Primerjava metod za širjenje besedišča v učbenikih za angleščino kot prvi tuji jezik

UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za anglistiko in amerikanistiko. Sandra Ažman. PRIMERJAVA METOD ZA ŠIRJENJE BESEDIŠČA V UČBENIKIH ZA ANGLEŠČINO KOT PRVI TUJI JEZIK. MAGISTRSKO DELO. Maribor, november 2016.



UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za anglistiko in amerikanistiko. Sandra Ažman. PRIMERJAVA METOD ZA ŠIRJENJE BESEDIŠČA V UČBENIKIH ZA ANGLEŠČINO KOT PRVI TUJI JEZIK. MAGISTRSKO DELO. COMPARISON OF THE METHODS USED FOR EXPANDING VOCABULARY IN ELT TEXTBOOKS. MASTER’S THESIS. Mentor: doc. dr. Klementina Jurančič Petek. Maribor, november 2016.

Proofreader of the Slovene abstract: prof. slov. in uni. dipl. prev. in tolm. za ang. j. Nastja Bat.

ZAHVALA Na tem mestu bi se želela zahvaliti moji mentorici doc. dr. Klementini Jurančič Petek za vse njene nasvete, utemeljene kritike in predvsem potrpljenje pri izdelavi te magistrske naloge. Zahvala gre tudi mojemu fantu in družini, ker so mi v času študija in skozi celoten proces izdelave naloge vseskozi stali ob strani.. Nalogo pa posvečam moji Magdi, ker je do zadnjega verjela vame..

Koroška cesta 160 2000 Maribor, Slovenija. PRILOGA 6B. IZJAVA. Podpisani-a. Sandra Ažman , rojen-a. 02.10.1989 , študent-ka Filozofske. fakultete Univerze v Mariboru, študijskega programa 2. stopnje Nemščina kot tuji jezik in Poučevanje angleščine , izjavljam, da je magistrsko delo z naslovom Primerjava metod za širjenje besedišča v učbenikih za angleščino kot prvi tuji jezik pri mentorju-ici doc. dr. Klementini Jurančič Petek. avtorsko delo.. V magistrskem delu so uporabljeni viri in literatura korektno navedeni; teksti niso prepisani brez navedbe avtorjev.. ______________________________ (podpis študenta-ke). Kraj, Maribor Datum, 11.11.2016.

UNIVERZA V MARIBORU. Filozofska fakulteta _______________________________________________________ IZJAVA O ISTOVETNOSTI TISKANE IN ELEKTRONSKE VERZIJE ZAKLJUČNEGA DELA IN OBJAVI OSEBNIH PODATKOV MAGISTRANTOV Ime in priimek magistranta-tke: Sandra Ažman Vpisna številka: Študijski program:. POUČEVANJE ANGLEŠČINE (PED.). Naslov magistrskega dela:. Comparison of the Methods Used for Expanding Vocabulary in ELT. Textbooks. Mentor:. Klementina Jurančič Petek. Somentor:. Podpisani-a Sandra Ažman izjavljam, da sem za potrebe arhiviranja oddal elektronsko verzijo zaključnega dela v Digitalno knjižnico Univerze v Mariboru. Magistrsko delo sem izdelal-a sam-a ob pomoči mentorja. V skladu s 1. odstavkom 21. člena Zakona o avtorskih in sorodnih pravicah dovoljujem, da se zgoraj navedeno zaključno delo objavi na portalu Digitalne knjižnice Univerze v Mariboru. Tiskana verzija magistrskega dela je istovetna elektronski verziji, ki sem jo oddal za objavo v Digitalno knjižnico Univerze v Mariboru. _____________________________________________________________________________ Zaključno delo zaradi zagotavljanja konkurenčne prednosti, varstva industrijske lastnine ali tajnosti podatkov naročnika: ne sme biti javno dostopno do (datum odloga javne objave ne sme biti daljši kot 3 leta od zagovora dela). ____________________________________________________________________________ Podpisani izjavljam, da dovoljujem objavo osebnih podatkov vezanih na zaključek študija (ime, priimek, leto in kraj rojstva, datum magistriranja, naslov magistrskega dela) na spletnih straneh in v publikacijah UM. Datum in kraj:. Maribor, 19.11.2016 _________________________. Podpis magistranta-tke: _________________________. Podpis mentorja (samo v primeru, če delo ne sme biti javno dostopno): Podpis odgovorne osebe naročnika in žig: _______________________________________ (samo v primeru, če delo ne sme biti javno dostopno).

