Vietnam National University, Hanoi
university of language and international studies
department of Postgraduate studies
Lê Thị Huệ An evaluation of the Textbook English 11 Taught
at Phan Dinh Phung Secondary school in hanoi.
A case study
đánh giá sách giáo khoa Tiếng Anh 11 dạy ở Tr-ờng THPT
Phan Đình Phùng Hà Nội: Điển cứu
Minor program thesis
Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10
Supervisor: Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa, Ph.D Hanoi, August 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Declaration i
Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iii
Table of contents iv
List of tables & charts v
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1. Rationale 1
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study 1
1.3. Research questions 2
1.4. Methods of the study 2
1.5. Scope of the study 2
1.6. Design of the study 3
Chapter 2. Literature review 4
2.1. Textbook 4
2.1.1. Definitions of textbook 4
2.1.2. The roles of textbook in language teaching and learning 5
2.2. Textbook Evaluation 7
2.2.1. Definition 7
2.2.2. The reasons to evaluate textbook 7
2.2.3. Types of textbook evaluation 8
2.2.3.1. Pre-use evaluation 8
2.2.3.2 In-use evaluation 9

4.2.1.2. Language types 27
4.2.1.3. Activities 28
4.2.1.4. Skills 30
4.2.1.5. Subjects and contents 31

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4.2.2. Questionnaire for students 32
4.3. Classroom observation 41
Chapter 5. Conclusions and recommendations 44
5.1. Summary of the study 44
5.2. Some suggested solutions 45
5.2.1. Addition 45
5.2.2. Reduction 46
5.2.3. Modification 46
5.2.4. Branching 46
5.3. Some recommendations for further study 47
References 48
Appendix 1: Curriculum by MOET I
Appendix 2: Bookmap of English 11 VII
Appendix 3: Questionnaires for teachers X
Appendix 4: Questionnaires for students XV

English is now taught not only at all universities and colleges, but also as a
compulsory subject at almost every senior high school and English will become a
compulsory subject in grade 3 at primary schools in 2010. This proves that teaching and
learning English well has become one of the most concerns of educators and society.
Teaching and learning English well means that learners are able to communicate verbally
with the outside world. In order to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning
English, many innovations have been made. The first innovation but not least important is
the introduction of the new set of textbooks. Actually, textbooks play a significant role in
foreign language teaching. They are not simply the everyday tools of the language
teachers; they are an embodiment of the aims and methods of the particular
teaching/learning situation. Good textbooks help to build up students‟ confidence by
providing tasks or activities that students can cope with. Textbooks provide the students
with opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative purposes. Tasks
and activities in the textbooks are variable and cater for a range of learning styles so all
students can benefit. Especially in Vietnam, the textbook is seen as central to teaching-
learning by the majority of teachers in most schools. Whether the new set of textbooks is
as effective as Vietnamese teachers expect it to be; whether the textbooks meet the general
aims of the course: e.g. improving the students‟ level of English in the areas of four
language skills and teaching them the basic features of the language; whether the textbooks
are appropriate to the context they are used in: level of students and teachers, classroom
environment, etc. are questions for textbook evaluators. However, due to the limited time
and its scope, this thesis focuses on evaluating one set of textbook only – English 11 at
Phan Dinh Phung secondary school, Hanoi. Hopefully, the findings of the thesis will
provide contribution to the improvement of the teaching and learning at secondary schools
in Vietnam.
1.2 Aims and objectives of the study
The study aims to evaluate the textbook objectives, content and methodology in order
to determine whether it truly follows the objectives prescribed by MOET for the course
and whether it is suitable to students‟ level at Phan Dinh Phung secondary school and to
see whether it brings about the interests in learning to the students. At the same time, the

school, the result of the study which is only right at this school cannot be generalized for

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all secondary schools in Vietnam. This result can be kept for reference when conducting an
evaluation of the textbook taught at other schools.
1.6 Design of the study
The study consists of five chapters:
Chapter I. Introduction, presents the general introduction of the study, consisting of
rationale, aims and objectives, research questions, methods, scope and design of the study.
Chapter II, Literature review, presents the most important notions related to textbook
evaluation. They are: definitions and the roles of textbook in language teaching and
learning; definition, reasons, types and methods and criteria of textbook evaluation;
definition, purpose and methods of textbook adaptation. Also in this chapter some
previous studies on the same topic are presented.
Chapter III, Methodology, provides information about Research Design, Setting,
Participants, Data Collection Instruments, Data Collection Procedures
Chapter 4. Data Analysis and Discussion, analyses and discusses the data collected
from document analysis, survey questionnaires and classroom observation.
Chapter 5. Conclusions and recommendations, presents the major findings of the
study and recommends some suggestions for further study. 4
Chapter 2. Literature review
2.1. Textbook
2.1.1. Definitions of textbook
The traditional textbook, as we can see it, usually consists of a number of chapters with
texts of different lengths that deal with various topics. There may be a different theme for
every chapter and sometimes there are a few pre-reading activities, or post-reading
exercises. The texts can generally be listened to on CD or tape. In some cases the textbook

