christina kanter capstone

THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING METHOD IN A KOREAN ENGLISH ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK

by

Christina L.S. Kanter

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education.

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

May 2013

Primary Advisor: Bonnie Swierzbin

Secondary Advisor: Julia Reimer

Peer Reviewer: Katie Andersen

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To Mike

In appreciation of your faith, drive, and cheerleading.

Special thanks to my co-teachers who suffered through countless questions about Korean

teacher training, who struggled to help me find documents in English on Korean websites,

and who were so patient and kind as I learned to adapt to Korean cultural norms. At

times I felt like a bull in a china shop, but you were consistently gracious and kind.

Thank you.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1

Factors Leading to the Importance of the English Textbook .......................................... 2

Role and Background of the Researcher ......................................................................... 6

Guiding Questions .......................................................................................................... 8

Chapter Overviews .......................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 10

Language Teaching Methods and Terminology ........................................................... 11

Terminology .................................................................................................................. 12

An Overview of English Education in Korea ............................................................... 13

CLT problems in Asia ................................................................................................... 17

The Gap ......................................................................................................................... 19

Textbook Evaluation Methods ...................................................................................... 21

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Research Question ........................................................................................................ 26

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 27

CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ..................................................................................... 28

Mixed Methods Paradigm ............................................................................................. 29

Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 30

Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 36

Ethics ............................................................................................................................. 37

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 38

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 39

The Layout of the Textbook ......................................................................................... 40

Peer Validation of the Six Steps Checklist ................................................................... 47

Macro Checklist Evaluation .......................................................................................... 49

The survey data ............................................................................................................. 59

Knowledge of and Use of CLT Methods ...................................................................... 65

Side by Side Analysis ................................................................................................... 72

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Summary ....................................................................................................................... 73

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 74

Summary of Key Findings ............................................................................................ 75

Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 76

Limitations .................................................................................................................... 81

Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 83

Dissemination of Results .............................................................................................. 86

Further Research ........................................................................................................... 86

Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 86

Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 88

Textbook checklist ............................................................................................................ 88

Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 95

KET Survey ...................................................................................................................... 95

References ....................................................................................................................... 104

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Six Steps Checklist ............................................................................................. 32

Figure 2 Authenticity Ranking ......................................................................................... 34

Figure 3 Listen and Repeat Activity ................................................................................. 35

Figure 4 Lesson 1 Student Book ....................................................................................... 41

Figure 5 Story Time 8 Student Book ................................................................................ 44

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Six Steps Checklist Results Story Time and Lesson ............................................ 45

Table 2 Six Steps Checklist Results by Lesson ................................................................. 46

Table 3 Six Steps Checklist Results by Story Time .......................................................... 47

Table 4 Macro Checklist Frequency Table ...................................................................... 50

Table 5 Overall Checklist 4 out of 4 Ranking .................................................................. 52


Table 7 Overall Checklist 2 Out Of 4 .............................................................................. 55


Table 9 Overall Checklist 0 out of Four Ranking ............................................................ 59

Table 10 Grades taught and years teaching of respondents ............................................ 60

Table 11 Respondents Years of Teaching and Teacher Training ................................... 62

Table 12 Respondents Training in CLT .......................................................................... 63

Table 13 Respondents Textbook Publisher ...................................................................... 64

Table 14 Respondent's Use of the Textbook .................................................................... 65

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Table 15 Respondents Attribution of Tasks to CLT ......................................................... 66

Table 16 Respondent's Use of Tasks in Lesson Planning ................................................ 67

Table 17 Respondent's Tasks Used in Teaching ............................................................... 70

Table 18 Tasks Used by Respondents to Develop Communicative Competency ............. 71

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

In situations where there is a shortage of trained teachers, language teaching is very closely tied to the textbook. This does not mean, of course, that the method demonstrated in the textbook is always faithfully reflected in the method as practiced by the teacher. Williams (1983, p.1)

I have been teaching elementary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an

agricultural southern province of Korea for the past two years. Prior to that I taught

English as a Second Language in the suburbs of Minneapolis. I have enjoyed having the

opportunity to immerse myself in a school in a different culture for so long and learn

different ways of viewing language teaching. While here I have attended professional

development conferences, observed Korean classes, studied the Korean language, and the

Korean educational system.

English as a Foreign Language has been compulsory in Korean public schools

from grade 3 through high school since 1997. Students' English scores are a factor in

their placements in middle school, high school, and university, and are a factor in

employment interviews, yet English proficiency remains relatively low. Park (2009)

identified a Chun and Choi (2006) study that found that Korean participants ranked 93rd

in performance out of 147 countries that took the 2005 Test of English as a Foreign

Language (TOEFL). While English education is universal in Korean K through 12

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schools, there is a gap between t0he amount of time and money spent on English

language education and the English proficiency of the graduates.

Many teachers are neither qualified nor trained to teach English; the government

only requires an elementary teaching license and a 120hour EFL teaching course to teach

elementary English (Kwon, 2009). This makes the textbook an incredibly important tool

in the classroom. Williams (1983) stated that EFL teachers with minimal EFL teacher

training should have a textbook as support, guiding not only what they teach, but also

why it is being taught. As an experienced English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, I

am often startled by how the two Korean textbooks I have used present information. The

government has mandated that Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) be used to

teach English; however, the exercises in the textbooks are based on a listen and repeat

format with unnatural dialogues. After having studied English for four years with a

variety of Korean English teachers (KETs) and native English teachers (NETs), many of

my students are challenged to write their own name or have a simple conversation in

English.

Factors Leading to the Importance of the English Textbook

There are many factors affecting the quality of English education in the Korean

public schools. These include the role of hagwons (private academies), teacher training,

the influence of the national test, government-mandated changes in methodology and the

methodology of the textbooks. While my research will focus on the textbook, it is

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important to understand the teaching context. Hagwons, the lack of EFL teacher training,

and the national test all influence how materials are presented in the English textbooks.

Almost three-quarters, 71.9%, of Korean students attend hagwons after the

traditional school day (KNSO, 2011). There are many kinds of hagwons. Some are

academic, focusing on content areas like science, math, Korean, or English. Others are to

practice a skill like a musical instrument or Taekwondo. Like public schools, English

hagwons often employ both KETs and NETs. Kim and Seo (2012) found that the English

hagwons are the most popular. While they are popular for preparing students for the

national exams, some question how effective they are at developing communicative

competency. Kim and Seo (2012) cited numerous studies (Chung, 2004, 2005, Kim,

1999, C.-J. Lee, 2005, & W.-K. Lee, 2004) that showed that private tutoring atrophied

student abilities and reduced their self-directed learning. Given their current status in

Korean society, English hagwons influence the public schools and the textbooks chosen.

The standards for teaching English are not the same as for teaching a grade level

classroom in Korea and teacher preparation varies greatly in the English classroom.

There are different levels of English teachers in Korea. EFL teachers do not need an ELT

license. Any licensed teacher can teach English in a Korean school with only nine out of

141 credits in their four year degree focusing on language teacher training (Lee, 2012).

Butler (2004) found many gaps in Korean English teacher training and cited a 2002 study

by Yang that found that in Seouls elementary schools only 7.9% of English teachers

were proficient in English. Since 2009, there has been a sub-category of teachers who

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hold a contract that is renewed annually called conversation instructors (Kwan, 2009).

They do not need to have a teaching license, nor are they in training to become licensed

teachers and they are paid a starting teachers salary.

In addition to a licensed teacher, most schools in my province have a Native

English teacher (NET) from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or

Australia. The only qualifications to be a NET are to have a university degree and a

clean criminal record. A 100 hour Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL) or

Certificate of English Language to Adults (CELTA) will earn the NET a slight pay

increase. In 2007 there were 1,616 NETs in Korean elementary schools (Kim & Seo,

2012,).