POVZETEK Cilj tega magistrskega dela je bil raziskati kakšen je poudarek na usvajanju novega besedišča v izbranih učbenikih, kateri so potrjeni s strani Ministrstva za izobraževanje, znanost in šport in se trenutno uporabljajo za poučevanje angleščine kot tujega jezika v 9. razredu osnovne šole. V teoretičnem delu je poudarek na različnih metodah za učenje oz. poučevanje novega besedišča, na primerni količini novega besedišča glede na stopnjo jezikovnega znanja učencev, na vplivu metodologije na učenje besedišča in komunikacijo, na vlogi ponavljanja in utrjevanja novega besedišča in vlogi učbenika pri učenju tujega jezika. Empirični del naloge vključuje dve ločeni analizi ankete, katera je bila izvedena med učenci devetega razreda in učitelji angleščine kot tujega jezika v devetem razredu osnovne šole. 48 učencev in 73 učiteljev je sodelovalo v raziskavi. S pomočjo teh analiz smo poskusili ugotoviti ali so besedila v učbenikih dovolj avtentična, da spodbujajo avtomatično učenje besedišča, ali je metoda za širjenje besedišča, katera je v literaturi navedena kot najuspešnejša, uporabljena tudi v učbenikih in ali učbeniki vsebujejo dovolj vaj za utrjevanje in ponavljanje novega besedišča. Raziskava je pokazala, da so besedišča v učbenikih po mnenju učencev in učiteljev angleščine kot tujega jezika vsaj približno dovolj avtentična, da spodbujajo avtomatično učenje besedišča. Kljub temu so možne rahle prilagoditve, katere pa odobravajo tudi raziskovalci. Ena najuspešnejših metod za širjenje besedišča je, glede na literaturo, branje. Tudi analiza ankete je to pokazala v praksi, saj so učitelji ravno branje izbrali kot najučinkovitejšo metodo. Rezultati analize so pokazali, da učbeniki vsebujejo dovolj vaj za utrjevanje in ponavljanje novega besedišča. Ključne besede: širjenje besedišča, metodologija, branje, ponavljanje, učbeniki za poučevanje angleščine kot tujega jezika, osnovna šola, deveti razred.

ABSTRACT The aim of this master’s thesis was to research the emphasis that is given on assimilating new vocabulary in the chosen textbooks, which were approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and are currently being used to teach/learn English as a foreign language in the ninth grade of primary schools. In the theoretical part the focus has been given on different methods for learning or teaching new vocabulary, the appropriate amount of new vocabulary regarding the level of students’ language competences, the effect of methodology on vocabulary learning and communication, the role of repeating and refreshing of new vocabulary and the role of a textbook in foreign language learning. The empirical part of the thesis includes two separate analyses of the questionnaire conducted among ninth grade students and teachers of English as a foreign language in the ninth grade of primary school. 48 students and 73 teachers participated in the research. With the help of these analyses we tried to establish whether the texts in the chosen textbooks are authentic enough to enhance automatic learning of vocabulary, whether the method for expanding vocabulary, which was named as the most successful in the theory, is also used in the textbooks that were analyzed and whether the textbooks include sufficient exercises to assimilate and refresh new vocabulary. The research showed that the texts in the coursebooks are at least nearly authentic pieces of language according to students and teachers of English as a foreign language. However, slight adaptations of the texts are possible and also approved by the researches. One of the most successful methods for expanding vocabulary is, according to literature, reading. The analysis has also proven it in practice, since teachers named it as the most successful one. The results of the analysis showed that the textbooks include sufficient exercises to assimilate and refresh new vocabulary.. Key words: expanding vocabulary, methodology, reading, repeating, ELT textbooks, primary school, ninth grade.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1. I.. THEORETICAL PART ................................................................................... 3. 2. Expanding Vocabulary as the Basis for Learning New Language .................. 3. 3. Appropriate Amount of New Vocabulary Regarding the Level of Students´. Language Competences .......................................................................................... 4 4. Methods for Learning or Teaching New Vocabulary ...................................... 5. 5. Effect of the Methodology on Vocabulary Learning and Communication ..... 6. 6. Learning Vocabulary through Reading............................................................ 7. 7. Importance of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) ........................................ 9. 8. The Role of a Textbook in Foreign Language Learning ............................... 10 8.1. Selecting the Appropriate ELT Textbook .............................................. 10. 8.2. The Role of Printed Textbooks in the Era of Modern Teaching Materials 12. 8.3. Authenticity of Texts in ELT Textbooks................................................ 13. II. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ............................................................................ 15 9. Research Aim ................................................................................................. 15. 10 The Breakdown, Detailed Definition and Limitations of the Empirical Research ................................................................................................................ 16 10.1. Research Questions for Students ............................................................ 16. 10.2. Research Questions for Teachers ........................................................... 17. 10.3. Research Hypothesis .............................................................................. 18. 11 Methodology .................................................................................................. 18 11.1. Research Method .................................................................................... 18. 11.2. Research Sample .................................................................................... 19. 11.3. The Data-Collecting Procedure .............................................................. 20. i|page.

