based instruction is Krashen’s acquisition theory. Tasks can be selected according to the students’ cognitive and linguistic readiness for particular tasks, their need for the particular discourse. Shorter and simpler tasks should be undertaken before longer and more complex; from known tasks to new ones should be chosen (Bloom’s taxonomy).

Students will have a chance to come across particular structures in different contexts. Since there will be constant and natural recycling of certain structures in each uni by means of tasks , listening tasks and language study sections. Students will be provided with an opportunity to overcome their difficulties and develop their inter-language. Communication tasks have a particular purpose and outcome . The important thing is that in doing the task, the learner is concentrating on communicating a message by means of the target language , not concentrating on the language itself.

Working through a very carefully graded sequence of communication tasks , students quickly gain confidence in speaking and satisfaction from understanding the tape recordings of people speaking spontaneously. Through the use of tasks, communication skills are developed through the lessons in a natural integrated way.

2.1.4. The Content-Based Syllabus:

The content-based syllabus is the teaching of content or information in the language being learned with little or no direct or explicit effort to teach the language itself seperately from the content being taught. When teaching techniques are adjusted so that students comprehended the content material as it I presented in the new language, both content and language acquisition do occur. Immersion without adjustment or assistance has been labeled “submersion”.

Students are given content instruction, they may not control well or at all. When undertaken responsibility and informally, immersion can maximize the students comprehension of both the target language and the content material.

The theory of language assumed by content-based instruction embraces the full range of communicative competence, including a structural component( grammatical competence), sociolinguistic and discourse competence(especially in school settings) and strategic competence. It is a used-based the settings in which it is used. Content-based learning doesn’t clearly distinguish form and function in teaching language but makes the language available in the contents of its functions and meanings.

Extensive reading of literature or other content material in a target language can also be seen as a type of content based learning. A content syllabus might be supplemented with traditional, form-focused work on, for example vocabulary development, spelling, specific and intensive writing activities.

2.1.5. Integrated Syllabus:

In actual teaching settings, syllabus or content types are usually combined in more or less integrated ways, with one type as the organizing basis around which the others are arranged and related. The issue is not which type to choose but which types; and how to relate them to each other. Thus, program teacher and students should carefully be examined.

2.2.What the writer claims & what it is :

At that point it is realised that as the publishers are really the experts on that subject and studying on for a very long time, their ideas are acceptable but at the very instant of agreeing with them it is significant to add some more ideas and claims due to the everyday use, researches on these books, and the tests both fulfilled by the teachers and two different groups of students. However, as for this part, mostly the publisher’s ideas are directly and objectively presented.

Headway is a multi-level course for adults and young adults who want to use English both accurately and fluently. Grammar and vocabulary are taught and explained thoroughly and all four language skills are developed systematically.

The headings of at the beginning of each unit tell the linguistic aims of the unit. Units are designed like a grammar book. Each unit tries to teach a grammatical point structures are to be mastered on initial presentation or gradually refined and expanded during repeated presentations. In each unit there are some sentence-based exercises that make students use the grammar point accurately. Grammar Spot or language review sections in each unit aim at learning grammar and translating some sample sentences to check what students are thinking, translation offers a window in their mind. Also in progress tests, question tests, questions are designed according to the grammar and vocabulary usage rather than production.(e.g; Elementary Progress Test)

Some units especially in the pre-intermediate and intermediate levels are tied to specifics of use, so some structures used to perform many functions. (e.g; Headway Intermediate Unit 11)

As well as a grammatical and lexical syllabus, Headway also has a situational syllabus, which appears in the “Everyday English” section. Students are exposed to the language used in everyday situations such as a cafe, an airport, a hotel and are given opportunities to practise the language. There are also exercises on survival areas such as the alphabet, numbers, time and social expressions such as “excuse me! , sorry! , Never mind!”

The Headway series provides through coverage of the grammatical and lexical systems of English, combined with extensive practice of the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. The writing syllabus is to be found towards the end of each unit of the workbook.

3.Is the organization right for students and teachers?:

It is unbalanced in “language content” and language skills. Generally in approximately all the levels, students succeed the grammar sections while they find the listening activities challenging. Especially after Intermediate level, listening skills are found difficult to comprehend.

* Cultural suitability:

Looking from the point of cultural suitability; it is seen that it is not exactly suitable for Turkish students because the names used , the people mentioned are almost all English. To give an example from Intermediate level:

On p.20-2 there is a reading text about “Sister Wendy”. Even if it has some positive elements in it for students such as presenting a different life style and giving an idea about different experience, it is not close to Turkish students because it doesn’t attract their attentions and makes them bored. What causes this negative idea about that title is also the questionnaire answers that will be interpreted and evaluated below.

* Recycling: These books have some recycling subjects which enable students to review the previously seen subject and differentiate them from the newly seen one/s. Examples for this item are given below:

- Present Simple Tense is given in Unit 3-4 (in Elementary level) ; then reviewed in Unit 9 by being contrasted to another language item;

( Do you like… ? / Would you like …? ).

- Past Simple in Unit 7-8(in Elementary Level); then reviewed in Unit 14 by being compared with Present Perfect.

***Moreover there is a deep relation amoung the books of different levels! The student learner who carries on studying finds that higher-level book includes some recognition, revising activities (especially grammar revision). Tenses are given again and again in different units but in a more advanced style.

From new to known: In fact this item is in line with recycling item. It also provides revision and recognition between the subjects related with each other. In order to give an example for this kind: Firstly, Present Perfect is given ( new ) and then it is compared with Past Simple (known )(Unit 14 in Elementray New Headway).

4.Content Sequence:

Complexity, usefulness, and learnability are the three important concepts to deal with;

Content is;

a) complexity based because of the sequence of grammar items.

b) usefulness based because of the section of “Everyday English”. “Post Script” sections (situations & functions)

c) For learnability it is seen that it is not right for the Turkish students, but teacher should be flexible and adapt the topic to Turkish culture.

5.About Revision:

There are lots of activities for the students to practice what they learned new. Moreover in order for the teachers to make the revision frequently there are 2 kinds of tests.These regular progress tests are at the end of the Teacher’s book and revisions are at the end of the Work Book, and they are said to be quite adequate ( and for each test there are samples taken from the Pre-Intermediate level; see appendix; )

“Stop & check” every 3 units

“Progress Test” every 6 units

6. Is the ‘lay-out’ clear?

One of the advantages to use these coursebooks is the lay-out from the point of both teacher and students. It is clear and well-designed because each unit follows the same parts while dealing with the language items and skills. For example in Elementary level each unit has the following sequence:

* Therefore students are familiar with the things that they will do and no time is spent in every unit to make students aware about the things they will be dealing with.

Warm-ups, pre-reading sections, the following activities are well-thought and designed, so that the dealers have no difficulty in following the book. Every unit -although related to the previous units- has a completeness in itself and students are supported by the materials the teacher hands them on and gives out on time; therefore it can be said that one of the best coursebook having an integrity of design and organization.