2.1.2. The roles of textbook in language teaching and learning
English language instruction has many important components but the essential
constituents to many ESL/EFL classrooms and programs are the textbooks and instruction
materials that are often used by language instructors. Different theorists have various ideas
on the crucial roles that textbook plays in language teaching.
Garinger (2001) cited in points out that
„Textbooks play a pivotal role in language classrooms in all types of educational
institutions - public schools, colleges, and language schools - all over the world.‟ Riazi
(2003, p52) also agrees with that point of view when clarifying that „textbooks play a very
crucial role in the realm of language teaching and learning and are considered the next
important factor (element) [italics added] in the second/foreign language classroom after
the teacher.‟ Other theorists such as Sheldon (1988) further explains that textbooks not
only „represent the visible heart of any ELT program‟ (p.237) but also offer considerable
advantages – for both the students and the teacher – when they are being used in the
ESL/EFL classroom. In some situations, textbooks serve as the basis for much of the
language input learners receive and the language practice that occurs in the classroom.
They may provide the basis for the content of the lessons, the balance of skills taught, and
the kinds of language tasks students actively use. In other situations, textbooks may serve
primarily to supplement the teacher's instruction. For learners, textbooks may provide a
major source of contact they have with the target language, excluding the input provided
by the teacher. In the case of novice teachers, textbooks may also be utilized as a form of
teacher training; that is, they provide ideas on how to plan and teach lessons as well as
formats that teachers can use. Much of the language teaching that occurs throughout the
world today could not take place without the extensive use of commercial textbooks. The
advantages that textbooks give to teachers and learners can be summarised as „A course
book is a map. It shows where one is going and where one has been. It provides language
samples. It offers variety.‟ (quoted in McGrath 2002:10)
No doubt, a course book is looked upon as an indispensable vehicle for foreign
language acquisition whose validity and significance are seldom impugned. Many students


2.2. Textbook Evaluation
2 2 1. Definition

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There are many definitions of evaluation; fundamentally evaluation is asking questions
and acting on the responses. Evaluation is a whole process which begins with determining
what information to gather and ends with bringing about change in current activities or
influencing ones. According to the Longman of Contemporary English (2001), the most
basic definition is „the act of considering something to decide how useful or valuable it is‟.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987:96) also point out that „Evaluation is a matter of judging the
fitness of something for a particular purpose‟. Cunningsworth (1984:64) further explains
„… that the process of evaluation could not be a purely mechanical one that professional
judgment was involved at every stage.‟ „Professional judgment, found on understanding of
the rational of language learning and backed up by practical experience, lies at the base of
evaluation procedure.‟
Evaluation of textbooks is also considered to function as a kind of educational
judgment Evaluation implies judgment-making which therefore also means that
evaluation is subjective. When we compare a description of a textbook with a description
of a context in order to establish in a preliminary way whether that textbook might be
suitable for that context we are evaluating.
Low (1987, p. 21) states that “teachers generally need to screen materials, in order to
predict their suitability for particular classes”. Thus, in this study, the evaluation of the
textbook English 11 in Phan Dinh Phung secondary school is to be conducted with an
attempt to find out the fitness of the textbook against students‟ level and interests.
2 2 2. The reasons to evaluate textbook
The idea of evaluating textbooks is seen by some to be closely linked to the selection of
textbooks. The evaluation helps the selection, which serves as an important decision-
making process, as Sheldon (1988) puts it. He has offered some reasons for textbook
evaluation. He suggests that „the selection of an ELT textbook often signals an important
administrative and educational decision in which there is considerable professional,

2.2.3.1. Pre-use evaluation
The most common form is probably the 'predictive' or 'pre-use' evaluation that is
designed to examine the future or potential performance of a textbook. Pre-use evaluation
tends to be the most difficult kind since there is no actual experience of using the course
book.
2.2.3.2. In-use evaluation
The other types of textbook evaluation are the 'in-use' evaluation designed to examine
material that is currently being used. In-use evaluation is a kind of evaluation for