11.4. Data analysis ........................................................................................... 21. 12 Results and Interpretation .............................................................................. 21 12.1. Results from the Analysis of the Teachers´ Answers............................. 21. 12.2. Results from the Analysis of the Students´ Answers ............................. 34. 12.3. Testing hypotheses ................................................................................. 45. 13 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 50 References ............................................................................................................. 52 Appendix ................................................................................................................. 1. ii | p a g e.

TABLE OF PICTURES Fig. 1: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 1. part....................... 8 Fig. 2: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 2. part....................... 9 Fig. 3: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 3. part..................... 10 Fig. 4: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 4. part..................... 11 Fig. 5: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 5. part..................... 12 Fig. 6: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 6. part..................... 13 Fig. 7: The online-questionnaire prepared for the teachers - 7. part..................... 14. iii | p a g e.

LIST OF CHARTS Table 1: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students participating, according to gender. ................................................................................................................... 19 Table 2: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers participating, according to gender. ................................................................................................................... 19 Table 3: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by years of their teaching experience. ............................................................................................................ 21 Table 4: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by the use of the coursebook during their lessons. .............................................................................................. 22 Table 5: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook being reasonable for the students of each level. .............................................................................................................. 23 Table 6: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary items being systematically graded from simple to complex. ............. 24 Table 7: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about vocabulary items being repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement. ......... 24 Table 8: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about vocabulary items being presented in a variety of ways......................................... 25 Table 9: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the coursebook including enough exercises directly in it. .......................................... 25 Table 10: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary items being introduced in motivating and realistic contexts. ............. 26 Table 11: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about learning new vocabulary in context or through translation. .................................. 26 Table 12: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about new items receiving sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises............... 26 Table 13: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about an existing connection between the homework activities and exercises in the coursebook. ........................................................................................................... 27 Table 14: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary exercises promoting internalization of the previously and newly introduced items. ................................................................................................... 27. iv | p a g e.

Table 15: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their method for expanding vocabulary they mostly use during their lessons. ................................ 28 Table 16: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about texts being interesting for the students. ......................................................................... 29 Table 17: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts being authentic pieces of language. .............................................................. 30 Table 18: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts covering a variety of topics and themes. ...................................................... 30 Table 19: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the topics dealt with meeting the local and national standards. .................................. 30 Table 20: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the topics being up-to-date. ......................................................................................... 31 Table 21: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts serving as a window into learning about the target language culture. .......... 31 Table 22: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts presenting the information in a way that the students will understand. ....... 32 Table 23: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the content being age-appropriate for the students. .................................................... 32 Table 24: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the coursebook including enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts. .. 33 Table 25: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by the use of the coursebook during their lessons. ........................................................................... 34 Table 26: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook being reasonable for them............... 35 Table 27: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary items being systematically graded from simple to complex. ............. 35 Table 28: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about vocabulary items being repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement. ......... 36 Table 29: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about vocabulary items being presented in a variety of ways......................................... 36 Table 30: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary items being introduced in motivating and realistic contexts. ............. 37. v|page.

