VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
********************* BÙI THỊ HƢƠNG AN EVALUATION OF THE MATERIAL “NEW HEADWAY –
ELEMENTARY” FOR THE FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR
STUDENTS AT THAINGUYEN COLLEGE OF
ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY

Đánh giá giáo trình “New Headway_Elementary” dành cho sinh viên
không chuyên ngữ năm thứ nhất trƣờng Cao đẳng
Kinh tế - Kỹ thuật Thái Nguyên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES


I certify the minor thesis is submitted entitled “An Evaluation of the
material New Headway_ Elementary for the first year non-English major
students at Thai Nguyen College of Economics and Technology” in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. I confirm that this
is the result of my own work, and that it has not been submitted for any other
degrees.
Signature Bùi Thị Hương
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ABSTRACT

Material evaluation is an important task in the process of language teaching.
Within these regards, the thesis was carried out to evaluate the material "New
Headway_ Elementary" which is being used at Thai Nguyen College of Economics
and Technology in order to determine how the material is suitable for the needs of
students within the framework of the English program. Thanks to this, there are
some suggestions for material adaptation to make a more appropriate material with
the hope of improving the quality of teaching and learning English at Thai Nguyen
College of Economics and Technology.
The material is evaluated based on the criteria of Hutchinson and Waters
(1987) in terms of objective, content, and methodology by using two instruments to
collect the data from teachers’ and students’ opinions such as questionnaires and
interviews.
Research results show the strengths and weaknesses of the material, it also
reveals some inappropriate things to the needs of students. Based on these findings,
they help the researcher come up with some suggestions for material adaptations as
omission, addition and replacement to have a more appropriate material for the
following courses.

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1: The materials evaluation process (Hutchinson and Waters 1987, p. 98)
Table 1: Students’ desire and achievement after finishing English course
Table 2: The match of the material to the needs of students
Table 3: Students’ interest on the material
Table 4: Teachers’ opinions about students’ achievement after learning this
material
Table 5: Students and teachers’ opinion about language point in this material
Table 6: Students and teachers’ opinions about the proportion of four macro-
skills in this material
Table 7: Teachers and students’ opinions about the integration of four macro-
skills in this material
Table 8: Teachers and students’ opinions about the kinds of texts in this
material
Table 9: Teachers and students’ opinions about the organization and sequence
of content in this material
Table 10: Teachers and students’ opinions about topics of the material
Table 11: Teachers and students’ opinions about each part of units in this
material
Table 12: Teachers and students’ opinions about the number of new words in
each unit in this material
Table 13: Teachers and students’ opinions about the variety of kinds of tasks/
exercises in this material
Table 14: Teachers and students’ opinions about teaching and learning
interactions/techniques in this material
Table15: Teachers and students’ opinions about teaching aids


2.1.1. Teaching and learning context 15
2.1.2. General description of the material 15
2.2. Research methodology 16

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2.2.1. Participants 16
2.2.2. Instruments 16
2.2.3. Data collection procedure 16
2.2.4. Data analysis procedure 17
2.3. Summary 17
CHAPTER III: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 18
3.1. Material analysis 18
3.1.1. The objective of the material 18
3.1.2. The content of the material 18
3.1.3. The methodology of the material 20
3.2. Survey results 21
3.2.1. The suitability of the objectives of the material to the needs of students within
the framework of the English program at TNCET 21
3.2.2. The suitability of the content of the material with the students’ needs within
the framework of the English program at TNCET 25
3.2.3. The suitability of the methodology of the material to the needs of students
within the framework of English program at TNCET 29
3.3. Major findings 31
3.3.1. The suitability of the objectives of the material to the needs of students within
the framework of the English program 31
3.3.2. The suitability of the contents of the material to the needs of students
withinthe framework of the English program 32
3.3.3. The suitability of the methodology of the material to the needs of students
within the framework of the English program 33
3.4. Suggestions for material adaptation 34

