ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to all the people who have helped me with this research study.
First of all, I want to express my deepest respect and special thanks to my
supervisor - Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van - for his valuable encouragement, professional
guidance and expertise in every step of my thesis. Without his help and care, I could
not have completed this research paper.
Secondly, I would like to state my sincere thanks to the teachers and staff of
the Postgraduate Department - College of Foreign Languages - Vietnam National
University, Hanoi for their facilitation and guidance in the completion of my
research. Thirdly, I want to express my gratitude to the editors and writers of
the series of English textbooks for lower secondary schools, the teachers and
students teaching and learning the piloted textbook Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1 (Sách thí
điểm) in Hai Duong province assistance and participation in my survey research.
Lastly, my thanks go to my family members, friends and other colleagues
at Hai Duong College for their patience and support in order for me to complete
this study.
i
ABSTRACT
The current study aims at evaluating the textbook Tiếng Anh 6, tập 1 (Sách
thí điểm) to find out whether the book is suitable with the requirements of the 2020
Project as well as the Piloted English Language Curriculum for lower secondary
education in the context of teaching and learning this book in some lower secondary
schools in Hai Duong province. A survey questionnaire has been designed basing
on a combination of evaluation checklists and criteria suggested by different authors
and informal talks with the respondents are utilized as the research instruments of
the study. The results of the study show a very high level of agreement for the
suitability of the book among the participants. Recommendations and suggestions
for future use of the book are also made in the last part of the study.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
iii

textbook for grade 6 has been taught for more than 7,000 sixth grade students with
A1 certificate (according to the Common European Framework Reference - CEFR
standard) of 88 secondary schools in 30 provinces. Beside textbooks and students'
quality, teachers' quality and methodology have also been emphasized. To be
qualified for teaching the piloted textbooks, secondary teachers are required to have
B2 certificates and attend a training course in methodology.
1.1.2. The Context of Teaching and Learning "Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1" (Sách thí
điểm) in Hai Duong College and Hai Duong Province
Hai Duong College is among 18 key universities and colleges nationwide
selected to be the training centers for providing the training courses in language
competence and methodology for primary and secondary English teachers. From
September 2011 up to now, teachers in Hai Duong College, Foreing Languages
Department and I am one of its members have trained 240 primary, secondary and
high school English teachers from Hai Duong and Bac Ninh provinces. Currently,
we are training 124 primary and secondary school English teachers. Training
teachers to meet the requirements of the National Foreign Languages Project and to
be qualified for teaching the piloted English textbooks is of our primary concern.
In Hai Duong province, "Tiếng Anh 6 "(Sách thí điểm) textbooks have also
been taught for 6 groups of 240 students in 3 lower secondary schools in the school
year 2012 -2013. Of these three schools, two are located in Hai Duong city (Le Quy
Don and Binh Minh lower secondary school) and one in the rural district of Tu Ky
(Phan Boi Chau lower secondary school). There will be 13 more secondary schools
qualifying for teaching the piloted English 6 in the school year 2013-2014.
3. Statement of the Problem
"Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1" (Sách thí điểm) for sixth graders are designed to
comply with the Vietnamese Prime Minister's Decision No.1400, the NFL 2020
Project, Period 2008-2020 and the Piloted English Language Curriculum for LSE
and are adopted as textbooks for 240 piloted students in Hai Duong province in the
2
school year 2012-2013. It is necessary that an evaluation on the book be carried out

this research only focuses on evaluating the first volume - "Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1"
(Sách thí điểm). As any of the frameworks and checklists aim at evaluating
textbooks in general with no specifications for a specific textbook under a particular
context of evaluation like this, the evaluation criteria used in the study is a
combination of the evaluation frameworks and checklists proposed by
Cunningsworth (1984, 1995), Davies (2006), Ellis(1997), Hutchison and Waters
(1993), Littlejohn (1998), Mc Donald and Shaw (1993), Sheldon (1988), Skiero
(1991), Tomlinson (2003) and Williams (1983). The population is restricted to 60
sixth grade students and 6 teachers in 3 lower secondary schools in Hai Duong in
the academic year 2012-2013 and 1 editor and 5 writers of Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1"
(Sách thí điểm).
1.5 Significance of the Study
It is hoped that the study will contribute to the establishment of qualities for
a better "Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1" (Sách thí điểm textbook in the current situation of a
total and thorough change in the teaching and learning cause of English in Hai
Duong under the impetus of the NFL 2020 Project. It is also hoped that with the co-
operative evaluation from multi-dimentional educational agents: the textbook
editor, authors, teachers and learners, the study will give positive feedbacks on the
book so that it will soon be adopted to teach English for six-graders nationwide.
1.6. Limitations
Because of the time constraints and limited size of a minor thesis, the writer
could not carry out the survey on a larger scale so more or less the results might not
be reliable enough for such a generalization. In addition, for a much comprehensive
and thorough evaluation, it would be better if the second volume of English 6 -
Tiếng Anh 6, tập 2 (Sách thí điểm) would have been evaluated.
1.7 Overview of the Study
The study includes three parts as follows:
4
Part A - Introduction- introduces background to the study. The statement of the
problem, the aims, the research questions, the scope and the significance of the