Table 31: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about learning new vocabulary in context or through translation................................... 37 Table 32: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about reinforcing the newly introduced vocabulary items with multiple repetitions of these items during lessons. .................................................................................... 37 Table 33: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about new items receiving sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises in the coursebook. ........................................................................................................... 38 Table 34: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about an existing connection between the homework activities and exercises in the coursebook. ........................................................................................................... 38 Table 35: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary exercises promoting internalization of the previously and newly introduced items. ................................................................................................... 39 Table 36: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about texts being interesting for the students. ......................................................................... 40 Table 37: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the texts being authentic pieces of language. .............................................................. 40 Table 38: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the texts covering a variety of topics and themes. ...................................................... 41 Table 39: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the topics dealt with meeting the local and national standards. .................................. 41 Table 40: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the topics being up-to-date. ......................................................................................... 42 Table 41: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the text serving as a window into learning about the target language culture. ........... 42 Table 42: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the texts presenting the information in a way that the students will understand. ....... 43 Table 43: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the content being age-appropriate for the students. .................................................... 43 Table 44: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the coursebook including enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts. .. 44. vi | p a g e.

Table 45: Results from the question: Are the texts authentic pieces of language?45 Table 46: Test statistics for H1 ............................................................................. 46 Table 47: Results from the question: Which method for expanding vocabulary do you mostly use during your lessons? .................................................................... 46 Table 48: Test statistics for H2 ............................................................................. 47 Table 49: Results from the question: Do the new items receive sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises? .................................................................... 48 Table 50: Test statistics for H3 ............................................................................. 49. vii | p a g e.

1. Introduction. Language is a human system for expressing its opinion and thoughts. Its primary function is communication and interaction. Therefore, it can be concluded that when learning a foreign language it is not only important to learn grammar and develop the ability to read texts in the foreign language, but also to expand new vocabulary. English language is one of the most spoken languages in the world. That is why learning new vocabulary when learning English as a foreign language is easier than when learning any other foreign language. We are confronted with it on a daily basis when accessing online media, watching television or listening to music. This is why the language input is much higher than perhaps with any other foreign language. Nevertheless, textbooks are still very often used as the basic teaching aid for teaching foreign languages in primary schools - also for teaching English as a foreign language. Therefore, it is important for these textbooks to be attractive to students and to be filled with authentic teaching contents. In order to fulfill its purpose, the textbook has to include different teaching methods for passing on the knowledge, which are appropriate for a wider circle of users. One of the most important is the method used for expanding vocabulary and consequently also exercises, which make it easier to assimilate new knowledge. In addition to other didactical criteria, it is also important for the textbook to include a wide vocabulary spectrum that meets the language competences of the target group and that is systematically being delivered through the whole textbook. The aim of this master’s thesis is to research the emphasis that is given on assimilating new vocabulary in the chosen textbooks, which were approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport 1 and are currently being used to teach/learn English as a foreign language in the ninth grade of primary schools. In the theoretical part focus is given on different methods for learning or teaching new vocabulary, the appropriate amount of new vocabulary regarding the level of. 1. Translation of: Ministrstvo za izobraževanje, znanost in šport. 1|page.

students’ language competences, the effect of methodology on vocabulary learning and communication, the role of repeating and refreshing of new vocabulary and the role of a textbook in foreign language learning. The empirical part of the thesis includes two separate analyses of the questionnaire conducted among students and teachers of English as a foreign language in the ninth grade. With the help of these analyses we established whether the texts in the chosen textbooks are authentic enough to enhance automatic learning of vocabulary, whether the method for expanding vocabulary, which was named as the most successful in the theory, is also used in the textbooks that were analyzed and whether the textbooks include sufficient exercise to assimilate and refresh new vocabulary.. 2|page.

I.. 2. THEORETICAL PART. Expanding Vocabulary as the Basis for Learning New Language. To be able to communicate in a foreign language it is first necessary to gain some vocabulary. We must at least know some words, not only to speak in a foreign language, but also to understand what the others are saying. Milton and Alexiou (2012) claim that teaching vocabulary is one of the most important factors that a teacher must pay attention to, if he/she wants to teach a foreign language successfully. However, in the past the researchers were fond of structural teaching approaches. Wilkins (1972) said that the targeted structures in course books are more important to learn compared to vocabulary and that vocabulary should be reduced to the minimum. According to his notes vocabulary is only necessary to learn to be able to exemplify the targeted structures. Over the years the thinking has changed and researchers and educationalists have started to focus more on the communicative approach, but unfortunately this approach still did not bring the much needed focus on vocabulary. Milton and Alexiou (2012) claim that vocabulary influenced teaching and gained attention only when the Academic Word List from Coxhead was used for the first time by teachers of English as a foreign language. Therefore, the lexical loading in course books has not been researched much yet. It is a “relatively recent phenomenon” (Milton and Alexiou, 2012). Nevertheless, Milton (2006) made a research on the vocabulary presented in schools in connection to the levels of vocabulary knowledge among students. He discovered that “the limited vocabulary presented, and particularly the focus on only the most frequent vocabulary, can explain the low levels of vocabulary knowledge noted among school learners” (Milton and Alexiou, 2012).. 3|page.

