grammar and beyond

GEDIZGEDIZUNIVERSITYUNIVERSITYizmirizmir

Seyit Ömer Gök

12 Dec 2013

• What is innovative in this textbook?

• Context

• Findings of Pre-use & In-use evaluation

• Q & A

* 4-level series

* Components for Students1.Student’s Book2.Workbook3.Writing Skills Interactive

* Teacher Resources1.Teacher Support Resource Book with CD-ROM2. Class Audio CD3. Teacher Support Website

* research-based

* content-rich

* contextualized grammar

* students of North American English.

* focuses on the grammar structures most commonly used in

North American English

* an emphasis on the application of grammar structures to

academic writing.

* practices all four skills

What Makes Grammar and Beyond

Different?

* Corpus-based information

* Common mistakes sections

* Writing practice in class

- Izmir Gediz University Prep School

-750 students

- Modular System (CEFR) / 2 month each / B2 exit level

-At the beginning of the academic year:60 % - A125 % - A210 % - B1 5 % - B2

- 30-32 hour per week in each module

A1 - Grammar&Beyond 1 (16 hour) + Grammar&Beyond 1 WB (3 hour) LL Elem (9 hour) 2 Readers (2 hour)

A2 - Grammar&Beyond 2 + Grammar&Beyond 2 WB (22 hour) LL Pre-Int (8 hour) 2 Readers (2 hour)

B1 - Grammar&Beyond 3 + Grammar&Beyond 3 WB (18 hour) Q-Skills 2 Reading (8 hour)Contemporary Topics Intro (4 hour)2 Readers (2 hour)

B2 - Grammar&Beyond 4 + Grammar&Beyond 4 WB (18 hour) Q-Skills 3 Reading (8 hour)Contemporary Topics Intro (4 hour)2 Readers (2 hour)

Adapted from McGrath 2002

‘Pre-use evaluation involves making predictions about the potential value of materials for their users’.

Tomlinson 2003, 23

‘In-use evaluation is most reliable when it draws on the

experiences of several teachers and several groups of

learners’ (McGrath 2002, 15).

‘Post-use/retrospective evaluation’ carried out to weigh up the effects and outcomes of the materials (Ellis

1997; Tomlinson 2003; McGrath 2002) ‘the most valuable’ type of evaluation (Tomlinson 2003)

Evaluative Case Study Central Phenomenon: The coursebook series

Mixed-Methods: ‘QUAN + QUAL’ (Dornyei 2007, 169)

Interpret: Interpretation based on quantitative and qualitative results

-Questionnaire (Quantitative)

1.1. To what degree doTo what degree doeses the coursebook series the coursebook series

meet the needs, wants and interests of the meet the needs, wants and interests of the

end users, namely teachers and students? end users, namely teachers and students?

2. What are the attitudes of the teachers and 2. What are the attitudes of the teachers and

students towards the coursebook series?students towards the coursebook series?

* In-class observation + VSR (7 teachers)* In-class observation + VSR (7 teachers)

* Semi-structured Interview (9 teachers)* Semi-structured Interview (9 teachers)

* Semi-structured Questionnaire (4-point * Semi-structured Questionnaire (4-point Likert Scale / 45 items in total) (160 Likert Scale / 45 items in total) (160 students)students)

* Semi-structured Questionnaire (4-point * Semi-structured Questionnaire (4-point Likert Scale / 81 items in total)(14 teachers)Likert Scale / 81 items in total)(14 teachers)

* Focus-group interview (19 students)* Focus-group interview (19 students)

Grammar and Beyond Level 1A1 Module

The grammar structures are given in context, so the students can be asked to deduce the functional meanings of grammar topics.

In the writing section, the students go beyond sentence level and see themselves in real practice. This is a big plus, I suppose.

Avoid common mistakes are very useful as showing what is grammatically incorrect is a good way to teach what is grammatically correct.

I personally liked the ‘avoid common mistakes’ part. It is like a FAQ section of a website.

Grammar charts are embedded well into the units.

ContextualizedIntegration of Writing

Design

Activities

The reading texts at the beginning of each unit are at times more demanding than the subject to be taught.

The book is too loaded considering the allocated time period.

The students are not given enough time to digest and master the grammar topics.

The passages are long and a little complex at times.

Not enough pair&group work activities.

It is a good idea to integrate writing into grammar; however, the writing section of the book is unnecessarily too detailed.

Level Level

Activities

Pacing

Writing

Content

POINTS:1 = STRONGLY DISAGREE

2 = DISAGREE3 = AGREE

4 = STRONGLY AGREE

TEACHERS 1 2 3 4

2 The font size and type used in the book is appropriate for my students. 7 % 0 % 50 % 43 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 4

3 The font size and type used in the coursebook is appropriate for me. 0 % 8 % 42 % 50 %

GENERAL APPEARANCE

TEACHERS 1 2 3 48 The learners can see easily what they have to do. 7 % 0 % 57 % 36 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 4

4 I can understand easily what I am expected to do throughout the coursebook. 9 % 29 % 50 % %12

TEACHERS 1 2 3 4

35 The language used is at the right level for my students’ current English ability in general. 36 % 36 % 14 % 14 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 420 The language used is at the right level for me. 11 % 34 % 41 % 14 %

DESIGN AND LAYOUT

LEVEL

TEACHERS 1 2 3 4

39 The level of the vocabulary is appropriate for the students' level. 29 % 14 % 57 % 0 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 421 The vocabulary in the coursebook is suitable for my level. 4 % 32 % 46 % 18 %

TEACHERS 1 2 3 4

41 The grammar points are presented with brief and easy examples and explanations. 14 % 29 % 43 % 14 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 425 The grammar items are presented clearly in the coursebook. 7 % 29 % 42 % 22 %

The vocabulary is too demanding and the sentences are complicated. I had to simplify the texts and grammar points.

LEVEL (VOCABULARY)

GRAMMAR PRESENTATION

TEACHERS 1 2 3 4

78 The book raises my students' interest in further English language study. 36 % 36 % 28 % 0 %

STUDENTS 1 2 3 440 The book raises my interest in further English language study. 18 % 37 % 26 % 9 %

MOTIVATION

*Almost half of the students in A1 Level want to have explanations in Turkish.

*Some of the students and teachers would like to have a revision part after every three units.

* Most of the students inteviewed said that they found the ‘avoid common mistakes’ and ‘writing sections’ the most useful for themselves. They also stated that the book improved their writing skills best.

* Some of the teachers found the grammar charts unnecessary. However, the students said that these charts help them a lot.

* The teachers and students find the book too intensive to be covered in eight weeks.

* The teachers said that the ‘avoid common mistakes’ parts highlight the mistakes which arevery similar to the ones their students usually make.

* The writing tasks require students to use certainstructures, which sometimes constrains the students.

* The listening tasks are used only for checking the answers.

Thank you!seyit.gok@gediz.edu.tr

twitter.com/SeyitOmerGOK

www.seyitomergok.com

GEDIZGEDIZUNIVERSITYUNIVERSITYizmirizmir

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