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rational for the study
English is an international language and as a mean of communication between
nations, cultures and international organizations. In the trend of globalization today,
English has become a prerequisite for success and national integration into the world
family. With the strong development of the English language in modern society in
Vietnam, National Foreign Language 2020 has been made and implemented with goals “
by 2020 most Vietnamese students graduating from secondary, vocational schools,
colleges and universities will be able to use a foreign language confidently in their daily
communication, their study and work in an integrated, multi-cultural and multi- lingual
environment, making foreign languages a comparative advantage of development for
Vietnamese people in the cause of industrialization and modernization for the country”.
Therefore, the teaching and learning of English has become one of the very pressing needs.
And it is necessary for students to be educated in the appropriate skills with the appropriate
tools. This is the first reason for me to carry out an evaluation of the material New
Headway_ Elementary.
Materials play an important role in most language programs. It is one of the most
important factors in English class, functioning as the teaching and learning tool, the tutor
and guidebook. It is, therefore, necessary to choose the one that suits the desired and
attainable goals of the course as well as students. Furthermore, Cunningsworth (1995) and
Ellis (1997) suggest that textbook evaluation helps teachers move beyond
impressionistic assessments and it helps them to acquire useful, accurate, systematic,
and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. This is another

Informal interviews were applied to get more information from selected
participants.
5. Scope of the study
Although the researcher mentioned the Common European Framework of
Reference, she did not analyze it; she just relied on it to assist in the evaluation of the
material. Thus, the most important task of this research is focusing on evaluating the
material New Headway_ Elementary from the opinions of the English teachers and the
first-year students at college in terms of Objective, Content and Methodology basing on
material evaluation model and criteria proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1987).
6. Design of the study
This study consists of three parts:

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- Part A: Introduction presents the rational, aims, research questions, methods,
scope, and design of the study.
- Part B: Development includes three chapters:
+ Chapter 1: Literature review provides a theoretical basic for issues relating to
Material, Material evaluation and Material adaptation. Material part concludes definition of
material, types of material, and roles of material in language teaching and learning.
Material evaluation part consists of definition, types, purposes, material evaluators,
models, methods, and criteria of material evaluation. Material adaptation part mentions
about reasons for material adaptation and adapting techniques.
+ Chapter 2: Methodology focuses on the methodology employed in this thesis
including an overview of current English teaching and learning situation at TNCET,
research methodology, data collection procedures, and data analysis procedures.
+ Chapter 3: Results and Discussion analyze and discuss the findings of the study,
and give suggestions for material adaptation.
- Part C: Conclusion summarizes the study, reveals the limitations remaining in the
study, and offers some suggestions for further study.


learners to make discoveries about the language for themselves”.
Material is a crucial component in language teaching and learning. It is very
necessary to choose the material which should be used in particular circumstance.
As mentioned in the definition, materials exist in many different forms. However,
McGrath (2002) studied and classified into four main types:
- Published materials: This type of material can be books and reference material as
dictionaries, grammars, advice on language learning, test practice materials, tapes
accompanying course books, or supplementary books.
- Authentic materials: Taken from real life, these consist of newspapers, magazines,
user manuals, leaflets and brochures, foreign mission information, letters, faxes, emails,
videos, and songs.
- Adapting and supplementing published materials: These are ones that have been
adapted or supplemented in some ways. These cut-up materials can be self-standing or
deliberately designed to supplement the course books.
- Specially-prepared materials: For self-access activities, this type of material
proves to be useful as there is always a need for material that is more precisely tailored to
the needs of students working on their own.
Basing on features of types of the material, it is easy to realize the material New
Headway_ Elementary is published material. In addition, these features provide teachers