purpose'. (Brown & Rogers, 2002: 289).
6
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Teaching and Learning English in Vietnam under the National Foreign
Language Project Entitled: “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020”
1.1.1. Teaching and Learning English in Vietnam: Challenges and
Opportunities
In Vietnam, as cited by Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung - Head of the Committee of
the NFN Project in a TESOL conference in 2011, foreign languages are taught as a
subject at schools and colleges (about 98% students study English, 2% for Russian,
Chinese, French, German and Japanese). However, most students cannot
communicate or use English in their study after 7 years at school and 2 more years
at college. In addition, 62,000 secondary English teachers plus 24,000 teachers of
primary education from grade 3 need improvements in language proficiency and
teaching methodology. Besides, over-crowded classrooms; centrally dictated
textbooks and strict control of syllabus; poor teaching and learning equipment;
teach-to-the-test fashion; low teachers’ salary, etc. are central problems to the cause
of teaching and learning foreign languages in Vietnam.
Despite these obstacles, there are still many opportunities. The strong
commitment from Ministries and the government; the awareness of the importance
of English for professional development and career by teachers and students,
especially the government’s new investment in the National Foreign Language
Project from 2008-2020 and the strong international cooperation and partnerships
with international organizations are the impetus for us to carry out the Innovation in
English Language Education in Vietnam.
1.1.2. NFL 2020 Project
The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training is currently launching the
Project entitled “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National

for implementing the curriculum are stated in the first part. Suggestions for teaching
contents for each grade and level are given in the second part of the curriculum.
In regard to principles of curriculum construction and development, the
curriculum is developed and established based on a ten-item principle with a strong
emphasis on language competences and communicative abilities about selected and
linked themes and topics. After finishing the curriculum, students will be able to
reach A2 level of specified in the CFFR.
General goals for the use of four skills in daily and familiar situations
equivalent to A2 level, linguistic, social and cultural knowledge, attitudes towards
learning English and learning strategies are presented. Specific goals for each grade
and level have also been set. For example, after finishing grade 6, students' four
skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as linguistic knowledge of
phonetics, vocabulary and grammar are targeted at a basic level, including the
ability to understand and react to familiar topics such as family, school, friends,
festivals, landscapes, celebrities, TV, sports, etc.
Curriculum's contents consisting of systems of themes and topics,
communicative competences, linguistic knowledge, learning how to learn, the
adoption of teaching method of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and
learner-centered approach, testing and assessment procedures and conditions for
curriculum implementation are further described in the curriculum.
Finally, specific suggestions of themes, topics, communicative competences
and language items for the teaching contents for each grade and levels are
introduced.
1.1.4. The Textbook "Tiếng Anh 6" - Tập 1 (Sách Thí Điểm)
"Tiếng Anh 6" (Sách Thí Điểm) following "Tiếng Anh 3", "Tiếng Anh 4" and
"Tiếng Anh 5", is a two-volume series, marking the first of a four-level English
language textbook for Vietnamese students of lower secondary schools learning
English as a foreign language (EFL). It closely responds to the systematic, theme-
based syllabus approved by the Ministry of Education and Training in October
9