Each elementary school in the country has different teacher resources. Some

classrooms have a highly proficient KET with specialized training in language teaching;

some have a KET and NET co-teaching. Some have a contract teacher. Some island

schools have 15 sessions of 40-minute on-line classes with a NET each semester (Deutch,

2011). Given the wide variety of English language instructors and the goal to demonstrate

proficiency on the national exams, the textbooks are very important.

There have been seven national curriculums that established the syllabus for ELT

in Korea. The first through the fifth national syllabi were grammatical-structural syllabi.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has made many changes to the national syllabus since

the Sixth National Curriculum was introduced in 1995 (Chang& Lee, 2009). One of the

greatest shifts has been moving from the Audio-Lingual (AL) approach to the

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Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach (Chang & Lee, 2009). The

government changed to a communicative syllabus for the sixth national syllabus and

subtitled it cultivating the communicative competence, utilizing various activities and

tasks making their objectives clear (Chang & Lee, 2009). They included several

categories including personal, interpersonal, directives, information and searches, and

creative functions. Since then, the Seventh National Curriculum, starting in 2007,

continued expanding goals for language learners. The goals for elementary students

include developing their character to cooperate and communicate internationally,

showing leadership as citizens of the world, and understanding and expressing English

used in daily life. To achieve those goals the MOE instructs teachers to utilize the

creativity of elementary students, to engage them in real life activities and the joy of

discovery through personal experience (MOE, 2007). Developing an interest in learning

English and in communicating with people from different cultures is emphasized in the

characteristics and goals of the English Language standards. The standards address the

learning needs of elementary students and encourage using multiple tasks, interesting

media, and communicative technologies to engage young learners. In 2009, the Seventh

National Curriculum was revised to increase the number of hours of English education.

The characters and objectives stayed the same.

Nationwide, students are tested semi-annually on their performance in English.

The test is given in four successive sections, distinguishing the four modalities of reading,

writing, speaking, and listening, as well as grammar points, vocabulary items, and key

expressions that are outlined in the current national curriculum. As such, the textbooks

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focus on key phrases and terms to help students and schools perform on these

assessments. In addition, in my school there is a mid-term exam and an in-class

assessment of the four modalities each term. The national tests are high stakes and

influence class rank, a students choice of middle school, and their placement in middle

school classes. The new president, Park Geun-hye, has been considering changing the

pressure of the exams by reducing the open-ended questions and keeping public schools

open until 10 PM (Oh, 2012). While the tests are high stakes, they are not a consistent

measure of a students communicative competency. Anecdotally, I have students who

score high on the test who are unable to communicate with me in simple exchanges.

Role and Background of the Researcher

For the past two years I have taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to the

5th and 6thgrades of a medium sized elementary school in a small city on the coast of an

agricultural province of South Korea (afterwards referred to as Korea). Prior to this

experience, I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in the United States of America

for 5 years. I also have an elementary teaching license.

I use the 6th grade English textbook, English 6, by (Deh Gyo) publisher on a

daily basis. It is one of six main books being used in the 2012 school year in Korea. In

addition, I communicate with other NETs on an online lesson-planning forum. We

comment on the focus of lessons, the choice of key terms presented, the examples of

unnatural speech in the various textbooks and how to best teach the content. We also

share resources to supplement the activities in the book.

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As a teacher trained in second language instruction in the United States of

America, I have a bias towards student-centered, project-based language learning. I was

trained to avoid Audio-Lingual tasks. I have primarily taught ESL by developing

grammar and vocabulary within the content areas of math, science, and social studies.

I see my students making great strides in their content area coursework, yet they

still have profound difficulties in basic English communication. After four years of study

they have a hard time with identifying the letters of alphabet out of order, numbers 1-100,

and the months of the year. When we evaluate my students, they split into two camps:

100 percent on the assessment, or no ability to perform on the assessment. Either they

attend a hagwon and receive additional instruction, or they only receive instruction in

school. Typically, those who do not attend hagwon do not have basic phonemic

awareness; they do not know the sounds the letters of the alphabet make. They cannot

read or write their own names in English, or identify sight words, and they have great

difficulty with routine classroom greetings and directions. Students who do attend

hagwon typically have memorized the key phrases in the textbook before the school year

has begun. They have also memorized vocabulary lists of Tier 2 and 3 words (academic

and content words that refer to a specific domain).

There is very little that I can do to change the system, but I can analyze the

system and adapt the training that I have to give the best instruction that I can.

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Guiding Questions

After teaching elementary English in Korea for a year and working with other

NETs on lesson planning, I realized the importance of the textbook in this context. While

the MOE has been making strides to get instructors to stop using the AL method and

begin implementing CLT methods, many teachers continue to use the AL method in their

daily practice (Chang, 2008). In this study I will ask:

1) Does the 2012 Deh Gyo Grade 6 textbook provide teachers with

Communicative Language Teaching or Audio-Lingual tasks at the syllabus level and at

the task level?

2) How do the current Korean English Teachers use the textbook?

3) How often do they adapt the activities, and how familiar are they with

Communicative Language Teaching tasks?

Chapter Overviews

In Chapter One I introduced my topic including the studys rationale and context.

The role and background of the researcher, as well as my biases were established. Finally,

I introduced my guiding questions. In Chapter Two I will identify the features of the CLT

approach and the AL approach and define the syllabus level and the task level. Then I

will review the available literature on English education in Korea. Next, I will identify

concerns some researchers have seen in implementing CLT in Asia. I will identify the

gap between the available literature and the research I will conduct. Finally, I will

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introduce EFL textbook evaluation methods. In Chapter Three I will detail my research

design and methodology. In Chapter Four I will present the results of the study and in

Chapter Five I will reflect on the data I collected and its implications and limitations.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Even in the modern era, educational attainment is accepted as one of the fairest measures of a persons worth, and scholars are still called upon to fill some of the highest government positions. Education is also seen as an effective, fundamental instrument for nurturing national strength. The South Korean government emphasizes the countrys education, and the Ministry of Education (MOE) is one of the most important executive branches of government in an interesting contrast with the equivalent body in the U.S. federal government. (Kim- Renaud, 2005, p v)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Deh Gyo publishers 6th grade

EFL curriculum, English 6, for its use of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

approach at the task level and the syllabus level and to ask what tasks KETs add to their

lesson plans. The Korean Ministry of Education has stressed the importance of the use of

the CLT approach. Many KETs only have 120 hours of training in foreign language

instruction, so the textbooks methodology may influence the instructors using them.

Furthermore, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) found that textbooks can be agents of

change by gradually introducing new methods and providing scaffolding to new

techniques. A trained language teacher has many professional resources and skills to

adapt undesirable materials, but a teacher with little language teaching will often use the

book page-by-page, task-by-task (Williams, 1983).

This chapter will define the Audio-Lingual approach and the Communicative

Language Teaching approach as well as syllabus-level features and task-level features. It

will also provide the reader with an overview of the more than one hundred years of

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English language education in Korea. In addition, it will examine some of the

overarching problems governments have had in implementing CLT in Asia at the

classroom level. Finally, it will synthesize foreign language textbook evaluation methods.

Language Teaching Methods and Terminology

Language teaching methods are in a constant state of flux. Koreas English

curriculum heavily used the Audio-Lingual approach for many generations. In 1995, the

Sixth National Curriculum the government began to transition away from the Audio-

Lingual (AL) approach, introducing the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

approach (Chang & Lee, 2009). These terms will be used frequently in this research, so I

will define them here.