3. Appropriate Amount of New Vocabulary Regarding the Level of Students´ Language Competences. Marmol (2011) claims that the learners of a foreign language should learn between 2000 or 3000 word families to be able to satisfy minimal communication needs, which are related to the speakers’ general needs. She mentions the research made by Gairns and Redman (1986) in which they suggest 8 to 12 new vocabulary items per lesson to be introduced by the teacher. According to the syllabus for English as a foreign language in primary schools in Slovenia that was confirmed in 2011 the students should achieve the level A2/A2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference in their language proficiency at the end of the primary school. The students are exposed to language learning in primary school for six years. Milton and Alexiou (2012) argue that students do not achieve the quantities necessary to be able to communicate on A2level during their primary education. They also claim that the time foreseen to learn according to the syllabus falls short of the mark, which is to be able to communicate on the A2-level. Consequently, it can be concluded that students are not even given the chance to achieve the goals that were set in the syllabus. The same authors argue that the language input stops almost completely after the first three years of learning. Even though the input is not small and focuses on the most frequently used words, it is the short time and the lack of input in the later years of language learning that influence the low level of language knowledge among the students. Milton and Alexiou (2012) criticize the syllabus designers and materials developers when saying that their approach is “incomprehensible: when the vocabulary levels of language learners are already so low they cannot communicate, it seems self-defeating to omit this crucial element of language development”.. 4|page.

4. Methods for Learning or Teaching New Vocabulary. A language is an uncountable and living group of words. This is why it is important for a teacher to find out what words to focus on and how to start with vocabulary learning when preparing for teaching. Materials used for teaching a foreign language include a variety of methodologies and teaching strategies that focus on the acquisition of sets of vocabulary items. Approximately 50 years ago the Grammar-translation method was introduced. After that the Direct method was claimed to be the best. Then the rise of the Audio-lingual method came, which changed into the Cognitive code and several other combinations. Some of the other methods that were introduced were for example Suggestopedia, Silent way, Natural approach, Total Physical Response, etc. (Tehrani et. al., 2013). However those are just some of the methods that developed through the years and can be used during a lesson. The communicative approach has already been proved not to be the best choice when learning a larger amount of new vocabulary, which is necessary for fluent communication at a higher level. Milton (2008) mentions uncommunicative approaches in his research, which are apparently more appropriate for vocabulary learning. He mentions specifically “form-focused” approaches. He suggests using “specially created materials and direct learning strategies such as bilingual listlearning and the repetition of songs and reading texts”. This way the learning process should be shorter. The effectiveness of these techniques was also examined among the students and they agreed that these techniques are easy to approach and understand. However, there is no single best way to teach. The researchers proved that a combination of communicative and non-communicative approaches must be used to achieve some positive results. Thompson (1996) for example argues that “English learning can be facilitated if teachers can develop their own locally appropriate version of the communicative approach”. Tehrani et. al. (2013) present another two approaches in their research. They claim that the Natural Approach is better compared to the Audio-lingual Method since. 5|page.

the students that used the first approach learned better. They also point out the main reason for this difference. The Audio-lingual method is a method where the students should master the sound system and grammatical patterns, while the vocabulary is not so important and already a minimum amount is enough. The Natural Approach, however, emphasizes the meaning of the words and the vocabulary. The main difference between these two methods is that the Audiolingual method uses repetition of new words as the key element in learning and expanding new vocabulary. When using the Natural Approach the teacher is the main input provider. The students do not have to use the newly learned vocabulary immediately. They can decide when they are ready. The authors also mention that “grammatical and lexical development is facilitated through repetition”.. 5. Effect of the Methodology on Vocabulary Learning and Communication. Several researchers have been examining the impact of methodology on vocabulary learning and communication. After reviewing these researches Milton and Alexiou (2012) claim that students must learn special and pre-created word phrases or combinations for their language to sound natural and authentic. Tehrani et. al. (2013) argue that young learners tend to learn a foreign language more implicitly than explicitly. They are able to recognize meaningful messages. They cannot, however, analyze the language as a system. Because of that the authors share the opinion that language must be presented in meaningful contexts. In this way the language use of the students will sound more authentic. Stahl (1999) sums up the explanation why vocabulary acquisition is so important for young learners of English as a foreign language:. “Our knowledge of words determines how we understand texts, define ourselves for others, and define the way we see the world. A richer vocabulary does not just mean that we know more words, but that we have. 6|page.