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suitability, involving “matching the course book against a specific requirement including
the learners‟ objectives, the learners‟ background, the resources available, etc”
(Cunningsworth, 1995, p. 14).
In-use textbook evaluation, which relies heavily on conscientious record-keeping and
evidence-based reflection, is concerned not only with the evaluation of the original
material, but also its adaptability to different contexts.
2.2.3.3. Post-use evaluation
Post-use evaluation refers to an assessment of a textbook‟s fitness over a period of
continual use. At this stage, it should be possible to assess in a more comprehensive way
the effects of using the textbook. Evaluation of this kind can be practical in helping to
decide whether to use the same textbook on future occasions.
This study will report on a survey that was conducted at Phan Dinh Phung High School
in Hanoi for the purposes of evaluating a textbook English 11 that is being used in this
school. Thus, this study can be classified as the „in-use‟ type of evaluation. The main
purpose of this evaluation is to validate the merit of the book based on its users‟ opinions.
2 2 4. Textbook evaluators
In acknowledgement of a predictable them/us dichotomy evaluators have been divided
into insiders (e.g. teachers, students, course and material designers) and outsiders (those
who are not involved in the program, for example, consultants, inspectors, and
administrators). It is not difficult to imagine that outsiders may carry with them the idea of

 A way of developing evaluation skills,
critical reflection
 Less costly

Benefits
 Bring an outsider's perspective
 Can be viewed by funders as a
providing a more independent evaluation
 Can provide a fresh look at the project
 Provide evaluation expertise &
experience from other evaluations
 Can free up more time for the doing of
the project
Limitations
 May not have time to devote to
evaluation
 May lack skills in evaluation
 Harder to be objective

Limitations
 Greater cost considerations
 Can have less knowledge of project
and organizational and political
environment
 Not part of normal organizational
structure
 May require time to develop trust
among staff and participant

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2.2.5.3. The in-depth method

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In-depth techniques go beneath the publisher's and author's claims. It considers the kind
of language description, underlying assumptions about learning or values on which the
materials are based or, in a broader sense, whether the materials seem likely to live up to
the claims that are being made for them (McGrath, 2002).
2 2 6. Criteria for textbook evaluation
Although Sheldon (1988) suggests that no general list of criteria can ever really be
applied to all teaching and learning contexts without considerable modification, most of
these standardized evaluation checklists contain similar components that can be used as
helpful starting points for ELT practitioners in a wide variety of situations. Preeminent
theorists in the field of ELT textbook design and analysis, such as Williams (1983),
Sheldon (1988), Brown (1995), Cunningsworth (1995) and Harmer (1996) all agree, for
instance, that evaluation checklists should have some criteria pertaining to the physical
characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, and logistical characteristics.
Other important criteria that should be incorporated are those that assess
a textbook's methodology, aims, and approaches and the degree to which a set of materials
is not only teachable but also fits the needs of the individual teacher's approach as well as
the organization's overall curriculum. Moreover, criteria should analyze the specific
language, functions, grammar, and skills content that are covered by a particular textbook,
as well as the relevance of linguistic items to the prevailing socio-cultural environment.
Finally, textbook evaluations should include criteria that pertain to the representation of
cultural and gender components, in addition to the extent to which the linguistic items,
subjects, content, and topics match up to students' personalities, backgrounds, needs, and
interests as well as those of the teacher and/or institution.
It is beneficial to consider some guidelines for evaluation. Sheldon (1988) presents a
checklist that includes two main categories: factual details and factors. Factual details
contain the title, author, publisher, price, physical size, duration of the course, target
learner, teacher, and skill. Factors include rationale, availability, user definition,

There are a lot of studies carried out by researchers from many different countries to
evaluate textbook being taught in their countries. Each study is made use of different
approach. However, they all have aims to determine the overall pedagogical value and
suitability of the book toward the specific language program.
“Evaluating an EFL Textbook – A new English course” by Jiazhi Wang (2007) is a
study on evaluating one particular EFL course book, A New English Course, used by
university English major students in China. After a brief introduction of the situation of
EFL teaching materials in China and a description of the course book itself, an evaluation
of one unit of the course book is carried out from both the micro and macro perspectives.