Audio-Lingualism

Audio-Lingualism began in the 1940s as a reaction to previous approaches that

focused on reading and ignored oral skills (Celce-Murcia, 1991). Its primary features

include dialogue tasks, memorization tasks, and pronunciation practice. It also has a

limited vocabulary at the lower levels and teaches language without context. Grammar

features are explicitly taught in sequence with the modalities of listening, speaking,

reading, and writing (Celce-Murcia, 1991).

Communicative Language Teaching

In the 1970s, Hymes and Halliday responded by developing an approach to

teaching language that focuses on the learners ability to communicate (Celce-Murcia,

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1991). Features of the CLT approach include the goal of the learner to communicate with

others in the second language, content that includes semantic, social, and linguistic

structures, role-play, using authentic materials, and group and pair activities that involve

negotiating meaning. In a CLT classroom the four modalities of reading, writing,

listening and speaking are integrated into most lessons. In this approach the teacher is the

facilitator, rather than the leader. The primary objective is that the learner develops the

tools to communicate by using their knowledge of grammar rules, sociolinguistic rules,

and discourse rules (Savignon, 2001). There are many interpretations of CLT, though

they are commonly identified as strong CLT or weak CLT. Butler (2011) identified

that strong CLT features the learners analyzing the language, with the teacher as

facilitator. Weak CLT features a teacher as a leader, guiding the learners through

controlled activities.

Terminology

CLT and AL are just two of a variety of approaches used to teach foreign

languages. I will clarify approaches, methods, and techniques. Then I will identify the

syllabus level and the task level. These are terms that I will use as frequently as I

examine the English textbook and survey KETs. Celce-Murcia (1991) identified an

approach as the broadest term that implies a model. A model, or research paradigm, is a

theory that the guides instruction (Brandi, 2008). The next level is the method, which

explains how to teach the content. Finally, the technique is the device or activity used in

the classroom. For example, a Think-Pair-Share activity is a pair-work technique where

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students negotiate meaning. Negotiating meaning is one of the methods in the larger

CLT approach. The CLT approach is based on research that reflects a research paradigm

whose goal is for the learner to develop communicative ability in the second language

(Brandi, 2008).

A syllabus is the inventory of all the things the students must master in the course.

In the case of this study, the syllabus is the Seventh National Korean curriculum. It is a

structural syllabus, a list of grammatical inflections and constructions the learner must

master. The task level then is the series of activities the learner does to practice the

language points (Butler, 2011).

An Overview of English Education in Korea

Education has played an important role in the Korean social structure for

hundreds of years. The first formal schools began in 372 A.D. during the Goguryeo

Dynasty (Howe, Kane, & Mattison, 2007). The first national exams for the appointment

of civic positions began soon after, and a persons level of education has been an

important social marker since. Korea is heavily influenced by Confucian philosophy and

a persons level of education is a factor in how speakers conjugate verbs and in how they

modify their body language when addressing each other. Until recently, people with

formal education even had a specific style of dress and wore a specific hat indicating that

they were a scholar. EFL instruction has been happening in Korea for more than a

hundred years, since the English translation school, Dungmunhak, opened in 1883 (Kwan,

2009).

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Korean families invest themselves in the education of their children. Park (2009)

identified the importance of English education as an English Fever and cited $20

billion spent annually on private lessons, immersion kindergarten, English camps, and

language training abroad. An average family will spend 25% of its income on education

and many students attend hagwons (private academies) before or after school. In 2008 the

government mandated the academies must stop instruction at 10 pm, but can allow

students study space until midnight. There have been challenges by parent groups to the

governments curfew, hoping to extend the hours of instruction (Kim & Park, 2009). It is

common for families to focus on educational attainment as a family value in Korea.

English education has been mandated for grades 3 through 12 for more than a

generation and English has been established as an important language in media and

business. Yet, English fluency is considered low for the amount of English language

education Korean students receive (Chang, K. n.d.). The government acknowledges that

the college entrance exam focuses on reading and listening skills, so schools and

hagwons respond by preparing students for the exam (Korean Institute of Curriculum and

Evaluation., n.d.). CLT has been mandated, but isnt being implemented at the classroom

level (Igawa, 2007). The MOE also attributes this to the inexperience of the English

instructors teaching English and the difficulty in assessing classes of 30 students in

speaking and writing. In response, the Korean Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation

(KICE) is evaluating and refining the English Language assessment to assess expressive

abilities in speaking and writing (Chang, 2008).

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There have been many transitions in English education since 1997. The first five

curriculum cycles had a grammatical-structural design (Chang & Lee, 2009). During the

Sixth National Curriculum, the government began the switch to Communicative

Language Teaching (CLT) methods, listing it as a strategy for realizing the linguistic

elements assessed annually. In the seventh curriculum the syllabus design changed to a

product-oriented syllabus, which incorporates the grammatical-structural, notional-

functional, and the communicative based syllabus. Its goal is to be process-orientated and

task-based. There were minor changes to the eighth National Curriculum and it

maintained its communicative syllabus and structure but updated the frequency of

English instructional hours.

Chang, K (n.d.) stated that the changing the role of English in Korean business

culture and the need to communicate clearly is influencing the governments revisions of

the National Curriculum towards communicative competency and the CLT method. The

push for graduates to be able to communicate effectively can be seen in the new goals.

The policy is called The Sixth and Seventh National Curriculum: a communicative

syllabus, cultivating the communicative competence, utilizing various activities and

tasks. The reform principles of the Seventh National Curriculum include student-

centered teaching, cultivating communicative competence, and fostering logical and

creative thinking (Chang & Lee 2009).

With over 30 years of application, the CLT approach has evolved into a family of

approaches. Nunan, (2004) synthesized CLT as the notion that language is a tool, it is not

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a series of rules to be memorized, and as such language teaching programs should focus

on the needs of their learners. The focus should be on communicative competence and

the ability to use the language. The 2007 Seventh National Curriculum of English states

that the characteristics of the elementary English program are to focus on developing in

the students the ability to understand and express basic language used in everyday life,

which is the basis for communication (MOE, 2007, p.2). It goes on to suggest that as

elementary students are especially curious, English will be more effective if they are

comprised of real life activities where students can experience the joy of discovery

thorough personal experience (MOE, 2007, p.3). The four goals of the curriculum

reinforce the CLT approach: 1) Acquire interest in English. 2) Build confidence in the

basic use of English. 3) Build a foundation for basic communication in everyday life. 4)

Understand foreign customs and cultures through English education Unfortunately, the

Achievement Standards for the 6th grade include a guide of 140 new vocabulary terms

and are broken into the four modalities of listening; speaking, reading, and writing. The

standards break language skills into components that reflect the AL method. For example:

listening to a speech is broken into understanding the main idea, the details, and the

intention. Rather than segmenting skills, the CLT method integrates reading, writing,

listening, and speaking skills in most lessons. The 2007 Curriculum standards state an

overall goal of communicative competence; however, they introduce AL descriptions of

how to accomplish the goals.

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CLT problems in Asia

Many Asian countries have mandated English being taught using CLT, and

have had difficulties implementing it. In the 1990s the governments of China, Japan,

Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh all

mandated that CLT methods be implemented in the classroom. In 2011, Butler evaluated

how CLT and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) have been implemented in the

Asia-Pacific Region. She found that while there are some challenges and concerns, CLT

and TBLT methods are being used in the classroom in different ways. She highlighted

the importance of flexibility in the interpretation and implementation of CLT and TBLT

in the region. In Egypt, Shawer (2010) found that teachers who understood CLT

methodologies and implemented it in their teaching improved student cognitive

development and motivation, while teachers who maintained a structural approach had a

negative impact on student learning. Hardison and Prapaisit de Segovias (2008) study

found that despite CLT being mandated by the Thai Ministry of Education in 1999, many

teachers were confused about CLT methodologies, were not implementing it in the

classroom, and rated themselves as being insufficiently trained, not proficient in English,

and not receiving sufficient support and resources to teach English in the CLT model. In

their introduction to a journal focusing on TBLT practices in Asian EFL classes, Adams

and Newton (2009) demonstrated that despite the mandates, CLT and TBLT are not

being fully implemented.