more complex and exact ways of talking about the world, and of understanding the ways of thinking more complex thinkers see the world… The more words we know, the more distinctions we make about the world, the more clearly we see things in our world. We use words to think; the more words we know, the finer our understanding is about the world”. In general, it is easier for students to learn vocabulary compared to learning structures because they can immediately connect them to a known context. That is why it is better for them to learn new words in a relevant context, which will stay in their mind. It will be easy then for them to connect newly learned words to a known context in their head and create and expand their vocabulary network in this way. Tehrani et. al. (2013) also point out that it is very important how the words are learned since it can affect how well they are really understood. They also claim that when students are involved actively in communication with language, they can learn more effectively.. 6. Learning Vocabulary through Reading. We must not forget about reading, since it is the most important source of language input to gain some experience in foreign language use, and in some cases also the only one. McDonough et al. (2012) emphasize the definition of reading by Williams from 1984, who classified reading into (1) getting general information from a text, (2) getting specific information from a text, and (3) for pleasure or interest. The fluency of reading in a foreign language is an important aspect of learning a foreign language. It enables the reader to receive a bigger input of a foreign language, expand the width and the complexity of its own vocabulary, develop the unconscious recognition of the words, learn other contents and improve motivation for reading (Erbeli and Pižorn, 2013). Because of the importance of reading fluency, researchers have developed several methods to encourage and improve reading fluency. One of them is the so called method of repeated. 7|page.

readings. According to Kuhn and Stahl (2003) fluency of reading consists of elements of accuracy and automatic word recognition and prosodic and syntactic knowledge, which help the reader to be able to interpret the text. Johns and Berglund (2006) extended their reading fluency definition and included also the comprehension of the text that a reader is reading. Erbeli and Pižorn (2013) explain that the readers can only gain the complex language and general knowledge with reading in a foreign language. In this way they can also improve their reading skills. Furthermore, they claim that reading fluency in a foreign language is the main key to learning a foreign language outside the classroom. The readers can expand their vocabulary, read to learn something extra and build their motivation to read. Such students are most likely to participate in the environment of continual learning of a foreign language. According to Alderson (2000) the learners should be exposed to printed materials often and in repeated intervals. This should help them recognize the words quickly and automatically. In this way they can concentrate on better understanding of the text. One of the methods that is connected to vocabulary acquisition through reading and is specifically mentioned in the literature is the method of repeated readings. There are several researchers emphasizing the positive impacts of the method of repeated readings on the reader’s vocabulary development. Among them are also Erbeli and Pižorn (2013), who quote Dowhower (1987) as a reference. They claim that readers are capable of reading phrases syntactically and phonologically more correctly when using this method. According to this method the readers of foreign language texts must repeatedly read the chosen parts of easy texts to improve the speed of the visual recognition of words and phrases.. 8|page.

7. Importance of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Dudley-Evans produced a two-part Definition of ESP (1997): Absolute Characteristics: 1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners 2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves 3. ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre. Variable Characteristics: 1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines 2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of General English 3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level 4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students 5. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems. Hutchinson and Water (1987) on the other hand provide a shorter and not so detailed definition of English for Specific Purposes: “it is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on learner’s reason for learning.” The difference between teaching General English and English for Specific Purposes is that when teaching General English the focus is given on the language in general, as for example in schools. When teaching English for Specific Purposes the focus is given on the needs and the goals of a particular learner. The syllabus is also adapted. The teacher must teach a language that can be learnt for immediate use since the students have a specific purpose for studying English. The role of a teacher expands from teaching to a course designer, researcher, evaluator, etc. She/he must produce original and separate teaching materials for separate fields (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). English for. 9|page.