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The method used in this research is document analysis. By evaluating the teaching
material, the researcher gives ideas to adjust, modify and eventually improve the material.
“Textbook evaluation and ELT management – A South Korean Case Study” by David
R. A. Litz (2005) discusses and describes the intricate and complex evaluation process that
was undertaken at Sung Kyun Kwan University in Suwon, South Korea in 2000-2001 for a
textbook (English Firsthand 2) that was being used in this particular learning environment.
This study applies a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the
evaluation of the textbooks that are being used in the language classrooms to find out
whether contents of the textbooks are of an acceptable standard or level of quality and
appropriate to the learners for whom they are being used. Doing this research, a series of
textbook evaluation questionnaires had been created and provided to the instructors and
students at the conclusion of the first year of the course. They contained questions that
pertained to the practical considerations (price, accessories, methodology etc.), layout and
design, range and balance of activities, skills appropriateness and integration, social and
cultural considerations, subject content, and language types represented in the textbook. An
additional component of the study consisted of a student 'needs analysis' that was
conducted at the same time as the textbook evaluation survey.
“Evaluation of EFL Materials Taught at Iranian Public High Schools” by Ali Jahangard
(2007) evaluates four EFL textbooks which have been prescribed for use in Iranian high

constraints as time, or as McDonough and Shaw (1993:85) put it: „to maximize the
appropriacy of teaching materials in context, by changing some of the internal
characteristics of a course book to better suit our particular circumstances‟;
2. to compensate for any intrinsic deficiencies in the material, such as linguistic
inaccuracies, out-of-datedness, lack of authenticity or lack of variety.
2 4.3. Methods to adapt textbook
Despite the great effort that textbook writers make to meet the needs of the intended
users, textbooks are subject to adaptation when they are actually used in the classroom.
After all, most commercial textbooks are not written for any particular class. Maley
(1998:281) suggests the following options to adapt materials:
• omission: the teacher leaves out things deemed inappropriate, offensive, unpro-
ductive, etc., for the particular group.
• addition: where there seems to be inadequate coverage, teachers may decide to add
to textbooks, either in the form of texts or exercise material.

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• 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, espe-
cially 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 whatever
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 presented
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

research was conducted while the teachers and students have been using the textbook to
determine whether the textbook has worked well in this school and what should be adapted
for better use in the future. The researcher combines a triangulation of methods: document
analysis, survey questionnaires and classroom observation. It is believed that a
combination of different methods to collect data will provide more reliable and valid
information for the evaluation.
3.2. Setting
In the 2007-2008 academic year, the new English textbook for grade 11 was officially
used nationwide in every secondary school in Vietnam. It is governed by the MOET that
English is a compulsory subject in the syllabus for learners at all secondary schools and
only textbooks published by EPH are officially used.
The study was conducted at Phan Dinh Phung High School in Hanoi, where English 11
was piloted and now the new textbook English 11 is being taught. There are 15 classes in
grade 11 in this school. The size of the class is rather large. Each class has 45 students. It is
obvious that due to large-class size, there are some negative effects on teaching and
learning English in the school.

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Besides major subjects such as Maths and Literature, English is also considered as a
core subject in this school. More than half of the students major in English. The teaching
and learning English which is received much care from managerial board of the school is
expected to act well.
3.3. Participants
The school now has ten English teachers aged between 25 and 53. All of them are
female. They all graduated from English Department, University of Language and
International Studies, VNU. Their teaching experience at secondary school ranged from 3
to 30 years. All of them have experienced teaching English 11. All of the teachers are
willing and enthusiastic toward their teaching.
The school has 675 students in grade 11. All of the students in this school started
learning English since they were in grade 3. Therefore, they have rather good competence

straightforward.
In this thesis, survey questionnaires were designed to collect the teachers‟ and students‟
opinions and attitudes toward the textbook they are using. The teachers and students were
requested to complete the questionnaires relating to contents and methodology in the
textbook.
The researcher made use of two sets of survey questionnaires, one for the teachers and
the other for the students. A thirty-item questionnaire was designed to collect ideas of
teachers. It was categorized into five main parts. The first part consisted of 7 questions
from 1 to 7 to find out whether the textbook suits the teachers in Methodology. These
seven questions were aimed to find out whether tasks in Reading, Speaking, Listening,
Writing and Language Focus helped teachers carry out the teaching easily and
successfully. Part 2 included five questions to collect teachers‟ opinions on the suitability
of the textbook for them in term of Language Types; Five questions in part 3 were to find
out the appropriateness of the textbook for the teachers in term of Activities; The next
three questions in part 4 were to investigate the suitability of the textbook for the teachers
in term of Skills; the appropriateness of the textbook for the teachers in term of Subjects
and contents were identified by four questions in next part and finally questions were to
find out teachers‟ opinions about what should be adapted in the textbook. (Appendix 3).
Another twelve-item questionnaire was given to students in the natural science classes to
collect their opinions The questions were to find out whether the subjects and contents;
skills; activities, language, and social knowledge included in the textbook suited their level
and interested them. The survey questionnaires for students were written in Vietnamese to