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Butler (2011) identifies three problems in implementing CLT in an Asian

classroom: conceptual restraints, using bottom-up teaching methods in a top-down

structure; classroom constraints, teachers not knowing how to implement CLT in their

classroom and being unable to choose appropriate activities; and societal-institution

constraints, grammar-translation focused assessments leading instructors to teach to the

test. Hardison and Prapaisit de Segovias (2009) research reinforces the issues of

conceptual restraints with their research, which found that since the 1996 shift from

teacher-centered EFL teaching to learner-centered education, teachers in Thailand felt

unprepared to teach using CLT methods. The EFL teachers in the study self-identified as

having low-level English language proficiency. The researchers assessed that there is a

disconnect between policy and practice (2009, p. 8). In Bangladesh, Baldauf and

Hamid (2008) assessed that 10 years into a CLT program educating 24 million students

the goal of developing students communicative competence has not been met and the

methods are not being implemented in the majority of the EFL classrooms. The state has

introduced CLT-based textbooks and provided 13 day periods of CLT methods training

with little evidence that it is being implemented at the classroom level. The CLT

approach has support from the governments language planning offices; however, it is not

being consistently implemented at the classroom level.

One of the problems identified with implementing CLT in previous research

include a conflict with Confucian teaching methods, which leads to teachers not believing

in CLT tasks, and not understanding the tasks (Butler, 2011; Hardison & Prapaisit de

Segovia, 2009; Harwood, 2005). Confucian philosophy has influenced education in Asia

19

for centuries. Adams and Newton (2009) cited studies by Eguchi, 2007, and Lee, 2005

that indicated that the Confucian model of the teacher as authoritative transmitter and

the students focus on accuracy over fluency can make implementing CLT difficult at

first for both learner and instructor. With proper training, and educator buy-in, these

challenges can be overcome (Adams & Newton, 2009).

As the literature thus far points out, Korean English education is influenced by the

quality of its teachers, textbooks, the national exams, and the hagwon system. The

teaching methodology implemented in the textbooks and classrooms can also affect

learner outcome. While the idea of CLT in the Asian English education is popular, there

have been some challenges in its implementation.

ELT methodologies in Asia have been shifting to the CLT approach for over 20

years. There have been some challenges in implementing CLT at the classroom level

across Asia. The governments may have mandated it at the syllabus level, but often the

approach is not being implemented at the task level. In Korea, ELT is influenced at the

classroom level by the national test, the hagwon system, and teacher training.

The Gap

There have been many investigations on the lack of CLT classroom practices in

EFL education in Asia. Given the lack of consistent implementation, the textbook is

important in this setting. Chelliah, 2001, Kafipour, Soori, and Soury, 2011, Nguyen, 2011,

Yamada, 2010, and Yuasa (2010) studied the influence, organization, quality, structure,

and focus of English textbooks in other countries and grade levels. Chelliah (2001) found

20

that the rigid memorization style of the Indian guide books influenced instruction and

learner outcomes. Kafipour, Soori, and Soury (2011) evaluated the Iranian English

textbooks for their general presentation, teaching methods, tasks, and supplemental

materials. Yuasa (2010) evaluated the goals of Korean and Japanese English textbooks

and found that the Japanese textbooks focused on developing interest in other cultures

while the Korean English textbooks focused on communicative exercises. Yamada (2010)

evaluated the cultural representations in Japanese-English textbooks. Yuasa found that

the elementary Korean textbook guides English teachers with a variety of proficiency

levels and teaching experiences. There is a gap in the research of studies that evaluate

textbooks for their use of CLT methods and the Second language (L2) teacher familiarity

of and use of CLT methods. My study will address the gap by evaluating a current

elementary Korean textbook for its use of CLT techniques and will survey KETs on

which tasks they use in the classroom.

Some researchers have studied how non-native English speaking EFL teachers

have implemented CLT mandates and how mandates have changed (Chang. 2008,

Defeng, 1998, Hardison & Prapaisit de Segovia, 2009). Chang (2008) studied the

structural reforms in Korean English educational policy. In 1998, Defeng found that a

South Korean teachers educational philosophy made it difficult to implement CLT.

Hardison and Prapaisit de Segovia, (2009) found that despite a ten year long initiative to

implement CLT in Thai classrooms, there was no evidence of its application and English

teachers were concerned about their English proficiency and their pedagogical training.

21

My research will evaluate what tasks Korean English teachers are using in their teaching

today and how their teaching reflects the changing educational policies.

My research is specifically addressing the use of CLT tasks in the Korean English

textbooks and Korean English teachers lesson plans. My research will close the existing

gap by examining a Korean elementary EFL book for its use of CLT tasks and survey

KETs for the types of tasks that they use in the classroom. As I examined the textbook I

used a variety of established textbook evaluation methods.

Textbook Evaluation Methods

If teachers do not have proper training in EFL methods or are not confident in

their mastery of the English language, they may use the textbook exactly as it is written;

as such, the book should be a strong model for the teacher (Williams, 1983). While EFL

can be taught with CLT methods without a textbook, Ariew and Macian (1982, as cited

by Skierso, 1991) say that both teachers and students use the examples in textbooks and

materials as the main guide and as reference tools. KETs, contract and licensed teachers

alike, have 120 hours of training in English teaching methodologies; some had an English

focus in university. Even the youngest KETs would have been primarily taught English

using the AL method. Given the huge discrepancies between the AL method and the

CLT method, the Korean English textbook should model the methods and objectives of

the syllabus. In evaluating the textbook, the goal is to determine if the book is a good

match for the program and assess weaknesses that need to be addressed by the instructors

as they plan units.

22

In his often-cited work on evaluating ELT materials, Ellis (1997) identifies that

evaluation can be predictive or retrospective and occur on the micro and/or macro level.

Predictive materials evaluation happens before the instructor uses the item. It can include

using published reviews, checklists, or guidelines. Retrospective evaluation happens

after they have been used and often assess if they are worth using again. While

retrospective evaluation is an important part of being a reflective teacher, Ellis says

There are very few published accounts of retrospective evaluations of course materials,

and very little information on how to conduct them (1997, p.37). He then outlines

methods to conduct a retrospective evaluation at the macro and micro level. The macro-

level evaluation assesses the overall effectiveness of the materials. The micro-level

evaluation selects specific tasks and evaluates if they were effective. A macro-level

evaluation can include micro assessments and a series of micro-level evaluations can

stand together as a macro-level evaluation.

Many of the available methods for textbook evaluation are predictive checklists

that were designed to be adapted by the user. Skierso (1991) outlines clear steps to

evaluate if a textbook is appropriate for the context as each situation is different. He

includes a factual checklist of the textbooks design including the number of units and the

suggested course length. Williams (1983) checklist evaluates across the modalities of

reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and includes vocabulary, grammar, and the

technical aspects of writing. Garingers (2002) checklist is much simpler. It requires

more reflection by the evaluator on what the features of their program are and how they

appear in the book; that is, how does the textbook provide opportunities for higher-order

23

thinking in reading activities? Most checklists work on some kind of Likert scale like

Sheldons (1988) rating from poor to good or Williams (1983) not at all to to the

greatest extent.