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understanding of each types of material. Thus, they can be successful in choosing the
material that suits the specific circumstances and needs of learners.
1.1.2. What are roles of material in language teaching and learning?
In the process of English language teaching and learning, there are many important
components which can affect the quality of teaching and learning but the most essential
one is the material. It is very difficult for teachers to teach systematically without a
material. Indeed, the material plays a crucial role in providing the foundation of knowledge
for both teachers and learners. And the role of materials is a subject which is discussed by
many authors. The following reasons prove how materials are very important in language

objectives based on collected data and suggesting actions to make changes in the process
of language teaching and learning.
1.2.2. Different types of material evaluation
Educators have classified evaluation according to its purpose. And different
researchers have different divisions in classifying material evaluation. Robinson (1991,
p.59) divides materials evaluation into three types: preliminary, summative and formative
while McGrath (2002, p.181-203) classifies materials evaluation into three stages: pre-use,
in -use and post-use evaluation. In all classifications from different authors, Mc Grath’s
classification seems to be most widely accepted.
- Pre- use evaluation is often carried out before the course starts to select the most
appropriate materials for the particular group of learners and for the aims of the course.
Besides, this evaluation is to identify which aspects of the published material needed
adapting to suit the purposes of the evaluators.
- In-use evaluation often takes place during the learning process. This process
evaluates suitability, involving, matching the material against a specific requirement
including the learner’s objective, the learner’s background, and the resources available.
- Post- use evaluation is carried out when the course is finished to identify strengths
and weaknesses and the findings of this evaluation is very helpful to decide whether to
repeat or use the materials again or not.
In short, each type of material evaluation has the advantages as well as
disadvantage. Therefore, in order to evaluate material effectively, the researchers should
determine which type of material evaluation will be suitable for research purposes and
their real context. Among three types of material evaluation mentioned above, only Post-
use evaluation is carried out after finishing the course. At that time students have
approached all the lessons or parts in the material, it is more objective to give evaluators
personal opinions about material. Therefore, evaluator can get the most useful results in
material evaluation process and these results will support English program in the next

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school year to adjust some program contents to meet the quality of teaching and learning


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Outsiders are those who have not been involved in the program such as consultants,
inspectors and administrators. Accordingly, they may not fully understand the teaching and
learning situation in which the evaluation is being carried out. In addition, it may take them
more time to be aware of the local situation such as learners’ needs, facilities and time
constraints so it may be difficult for them to make truly judgments and recommendations
of the program.
In contrast to the outsiders, the insiders are those who have been directly involved
in the language-teaching program such as teachers, students, course and materials
designers. Therefore, they can provide the most valid information in the evaluation
process. Also, their understanding of cultural and political factors of the institution in
which the evaluation takes place would enhance the reliability of judgments and
recommendations. To stress the role of the insiders as evaluators, Richard (2001, p.296)
states that the involvement of the insiders plays an important part in the success of
evaluation because “as a consequence, they will have greater degree of commitment to
acting on its result”. He also adds that the teachers can watch out for when the materials
are being used. Consequently, they can know exactly the extent that the materials work for
their purposes and they can make modifications to improve the effectiveness of the
materials. However, there are also disadvantages to insiders when they are “too close and
involved” (Dudley- Evan and St. John, 1998, p.131) so the evaluation may be influenced
by their subjective points of view and their teaching experience.
The author of this research is a teacher, so she plays the role of insider evaluator
while conducting the study.
1.2.5. Models for material evaluation
In the material evaluation process, evaluation model plays an important role for
evaluators to follow. Many authors have studied about it and have given different models
for material evaluation. However, the most popular models are the ones suggested by
Hutchinson & Waters (1993), Ellis (1997), and McDonough & Shaw (1993).
The first model of evaluation by Hutchinson & Waters is called Marco Evaluation.

- Choosing a task to follow.
- Describing the task with specification of input, procedures, language activities,
and outcomes.
- Planning the evaluation with reference to the dimensions above.
- Collecting information before, while and after the task was used, and what and
how the task was performed.
- Analyzing the information collected.
DEFINE CRITERIA

On what bases will you judge materials?
Which criteria will be more important?
SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
What realization of the criteria
do you want in your course?
OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
How does the material being
evaluated realize the criteria?