Specific Purposes has become more and more important over the years since people need to use English at their work place regularly because of the numerous international business relationships. General English is unfortunately not enough because they need to learn technical terms and business language. This means that an English course for a doctor and its syllabus will differ from an English course for a mechanical engineer. This also means that different learners need a different curriculum which depends on the learner’s work place or needs. The teacher must therefore concentrate on the kind of language and vocabulary the learners’ will frequently be using at their work place. Teachers are nowadays much more aware of the importance of needs analysis. Also the materials writers must think very carefully about the goals of learners at all stages of materials production (Anthony, n.d.). ESP therefore underlines the importance of expanding vocabulary.. 8. The Role of a Textbook in Foreign Language Learning 8.1 Selecting the Appropriate ELT Textbook. When choosing a textbook the teacher must consider some factors that could influence the learning process in advance. He/She must consider her/his own teaching methodology and the context in which the textbook is going to be used. It is also important to follow the guidelines of the syllabus. According to McDonough et al. (2012) a teacher must pay attention to the following criteria: -. age and students’ interests: they may affect the types of learning activities and the specification of topics;. -. level of proficiency in English: a teacher must know on which level his/her students are and whether he/she will teach a mixed group with different levels of knowledge in the target language;. -. preferred learning styles: a teacher cannot always know which learning styles do his/her students prefer, but it can certainly help to evaluate the methods that would be suitable.. 10 | p a g e.

There are also aptitude, mother tongue, educational level, attitudes to learning, motivation and personality that are important when planning a lesson, but those are factors that are mostly unknown to the teacher when he/she is in the process of choosing the appropriate coursebook. However, these are not the only factors that a teacher must pay attention to when choosing a textbook. According to the syllabus for English as the first foreign language in the primary schools in Slovenia, the students must attend 656 lessons of English as the first foreign language during their primary schooling. 96 of them are taught in the ninth grade. At the end of the primary school the students should achieve the level A2/A2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference in their language proficiency (Eržen et al., 2011). There are many textbooks on the market that would be appropriate for reaching this level, but unfortunately the teachers are not allowed to choose freely. Next to the syllabus they also have to pay attention to the Rules on approving textbooks 2 (2015), which includes the Catalogue of textbooks for primary school 3 (n.d.). Currently there are ten textbooks for English as a foreign language in the ninth grade that were validated in Slovenia for the schoolyear 2016/2017 and can be used for teaching in primary schools. The teachers must choose one of the textbooks below: . N. Jesenik et al.: ANGLEŠČINA 9, i-učbenik za angleščino v 9. razredu osnovne šole (http://eucbeniki.sio.si/ang9), ZAVOD RS ZA ŠOLSTVO (year of validation: 2015). . B. Wetz, D. Pye: ENGLISH PLUS 3, učbenik za angleščino kot prvi tuji jezik v 9. razredu osnovne šole, OUP, MKT (year of validation: 2012). . D. Goodey, N. Goodey, M. Levy: MESSAGES 4, učbenik za pouk angleščine v 9. razredu osnovnošolskega izobraževanja, CUP, ROCUS KLETT (year of validation: 2011). . M. Levy, N. Goodey, D. Goodey: MESSAGES 4, e-učbenik za angleščino v 9. razredu osnovnošolskega izobraževanja (www.irokus.si), CUP, ROKUS KLETT (year of validation: 2013). 2 3. Translation of: Pravilnik o potrjevanju učbenikov Translation of: Katalog učbenikov za osnovno šolo. 11 | p a g e.

 D. Goodey, N. Goodey, M. Levy: MESSAGES 4, NEW EDITION, učbenik za angleščino v 9. razredu osnovne šole, CUP, ROKUS KLETT (year of validation: 2016) . M. Harris et al.: NEW CHALLENGES 3, učbenik za angleščino kot prvi tuji jezik v 9. razredu osnovne šole, PEARSON, DZS (year of validation: 2013). . T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 4, THIRD EDITION, učbenik za pouk angleščine kot prvega tujega jezika v 8. in 9. razredu osnovne šole, OUP, MKT (year of validation: 2013). . T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 4, FOURTH EDITION, učbenik za pouk angleščine kot prvega tujega jezika v 9. razredu osnovne šole, OUP, MKT (year of validation: 2014). . T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 5, THIRD EDITION, učbenik za pouk angleščine kot prvega tujega jezika v 9. razredu osnovne šole, OUP, MKT (year of validation: 2013). . J. Skela: TOUCHSTONE 9, učbenik za angleščino v 9. razredu osnovne šole, TANGRAM (year of validation: 2011).. 8.2 The Role of Printed Textbooks in the Era of Modern Teaching Materials At present our lives are being taken over by modern technical equipment. On almost every step we encounter into a smart device. This is why it is quite surprising that in schools the printed textbooks are still the most important and most commonly used teaching material. Kayapinar (2008) says that the teachers prefer printed textbooks because they can use them as a ready-made syllabus. Coursebooks provide a clear framework for both the teacher and the student and can easily be followed. Also Richards and Rogers (2001) claim that we cannot exclude textbooks because they are an inevitable part of the curriculum. The textbooks are namely used to “specify content and define coverage for syllabus items”. Clavel-Arroitia and Furster-Marquez (2014) share the same opinion when saying that textbooks are practically the only learning resource in the classroom. 12 | p a g e.