While checklists are a common method to evaluate textbooks, other researchers

have developed their own unique methods to evaluate textbooks. Rings' Authentic

Languages and Conversational Texts (1986) outlines a method for evaluating the

authenticity or naturalness of the materials in the textbook. As many educators were

implementing CLT in the classroom, she developed a method for finding texts that is less

vague than asking is it real, teachable, or natural. Her method allows educators to

work with a tool that they could explain to their non-ELT colleagues. Ansary and Babaii

(2002) consolidated 10 prominent checklists and reviewed 10 ELT textbooks and then

synthesized their research into a list of universal traits found in the pre-existing checklists

including: the objectives, the rationale, the syllabus as viewed by the teacher and by the

student, the physical aspects of the textbook, and the macro-level of the book. Their

checklist aims to create a system to evaluate textbooks regardless of the methodology of

the program.

Many of the checklists were designed for making a predictive comparison of two

or more books to select one for use in the classroom. I am in a unique situation, teaching

EFL in a compulsory, elementary, homogeneous language classroom with a single book

chosen the prior year. There are many elements to teaching EFL. As such, I will be

choosing the elements that I evaluate to suit the needs of my learners and the goals of the

24

national syllabus. I will be creating my own retrospective checklist by blending existing

checklists to evaluate how well the book matches the national syllabus and its goal of

modeling the CLT approach.

Evaluating the Context

According to Skeirso (1991), to begin evaluating a textbook you must identify the

context: what is the age level, gender, home language(s), socio-economic status, level of

education, attitudes toward the second language, and access to second language speakers?

You must identify the background of the instructors. What is their linguistic preparation?

What is their certification? Do they have language teacher training? How many years

have they been teaching? Sheldon (1988) also includes a number of items about the book.

How many units are there? How long are they? How many hours of instruction are

anticipated?

Evaluating the Syllabus

While many checklists only evaluate the textbook itself, Skiersos (1991)

checklist also examines the course syllabus. Who determines the syllabus? What

methods and principals underlie the program? How much focus is to be given to the

modalities, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation? How much emphasis is given to

input and output? Is there a focus on mechanics: spelling, penmanship, and punctuation?

What kinds of assessments are used? What cultural themes are to be addressed? Is it to

be representative of natural conversations amongst native speakers, or contrived? Does it

include samples of authentic writing, such as essays, poems, or recipes? The syllabus

25

drives the instruction and should be the educators first guide before they look at the

textbook. Evaluating the syllabus prior to evaluating the textbook provides indicators to

evaluate the textbooks as a whole.

Evaluating the textbook

Lastly, Skierso (1991) outlines a checklist that evaluates the layout of the

textbook. What is the media like? What topics are covered? Where does it fit on Rings

Authentic Language and Authentic Conversational Texts (1986)? What are the

vocabularies and structures? Are they sequenced? What is the frequency of new words?

What types of tasks and activities are provided? How communicative are they? The

items on Skiersos checklist are described in detail in his research. In addition he

provides a reference list for each item on the checklist for the evaluator to refresh their

knowledge.

While Skiersos checklist is in-depth, Garingers (2002) brief checklist focuses on

the activities. How do exercises in the textbook offer the students a chance to develop

their language skills? What is the balance between controlled activities and open-ended

activities? Are the exercises progressive? Do they offer students opportunities to

practice and build as they continue with the course? Are the exercises varied and

stimulating or do they repeat in a pattern? These questions will guide how I evaluate the

task level of the textbook.

26

Evaluating the Tasks

Nunans (2004) six steps for developing units of work was written as part of his

larger work on task-based instruction. It was a guide for instructors to use for developing

CLT materials in ELT classrooms. It takes into consideration that developing learners

first need to be exposed to the language focus before participating in communicative

tasks and practicing the communicating about a theme or topic. He identifies six steps.

Step One is Schema Building, Step Two is Controlled Practice, Step Three is Authentic

Listening Practice (ALP), Step Four is Focus on Linguistic Elements, Step Five is

Provide Free Practice, and Step Six is Pedagogical Tasks. Steps One and Two, when not

balanced with other CLT tasks fall into the Audio-Lingual Approach. They progress into

being CLT tasks when they are balanced with more communicative tasks as the unit

progresses. Tasks do not need to flow in a sequential order but should be balanced.

While Nunans work was created for instructors developing lesson plans, it can also be

used to evaluate tasks.

Research Question

In this study I will ask:



the task level?


27


Communicative Language Teaching techniques?

Summary

In this chapter I defined and identified features of the Audio-Lingual approach

and the Communicative Language Teaching approach. I identified key terms I will be

using including approach, method, and technique and I identified what they are from the

syllabus level to the task level. I gave a brief overview of Korean education with a focus

on the changes in EFL education. Then I identified some overall problems seen in

implementing CLT in Asia. Next, I identified the gap in the research that my study hopes

to fill. Finally, I explained the variety of methods to evaluate EFL textbooks and the

elements involved. In Chapter Three I will identify the methods I will use to evaluate the

textbook and to survey the KETs about how they adapt the textbook.

28

CHAPTER THREE: METHODS

In this chapter I will describe how I evaluated the textbook and the survey

methods I used to assess how KETs adapt the textbook. I will describe my research

methods, the survey questions, my research participants, data collection tasks, and how I

evaluated the data. The end result of this chapter is to explain the methods I used to

answer my research questions:



the task level?




My research used a mixed methods approach. I used a self-designed checklist, a

qualitative technique, to answer the first question Does the 2012 Grade 6 textbook

provide teachers with CLT or AL tasks at the syllabus level and at the task level? To

collect data for the second and third questions, How do the current KETs use the

textbook? How often do they adapt the activities, and how familiar they are with CLT

techniques? I collected the data through an online survey, a quantitative technique. I

29

conducted and analyzed the checklist and the survey concurrently and gave each equal

consideration.

Mixed Methods Paradigm

I used a mixed methods paradigm. As the name implies, a mixed methods

paradigm employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches in one study. While

quantitative research evaluates a central question and collects numerical data, qualitative

research evaluates a problem in the natural setting by collecting documents, observing

behavior, or interviewing participants. Mixed methods combine two different forms of

data collection and often analyze them by triangulating the data (Creswell, 2009).

Creswell (2009) said that with a mixed-method study Their combined use provides an

expanded understanding of research problems (p.203).

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Deh Gyo publisher 6th grade

EFL curriculum for its use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method at the

task level and the syllabus level and what tasks KETs add to their lesson plans. I

collected different types of data to answer each part of the question. To answer the

question Does the 2012 Deh Gyo Grade 6 textbook provide teachers with


the task level? I used a descriptive checklist, which is a ta used in qualitative methods.

To collect data to answer the question How do the current KETs use the textbook and

how familiar they are with CLT techniques? I used a survey, a technique in

the quantitative methods. I surveyed the teachers as I evaluated the textbook and gave

30

them equal consideration. The survey provides support for the checklist. I placed the

data side-by-side and discussed how they reflected on each other. I used equal

consideration; neither the survey nor the checklist was given more priority.

Data Collection

Description of Participants and Setting

My research happened in a small, agricultural province in South Korea. I

surveyed Korean elementary English teachers across the province. The province is

mainly composed of small farming villages and has three cities with 200,000 to 300,000

people (City Population, 2012). Many of the teachers in my province teach in small,

country schools. Some teach on isolated islands with small schools of less than 62

children (Deutch, 2011). I distributed the survey using NET social networking websites

and requested that the survey be passed on to their KET peers. In the end, I surveyed 17

Korean English teachers in a southern agricultural province where I teach.