that the students have previously acquired. Important new vocabulary items are
introduced in the text and practised in a follow-up activity. Speaking activity aims
to support students to speak English freely, using the recently practised language
and their knowledge of English.
Section 6 - Skills 2 - provides students with an opportunity to listen to the
language they have practised orally in section 5 and improves their listening skills:
listen for general and specific information.
Section 7 - Looking Back & Project - lasts about one period of 45 minutes.
The Looking Back part recycles the language of the unit through different activities
whereas the Project part helps students to work independently or work in a team on
a field related to the unit subject.
The time allocated for the book is 52 periods (approximately 39 hours).
1.2. Textbook Evaluation
1.2.1. Roles of textbooks
Historians have discovered that textbooks were used in ancient Greece for
educational purposes. In Chinese, "study" means "read the textbooks". Textbooks
are common manual instructions and resources used in every educational
institution. They consist of detailed materials on current topics and are designed to
facilitate language development and knowledge acquisition. They are central to the
teaching and learning of any language program because they represent the
appropriate content specifications selected from the total corpus of a language for
teaching purposes and for what is considered most useful to the learners as stated in
the curriculum.
In Vietnam, as reflected in the Education Act, textbooks are considered an
effective and important tool for the teaching and learning cause, bearing the legal
responsibility in them. Textbooks are not only legal commands but more
importantly, they lead learners and teachers to follow the right directions to achieve
specific goals set by education administrators and educational strategic planners.
1.2.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Textbooks
11

either 'to choose among materials available the most suitable ones to use for a
particular situation' or 'to determine whether the material which has been chosen
works for that situation after it has been used for a period of time'. The findings of
textbook evaluation after a number of criteria have been taken into consideration
will bring about remedial action, e.g. the adaptation or supplementation of
textbooks or the provision of appropriate guidance and support for teachers and
learners in how to use them appropriately.
1.2.4. Defining Textbook Evaluation
Textbook evaluation has become such an important applied-linguistic
activity that it attracts the attention of many linguistic researchers since the 1980s.
Hutchinson and Waters (1993:72) see evaluation as a matter of judging the fitness
of something for a particular purpose: 'Given a certain need, and in the light of the
resources available, which out of number of possibilities can represent the best
solution? There is no absolute good or bad - only degrees of fitness for the required
purpose'.
According to Brown (1995), textbook evaluation is 'the systematic collection
and analysis of all relevant information necessary to promote the improvement of a
curriculum and assess its effectiveness within the context of the particular
institution involved'. Brown emphasizes the systematic manner of the information
under evaluation with reference to curriculum development and the contextual
situation of an educational institution.
Tomlinson (2003:15) is interested in examining the value that a textbook or
material offers those who use it. He defines this activity as "a procedure that
involves measuring the value (or potential value) of a set of learning materials. It
involves making judgment about the effect of the materials on the people using
them".
13
In short, it can be said that textbook evaluation is the process of judging the
necessary information systematically to see the value of it on its specific users,
taking the contextual factor into consideration.

coursebook: rationale, availability, user definition, layout and graphics,
accessibility, linkage, selection and grading, physical characteristics, appropriacy,
authenticity, cultural bias, educational validity, practice and revision. For each of
these items, he also makes it clear by giving key questions.
Skiero (1991) brings to focus two main categories in a textbook evaluation:
the textbook and the teacher's manual.
• The textbook:
1. Bibliographical data
2. Aims and Goals
3. Subject Matter
4. Vocabulary and Structures
5. Exercises and Activities
6. Layout and Physical Make-up
• The teacher's manual:
1. General Features
2. Supplementary Exercises
3. Methodological and Pedagogical Guidance
4. Linguistic Background Information
A four-step model for macro-evaluation is presented by Hutchison and
Waters (1993). In this view, the first step is defining criteria which seek answers to
two questions: 'On what bases will you judge materials?' and 'Which criteria will
be more important?'. The second and third steps are subjective and objective
analyses which aim to find out the realizations of the criteria we want in the course
and how the material being evaluated realizes the criteria. The last step is matching
which clarifies how the material matches your needs.
15
Ellis (1997:37) proposes an empirical micro-evaluation with a two-step
evaluation framework. In the first stage, L2 instruction and textbooks are assessed
according to predictive standards against the numerous established evaluation
checklists to be adopted. In the next stage, teachers / evaluators are called upon to