materials for specified groups or individuals by considering a number of the factors such as
the usability, the generalizability, the adaptability, and the flexibility.
In short, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) suggest a logical model for materials
evaluation. It seems to be the most appropriate model to follow because it can help the
evaluators know exactly what must be done to analyze the material. Firstly, the author set
out both subjective analysis and objective analysis. Then the findings of the two analyses
are compared to find out whether they match to each other and if not, to what extents they
do not match up. Based on the research results, good aspects as well as problematic parts
of the material can be identified, which may serve as a reliable ground for further
suggestions on material improvements. These are the reasons why the author has chosen
the evaluation framework by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) to check whether the existing
material is suitable for the needs of students.
1.2.6. Different methods of evaluation
In general, there are three basic methods of material evaluation. McGrath (2002)
refers them to the impressionistic method, the checklist method, and the in-depth method.
The impressionistic method is concerned to obtain a general impression of
the material. This is wide-ranging but relative superficial (Cunningworth, 1995, p.1). The

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method involves glancing at the publisher’s description on the back cover, the
content page, book layout and visuals.
The checklist method is the use of a list of items which is referred to for
comparison, identification or verification. It is considered systematic, cost effective,
convenient and explicit.
The in-depth method looks at the kind of language description, underlying
assumptions about learning or values on which the materials are based (McGrath, 2002). It
focuses on specific feature (Cunningworth, 1995), close analysis of one or more extracts
(Hutchinson, 1987).
In short, each of these methods has its limitations as well as its specific uses.
Among the three methods of material evaluation above, the checklist method seems to suit

criteria.
Criteria of Ur (1996) are too general, so it is not appropriate for evaluating a
material.
For more specific criteria, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) suggest that there are five
main criteria for materials evaluation concluding the audience, the aims, the content, and
the methodology and other criteria.
- The audience of the materials: the evaluator should obtain information about and
from learners to find out whether the materials are suitable to the students’ age, knowledge
of English, interest and so on.
- Aims of the materials: refer to the purpose of learners’ course and materials.
- Content of the materials: refers to language points, macro-skills/ micro-skills, and
topics suit the learners’ needs.
- Methodology of the materials: is concerned with learners’ expectations from the
course, kinds of tasks, teaching techniques and the aids available for use.
- Other criteria: consist of price range and the possibly available quantities of the
materials.
Comparing the three sets of criteria presented above by William (1983), by Ur
(1996) and by Hutchinson and Waters (1987), we can not deny that the set of criteria of
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) is very appropriate to material evaluation which focusing
on material being in use. The authors gave very specific criteria which are based on that
evaluators can look at the material thoroughly in almost all aspects. In their criteria,
objective and content as well as methodology have a direct impact to the quality of
teaching and learning English. Therefore, in order to fit the setting and constraints of the

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current research which is for a minor thesis, the researcher decides to evaluate material
based on the three criteria namely objective, content and methodology to see how much
New Headway_Elementary matches with the needs of the students in the context of the
English program they are working in.
1.3. Material adaptation

add to textbooks, either in the form of texts or exercise material.
- Reduction: where the teacher shortens an activity to give it less weight or
emphasis.
- Extension: where an activity is lengthened in order to give it an additional dimen-
sion. (For example, a vocabulary activity is extended to draw attention to some syntactic
patterning.)
- Rewriting/modification: teacher may occasionally decide to rewrite material,
especially exercise material, to make it more appropriate, more “communicative”, more
demanding, more accessible to their students, etc.
- Replacement: text or exercise material which is considered inadequate, for what-
ever reason, may be replaced by more suitable material. This is often culled from other
resource materials.
- Re-ordering: teachers may decide that the order in which the textbooks are pre-
sented is not suitable for their students. They can then decide to plot a different course
through the textbooks from the one the writer has laid down.
- Branching: teachers may decide to add options to the existing activity or to
suggest alternative pathways through the activities.
In short, although there are many adapting techniques, teachers should choose
suitable techniques with materials to get the best effectiveness in teaching and learning
process.
In summary, this chapter has provided a brief review of literature on materials
evaluation. It includes three sections. The first section mentions some issues in the
material. The second sections presented major issues in materials evaluation. The last
section also included some issues in material adaptation. Therefore, this chapter can be
seen as the theoretical foundation for the applications for the study in chapter III.
intonation, and rhythm, and understand simple, spoken texts on familiar topics.
- Write simple paragraphs/letters on familiar topics.