Accessing Materials

I had great difficulty in accessing teaching materials. The teachers guide for the

textbook is in Korean as are the accompanying CD-ROMs and the website. The KETs

are provided with usernames and passwords, but the NETs are not. I had to go to great

lengths to find a teachers guide with the objectives and task descriptions provided in

English. When I did find it, it was only available in a Korean word processing format

that is not readable without a for pay download. I used a KET computer to convert each

31

period of all sixteen lessons to PDF. There are many requests for a teachers guide on the

website used by NETs to prepare lessons. The English language teachers guide that was

provided did not include the first 54 pages of the Korean language teachers guide that

includes pedagogical instruction including information on the CLT and AL approaches, it

also didnt include the key terms and expressions provided to KETS. The lack of

available teaching resources to all English teachers is mentioned in Chapter Five.

Data Collection Technique # 1: Two- Part Textbook Evaluation Checklist

I used a twopart descriptive checklist to examine the 6thgrade English textbook.

The first part of the checklist rates the micro-level tasks to which of Nunans (2004) six

steps they correspond. The second part of the checklist evaluates the macro-level of the

textbook media with a Likert scale from not at all to consistently and adds

descriptive comments to qualify and give examples described below. Both parts of the

checklist compared the balance of AL and CLT tasks provided by the textbook.

Six Steps checklist One difficulty in writing the checklist is that while there is a

concrete list of AL tasks, the variety of CLT tasks is infinite. By their nature they involve

students communicating in an open-ended activity. Nunan (2004) takes into

consideration that developing learners first need to be exposed to the language focus

before participating in communicative tasks and practicing the communicating about the

theme. I evaluated each task as being a Step One through Six (Figure 1) in my textbook

checklist and weighted how many of each type of task there were: Step 1, Schema

Building. Step 2, Controlled Practice, Step 3, Authentic Listening Practice (ALP) Step 4,

32

Focus on Linguistic Elements, Step 5, Provide Free Practice, Step 6, Pedagogical tasks.

Steps One and Two, when not balanced with other CLT tasks fall into the AL approach.

The checklist can be found in Appendix A.

Figure 1 Six Steps Checklist

Steps Examples

Step 1- Schema Building

Create a number of schema-building tasks

that introduce initial vocabulary, language,

and context for the task

Look at newspaper advertisements for

renting accommodation. Identify key

words (some written as abbreviations), and

match people with accommodation.

Step 2- Controlled Practice

Give learners controlled practice in the

target language vocabulary, structures and

functions

Listen to a model conversation between

two people discussing accommodation

options and practice again using the same

conversations model but information from

the advertisements in step 1. In the final

practice, try to move away from following

the conversation model word for word.

Step 3 Authentic Listening

Give learners authentic listening practice

Listen to several native speakers inquiring

about accommodation and match the

conversations with newspaper ads.

Step 4 Focus on Linguistic Elements

Focus on linguistics elements, e.g.

grammar and vocabulary

Listen again to conversations and note

intonation contours. Use cue words to

write complete questions and answer

involving comparatives and superlatives

(cheaper, closer, most spacious, etc.).

33

Step 5 Freer Practice

Provide freer practice

Pair work: information gap role-play.

Student A plays the part of a potential

tenant. Make a note of needs and then call

rental agent. Use ads to offer partner

suitable accommodation.

Step 6 Pedagogical task

Pedagogical task

Group work discussion and decision

making tasks. Look at a set of

advertisements and decide on the most

suitable place to rent.

Overall textbook checklist The second part of the checklist evaluated the macro-level of

the textbook media with a Likert scale from not at all to excellent and adds

descriptive comments to qualify and give examples described below. A rating of 0

signified that the criteria was not present in the materials. A rating of 1 signified that the

criteria was minimally presented in the materials, one to five times across the 16 chapters.

A rating of 2 signified that the criteria was inconsistently presented in the materials, six to

ten times in the 16 chapters. A rating of 3 signified that the criteria was occasionally

presented in the materials, more than ten times in the 16 chapters. And a rating of 4

signified that the criteria was consistently presented in the materials, in the 16 chapters.

This part of the checklist evaluated the presentation of the materials and the presentation

of features of CLT methods. The checklist can be found in Appendix A.

Samples of authentic speech are one aspect of the CLT approach and are Nunans

Step 3. To evaluate the Lets Talk activities in each lesson I used Rings (Figure 2)

Authenticity Ranking for Text Type (Rings). Her 16 point scale rates dialogues from

34

Authentic Conversation 1 to Inauthentic Conversation 16. There are features in the

activities that her scale does not account for including the use of non-native speakers and

dubbing of the actors. As such, I have included annotations to indicate if the speakers

were dubbed and if they were native or non-native speakers.

Figure 2 Authenticity Ranking

Authentic conversation

1 Native speakers spontaneous conversations produced for their own purposes

2 Conversations in which one participant is aware of being monitored 3 Simulated role play by native speakers 4 Plays written by a genius in language use and enacted by good

actors 5 Excerpted portions of 1 6 Excerpted portions of 2 7 Excerpted portions of 3 8 Reenacted portions of 1 9 Reenacted portions of 2

10 Reenacted portions of 3 11 1, altered 12 2, altered 13 3, altered 14 Plays whose dialogue does not correspond to the actual dialogue 15 Conversations composed for textbooks and acted out by native

speakers 16 Composed conversations printed in textbooks

Inauthentic conversation

As an example, I will evaluate Lesson Two Period Twos third activity Listen

and Repeat 2 as shown in Figure 3, with the Six Step Checklist and Rings Authenticity

Ranking for Text Type (Rings, 1986).

35

Figure 3 Listen and Repeat Activity

In this activity the students listen to a dialogue and repeat the dialogue. They then

switch and perform the other half of the dialogue. Using Nunans Six Steps for

Developing Units of Work, this is a Step Two Controlled Practice. It is possible for the

students to repeat the dialogue perfectly without understanding its meaning or being able

to use the expressions in a different context.

36

The task rates as inauthentic, 15 out of 16 (one being the most authentic), on

Rings Authenticity Ranking for Text Type. In addition to it being a composed

conversation acted out by native speakers the speakers have then been animated and are

speaking at an abnormally slow rate of speech. This task appears at least twice in all 16

lessons.

Data Collection Technique # 2: Survey of KETs

I surveyed KETs to assess how they use the textbook. Are they familiar with the

tasks in the CLT method? There are six out of 11 questions that focus on their experience

teaching EFL and their level of training in CLT and five out of 11 questions are about

their knowledge of teaching methods and what methods they use. I distributed the survey

online with surveymonkey.com. I had my questions translated into Korean and back

translated by a second translator into English to verify that the meaning was consistent.

Both translators have a background in education and are familiar with pedagogical jargon.

I made the answer fields available in Korean and English.

I used a cluster survey of Korean elementary English teachers in a southern

Korean province. I surveyed the KETs that I was able to access via social networking

and lesson planning website used by NETs.

Data Analysis

I compared my analysis of what methods appeared in the textbook and teachers

guide with the survey. Using the embedded strategy, I mixed the data, comparing the

37

KETs responses with the analysis of the textbook and discussed their implications for

the evidence of the use of the CLT method in the Korean elementary English classroom. I

evaluated each respondents experience, training, and self-reporting about their frequency

of using the textbook activities as I evaluated the types of tasks provided in the textbook.

I analyzed the data side-by-side. Creswell (2009) states that qualitative data analysis can

be an ongoing process involving continual reflection about the data, asking analytic

questions, and writing memos throughout the study(p. 184). As I evaluated individual

lessons using the Six Steps Checklist I consulted the Overall Checklist and wrote brief

notes.