rationales:
1. In terms of learners, textbooks should correspond to students' interests,
needs, level of proficiency and the socio-cultural background.
2. In terms of Curriculum, textbooks should correspond to the Curriculum
Guidelines and reflect the aims of teaching.
3. In terms of methodology, textbook compilation should be based on the
theories of second language acquisition and on the latest language teaching
methods.
As for scoring system established in evaluation checklists and schemes, it
seems that the experts tend to adopt different elaborated scoring systems: (i) every
item is assigned a series of evaluative numbers in which the higher number
indicates the higher scores as in Williams (1983), (ii) every item is given a weight
value (Cunningsworth, 1995), (iii) evaluative scores are distributed to every
category which contains several items (Hutchinson & Waters, 1993), (iv) the
checklists only list the items worthy of teachers' attention in selecting textbooks and
do not provide a very specific scoring system (Tomlinson, 2003).
Although these approaches are the most common and likely straightforward,
the shaky theoretical basis of such checklists and the subjectivity of judgments have
often been a source of disappointment as it appears that some of the lists’ items are
impressionistic, subjective and do not fit the contextual factors of a particular
evaluation as 'they lack coverage, systematicity and / or a principled base'
(Tomlinson (2003 - 26)'. The answer, Tomlinson suggests, is that 'it is extremely
useful to develop a set of formal criteria for use on a particular evaluation and then
to use that set as a basis for developing subsequent context-specific sets'.
17
1.2.6. Previous Studies on Textbook Evaluation
Tomlinson et al (2001) evaluated some textbooks published by leading UK
publishers: "Language in Use" and "True to Life" (by Cambridge University Press),
"Cutting Edge" and "Wavelength" (by Pearson Longman), "Inside Out" and
"Reward" (by MacMillan Heinemann Press). The overall criteria and coursebook-

evaluate the textbook's objectives, content and methodology as compared to the
statement objectives and aims defined by the Vietnam's Ministry of Education and
Training (MOET) for grade 10. The findings of this study show that the textbook
under evaluation partly met the course requirements and suitable to the students'
level of English in such areas as suitable topics, appropriate listening sections,
various and appropriate text types and skill-integrated task types and activities.
However, students' ability to communicate in English about the required topics
stated in the objectives are not well-met; the texts on speaking, reading and writing
skills are difficult and there is not enough proper instructions given. Some
adjustment of content and methodology, exercises designed basis and adaptation
techniques such as adding, deleting, simplifying and reordering are also included in
the study.
Tran Thi Chung Oanh (2010) evaluated the material "Lifelines" for the first
year non-English major students at Hai Phong University. The author adopted
Hutchison and Waters (1987)'s criteria and employed questionnaires and informal
interviews as research instruments. Major findings of the study revealed that the
material's content and methodology suited the students' requirements but there was
some mis-match in time allocation. Finally, suggestions on the material
improvements on time proportion for each unit and time allocated for the course
were made.
Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh (2010) conducted a study on teachers evaluation on
"Let's go 1A - 2nd edition" for grade 3 at primary schools in the north of Viet Nam.
A combination of the evaluation model by Hutchison and Waters (1987) and
Cunningsworth (1995)'s checklist was employed. The criteria were divided into six
19
areas: objectives, content, language points, accompanying supplementary materials,
general look and methodology. The results of the survey indicated that "Let's go 1A
second edition" basically met the objectives of the course and the curriculum.
Limitations of the book rested in limited topics, unbalanced skills, a challenging
communicative methodology for teachers and the way linguistic input was

research method focuses on getting data from samples which are representatives of
a population. A survey questionnaire is considered to be an effective tool in
'gathering and describing the characteristics, attitudes, views, opinions and so forth
of students, teachers, administrators or any other people who are important to a
study' (Brown & Rogers 2002 - 142).
3.3. Participants
Most of the researchers in literature hold the view that evaluation should not
'be restricted to outside evaluators' (Tomlinson, 1998 - 224). In this study, the
survey questionnaire was delivered to and targeted the whole internal population of
the general editor and authors of the series of English textbooks (Sách thí điểm) for
21
lower secondary students, teachers teaching "Tiếng Anh 6 - Tập 1" (Sách thí điểm)
and sixth grade students.
The total number of the study population is seventy-two - 55 females and 17
males, including one general editor and five authors of the piloted English
textbooks for lower secondary students from grade 6 to grade 9, six lower
secondary teachers and sixty sixth-graders. While all the teachers teaching the
intended textbook are selected, a random sampling strategy is employed to select
ten from each of the six classes of three lower secondary schools in Hai Duong
Province. Questionnaires were sent to all the authors, teachers and students and all
of them were collected and used in this study.
The textbook author participants taking part in the study include four females
and two males. All of them are leading professors, Assoc. professors, lecturers,
educational administrators or teachers at prestigious educational institutions across
Vietnam.
All of the teachers involved in the survey are female, ageing from 28 to 43.
They have been teaching English for at least five years and all of them have got B2
certificate, especially, two of them have got C1 certificates (according to CFFR) to
be qualified for teaching these classes.
Of the 60 student participants, forty of them are from Hai Duong city and the