Verification of Data

In qualitative methods, reliability implies that the approach is consistent across

different researchers (Creswell, 2009). To verify my checklist I had a peer rate a subset

of the data. I then compared their ratings with my own. A high percentage of matching

ratings would indicate that my data is valid.

Ethics

The following protective measures were used to protect the participants rights:

1) I obtained human subjects protocol for all subjects

2) I obtained permission from the regional Office of Education to interview the

instructors

3) I collected informed consent from the participants

38

4) I did not pressure participants to participate in the study

5) I collected data anonymously

6) There were no positive or negative consequences for participating in the study

7) Research materials were kept in a secure location at all times and the online

survey information was password protected

Summary

In this chapter I described the methods I used to collect my data. I described the

mixed methods paradigm as well as the elements of the qualitative and quantitative

paradigms that I blended. I described my data collection methods including my

participants and the location of this study. I described how I analyzed and verified my

data. Finally, I outlined ethical considerations for my study.

39

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS

The goal of this study was to evaluate the 2012 Deh Gyo Grade 6 English

textbook for its use of the CLT approach and KETs knowledge and use of the CLT

approach in their teaching. A checklist evaluating the textbook and a survey of KETs

was conducted to answer the research questions:



the task level?




In this chapter I will describe the 2012 Deh Gyo Grade 6 textbook, I will present

the evaluation of the two-part checklist, and I will present the survey results. Next I will

describe how I analyzed the results and the themes that emerged. I will outline

challenges I experienced in executing the survey and analyzing the results. Finally, I will

analyze the results side by side.

40

The Layout of the Textbook

The English 6 textbook comprises of 16 lessons with 8 Story Times. Each

lesson follows the same format; there are five periods per lesson and every two lessons

are followed by a Story Time. Period Ones focus is listening and it has six tasks: Warm-

up, Fun Talk 1, Listen and Do, Listen and Repeat 1, Talk and Play, and Supplementary

Advanced Activity. Period Two has the same six tasks as Period One; however, the focus

of Period Two is speaking. As can be seen in Figure 4, both periods only have printed

text on the Talk and Play section of the pages. Period Three comprises six tasks

including: Warm-up, Look and Read, Lets Read, Read and Do, Read and Play, and

Supplementary Advanced Activity. The focus of Period Three is reading and it has some

printed text on the student pages; however, it does not provide the majority of the key

terms or phrases. Period Fours tasks include: Warm-up, Lets Sing, Lets Write 1, Lets

Write 2, Write and Play, and Supplementary Advanced Activity. The focus of Period

Four is writing. It has some printed text on the student pages with gaps for filling in key

terms, though it often lacks a model of the key words. Period Five has three tasks:

Warm-up, Activity, and Review. It is a cumulative review of the unit.

It is important to note that not all key words and phrases for the lesson are written

in the student book. The teachers guide for the first period of each lesson lists the

language expressions and includes communicative functions, language structures, and

vocabulary. The time allotment guides teachers in how lessons should flow and the aims

of the activities. Student books do not have a reference section for the key terms and

41

expressions of each lesson. They can listen to the CD-ROM at home to practice speaking

and listening but they do not have a model for how most of the words are read and

written.

Figure 4 Lesson 1 Student Book

43

One of the eight Story Time lessons follow after every second lesson. They are

two class periods long and incorporate key phrases from those two lessons that happen

immediately before the Story Time as well as some phrases from previous lessons as the

year progresses. The stories featured in Story Time are adaptations of popular Western

childrens literature including Heidi, Girl of the Alps and The Town Mouse and the

Country Mouse. Each lesson cycle follows the same format with a variation in Review

tasks and in the second period of odd and even Story Times. Period One has seven tasks.

Warm-up, Look at the Picture, Lets Watch the Screen, Lets Listen to the Story, Lets

Listen Again, Read the Story, and Retell the Story with Pictures. Period Two reviews the

story and introduces cultural concepts. As can be seen in Figure 5, it is divided into two

sections: Story Time and World Tour. The odd Story Times include Warm-up and Guess

and Write. World Tour includes Look and Think, Look and Listen, and Click! Click! In

the even Story Times the Guess and Write task is substituted with Make Your Book and

Share Your Book task.

44

Figure 5 Story Time 8 Student Book

The Stories are adapted from popular Western childrens tales and include

graphics in the book and an animation on the CD-ROM to support the story. The World

Tour Tasks include three graphics and require that the students use a provided third party

URL to research country information on their own. The URLs are US websites that are

designed for native speaking elementary students.

Six Steps Checklist Evaluation

In order to evaluate CLT tasks in the textbook I developed a two-part checklist.

The first section of the checklist looked at the micro-level. I evaluated individual tasks

using Nunans (2004) Six Steps for Developing Units of Work. I selected eight of the 16

lessons and four of the eight Story Times from the textbook and evaluated which type of

task were presented.

45

I analyzed the tasks cumulatively (Table 2), and segregated the information by

Lesson and by Story Time. Of the 280 tasks that I evaluated, 19.6% were a Step 1,

Schema Building task , 46% were a Step 2, Controlled Practice, and 5.7% were a Step 3

task, Authentic Listening Practice (ALP). Of the 20 ALP tasks, all were dubbed

performances at a reduced rate of speech. Step 4, Focus on Linguistic Elements appeared

infrequently, 11.4%, as did Step 5, Provide Free Practice, 10.3%. The most

communicative tasks, Step 6, Pedagogical Tasks occurred 5.7% of the time.

Unfortunately, the majority of the tasks, 184, 65.7% fell into the first two steps which, if

not balanced by more communicative tasks, are purely AL tasks.

Table 1 Six Steps Checklist Results Story Time and Lesson

n=280 Step Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Tasks/percent 55/19.6% 129/46% 16/5.7% 32/11.4% 29/10.3% 16/5.7%

As can be seen in Table 2, although there are some inconsistencies across lessons,

the distribution of steps follows a pattern. Across all lessons there were more Step 2

tasks than any other step. The tasks for Steps 4,5 and 6 were seen infrequently. Step 3

tasks were seen two times across all steps. I had speculated that Steps 1 and 2 tasks

would appear more in the initial lessons and taper off as the year progressed. I did not see

this pattern in my analysis.

46

Table 2 Six Steps Checklist Results by Lesson

n=228 Lesson Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 1 5 11 2 1 1 0 2 4 11 2 1 4 1 3 7 13 2 4 2 0 4 7 11 2 7 1 0 7 6 17 2 0 1 2 12 10 12 2 0 4 0 13 6 15 2 7 0 3 15 2 14 2 3 5 2 Total/percent 47/20.6% 104/45.6% 16/ 7.0% 32/14.0 % 18/7.8% 8/ 3.5 %

Story Times do not follow the patterns seen in the lessons. Table 4 shows that

they do not present Step 3 or Step 4 at all. The stories are highly modified to repeat the

key phrases from the previous two lessons, they are an animated cartoon on the CD-ROM,

and they do not show Step 3, Authentic Practice. While the Story Times could show

contrasts in grammatical features to highlight character differences or establish a conflict,

they do not. Unfortunately, there are no examples of Step 4, Focus on Linguistic

Elements in the Story Times that I examined. In contrast to the lessons, Step 1 is seen

with less frequency, and not seen at all in Lesson 8. Story Time 1 and 6 provide more

models for Steps 5 and 6, though with inconsistencies in their distribution.

47

Table 3 Six Steps Checklist Results by Story Time

n=52 Story Time Lesson

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

1 2 7 0 0 3 1 4 2 6 0 0 1 4 7 4 7 0 0 1 1 8 0 5 0 0 6 2 Total/percent 8/15% 25/48% 0/0% 0/0% 11/21% 8/15%

Peer Validation of the Six Steps Checklist

I validated my Six Steps Checklist with a peer, a MA ESL teacher that I had

taught with in the past and with whom I have a long history of reflective practice. She

chose a lesson at random and I sent her the English 6 teachers guide for that lesson,

Nunans description of the six steps for developing units of work (2004), and the Six

Steps Checklist that I developed. I also recorded and sent the CD-ROM videos for the

Listen and Repeat activities in Lessons 1 and 2. She evaluated Lesson 12 Would You Like

to Come to My Party? After she evaluated the lesson we had a Skype conversation to go

through the tasks and discuss how we evaluated them. We each evaluated 28 tasks.

Before our discussion we matched on 15 of the tasks and after discussion we matched on

all 28 tasks. Reflecting on the evaluation process and on the tasks in the textbook was

immensely helpful. It gave me an opportunity to compare what we were taught as best

practice with a peer of seven years.

48

One difficulty that we both faced was differentiating the Step 1, Schema Building,

tasks from the Step 2, Controlled Practice, tasks. We changed ten out of 28 tasks within

Steps 1 and 2. After some discussion we evaluated tasks that included student actions as

Step 2. These actions included flashcard responses, answering a question about a video,

fill in the blank, and true/false activities. Responses were changed to Step 1 if the student

only listened to the teacher or CD-ROM or in the case of warm ups four and five they are

rereading or singing a speech sample they read/sang the previous lesson and not

responding to it. These tasks occur 19 times in the lesson. Out of the 19 Step 1 and Step

2 tasks the peer evaluator and I modified ten evaluations.

Another difficulty that we both found is that, as teachers trained in Sheltered

Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), a tool for teaching language through content

area instruction, (Echevarria, & Short, 1999), we are trained to look at content, find the

language objectives in the content, and adapt the activities to develop opportunities for

students to practice language skills. We both reflected that sometimes we looked at a

task and read it as we would have taught it, not as the textbook introduced the activity.

Upon reflection we reviewed the activity and saw that it was AL and the small adaptation

that we would use was not explicit in the textbook. For example: Lesson 1 Talk and Play

is a modified matching game. Students shuffle and distribute cards and progressively flip

them over eliciting the flashcard response that they have been taught, Would you like to

come to my _____ party? If they see three of the same party they race to ring a bell first

and say the flashcard response again. My peer reviewer thought that there were

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opportunities for responses with students creating a dialogue, but after we reviewed the

tasks description realized that it is only a one-way flashcard response.

We each made one significant change in our evaluation of a task. My peer

reviewer underrated period four, Lets Write 2 as a Step 2, Controlled Practice. After

reviewing she realized that while it encourages students to copy the model, they can

create their own invitation. Upon reflection she changed it to Step 5, Free Practice. I

underrated Period Five, Review, as Step 5, Free Practice, but my peer reviewer pointed

out that it is complex and thus is a Step 6, Pedagogical Task. These two larger changes

deviated from the majority of the 13 changes we made.

Overall, our ratings were very similar and we had similar difficulties. Our

reflection clarified and strengthened what distinguishes a Step 1 from a Step 2. We both

found the two examples of Step 3, Authentic Listening Practice, to be poor examples.

They were simulated rather than authentic, dubbed, the rate of speech was reduced, and

they hyper enunciated. She originally rated five tasks as Step 5 and one as Step 6. I

originally rated four tasks as Step 5 and none as Step 6. In the end, we agreed that four

were Step 5 and one was Step 6. The peer validation process strengthened my use of the

checklist.

Macro Checklist Evaluation

The second part of the checklist was a macro evaluation, which examined the

textbook media on a Likert scale. The range of the Overall Textbook Checklist was 0

(not at all) to 4 (excellent). It evaluated seven domains: media, skills, speech, grammar,

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vocabulary, reading, and writing. Out of the 36 criteria there were a possible 144 points.

The total score was 87. While most of the ratings fell across all categories, they clustered

into identifiable groupings, (see Table 4). Criteria receiving a 4 out of 4 pertained more to

the student likability of the textbook, while criteria receiving a 0 out of 4 dealt

exclusively with speech.

Table 4 Macro Checklist Frequency Table

Ranking 4/4 3/4 2/4 1/4 0/4 layout graphics materials Appropriate

skills Explicit

grammar objectives

Authentic reading

Vocabulary range

Content area lessons

Variety of reading styles

Speaking and writing skills relate

Age Appropriate writing

age appropriate speech situations

substitution drills

age appropriate vocabulary practice

cultural bias

guidance in acquiring skills

speech practice ranges from simple to complex

speech practice progresses from simple to complex

speech practice distinguishes between productive and receptive skills

reading practices plain sense and implied meaning

reading materials intelligible without pictures

reading ranges from simple to

accessing materials

range of cognitive skills

range of speech skills

grammar stresses communicative competence

scaffolds grammar

range in grammar practice

focus on grammar usage

models print

contrastive analysis of Korean and English

guides pronunciation

variety of English accents

natural native speech

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free practice reading

progresses from simple to complex

models composition

scaffolds writing

writing progresses from simple to complex

Eleven criteria scored the highest ranking of 4 out of 4, 51%. While they were

distributed across seven different domains they seemed to be relating to the general

student likability of the textbook (Table 5). As is seen in Chapter Two, large part of the

Korean EFL program focuses on elementary students enjoying learning English. This

book is well laid out and all supplemental materials are attractive and included in easy

pull-outs at the back of the student book. The characters are age appropriate. They

appear both as animations and actors throughout the book. The characters engage in

similar situations as the students would throughout the school year. The vocabulary is

within their range and the topics that they read and write about are appealing and reflect

their experiences or introduce them to situations their same age peers in other cultures

enjoy. In addition, the objectives are clearly stated at the beginning of the chapter and

repeated each day. Students are aware of what the lessons goals are and are not confused

about the lessons focus.

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Table 5 Overall Checklist 4 out of 4 Ranking

Criteria Comments Media

Layout Very student friendly Graphics (appropraicy) Appropriate blend of animation and actors Materials Student materials are well made and appropriate for 6th

graders Skills

Are the skills presented appropriate to the course

Well within the range of EFL exposure

Grammar Makes grammar objectives explicit

Grammar objectives are explicit

Reading Provides authentic reading opportunities

A wide variety of authentic reading materials: poems, recipes, post cards, letters, short stories, simple book reports

Selects passages within the vocabulary range of the pupil

Strong progression of vocabulary and terms are used in different situations

Content area lessons provide students ability to read in L2 in a familiar context

The situations presented in the chapters often correlate to the events that are happening in the school year and or reflect the content in their curriculum

Passages offer a variety of styles poems, letters, stories, recipes, comics

Students read a wide variety of materials

Writing Written exercise relate to structures and vocabulary practiced orally

Everything relates explicitly

Includes age appropriate writing situations

Students write memos, invitations, post cards, poems, and simple book reports.

Only three of the 36 criteria received a 3 out of 4, 10 %( see Table 6). These were

age appropriate situations for teaching speech and vocabulary as well as offering

substitution drills. While I applaud the textbook in general for its sense of style and

ability to attract 6th grade students, there were a few situations that were inappropriate.

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The songs and chants featured in period three of each lesson were geared for primary

learners and not engaging to a 12 to 13 year old audien

christina kanter capstone

Documents

english textbook

language teaching methods

textbook evaluation

korean websites

chapter overviews

overview of english

korean teacher training

korean cultural norms