for many foreign language teachers. They, however, express their doubt about textbooks providing “relevant and genuine target language and cultural input regarding the target language and culture”. Wisniewska (n.d.), however, mentions that coursebooks seem to be of lesser importance in the recent years because ICT is developing so quickly, offering other media for learning (video, sound, and internet). Despite this, coursebooks are still the most important teaching aid because they can satisfy specific needs. Nevertheless, other materials are also available on the market. Classical coursebooks now come in a package together with audio CDs, DVDs, Eportfolios, E-coursebooks and there is also the internet. Hismanoglu (2011) claims that the use of ICT in language classes can increase enthusiasm and achievement of students. It can make the students remain on a task longer. The positive side of the ICT is also increased computer literacy, cultural awareness and development of social identity in the target language. Unfortunately ICT is still mainly used outside the classroom, since the classic coursebook is the one directing the language lessons.. 8.3 Authenticity of Texts in ELT Textbooks Several researchers share the same opinion that using authentic texts when learning a foreign language may only have a positive impact on developing learners’ language competences. They report about the advantages of introducing learners to authentic texts. Clavel-Arroitia and Furster-Marquez (2014) claim authentic texts to be pedagogically appropriate, interesting and also motivating for the students. There appear, however, various definitions of “authenticity” in the literature. Widdowson (1978) mentions “genuineness”, which he defines as inherent quality of text passages, and “authenticity”, which he defines as the reader’s interpretation of the text passages. He claims that authentic language cannot stay authentic when used in a classroom in a learning context.. 13 | p a g e.

Wallace (1992), on the other hand, defines authentic texts as texts that are real-life texts and are not written for pedagogical purposes. Richards (2001) and Tamo (2009) share his definition of authenticity. Nevertheless there are some hesitations connected with using authentic texts in classrooms. Ommagio (2003) points out that it is hard for the students with low competences to understand authentic texts. But Clavel-Arroitia and FursterMarquez (2014) claim that authentic texts can raise learners’ interest and motivate them more than ordinary non-authentic texts that can be found in a textbook. In reality the students are exposed to authentic materials in unequal proportions compared to non-authentic texts. It certainly depends on the coursebook and the materials prepared by the teacher, but clearly there is a significant discrepancy between authentic language and the language used in texts and dialogues in coursebooks. Clavel-Arroitia and Furster-Marquez (2014) argue for the inclusion of authentic parts of language in pre-prepared teaching materials. Milton and Alexiou (2012) agree that using authentic language when learning is important for the learners to be able to communicate in real-time interaction and to understand special phrases or word combinations. However, they think that some careful manipulation and adaptation of the texts that are meant for the learners can only benefit them. Language control should bring better results and reveal the students’ abilities more accurately. That is what Clavel-Arroitia and Furster-Marquez (2014) also discover within their research. They claim that the language in the coursebooks is “systematically modified to a lesser or greater extent”. The texts are supposedly reduced to a shorter/smaller size. The authors removed some parts to simplify the language. This confirms the fact that the texts in the coursebooks are not as authentic as some authors claim them to be. Nevertheless, the teachers are exposed to a wide range of opportunities gained with the new technologies and internet. They have the chance to use other texts for teaching besides those from the coursebook. The problem is they are still not sure how to use the authentic materials that are available all over the internet and offer an easy chance to get in contact with authentic real language.. 14 | p a g e.

II.. 9. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH. Research Aim. The aim of the empirical part of this master’s thesis is to research the emphasis that is given on assimilating new vocabulary in the chosen textbooks, which were approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and are currently being used to teach/learn English as a foreign language in the ninth grade of primary schools in Slovenia. The research includes two separate analyses of the questionnaire conducted among students and teachers of English as a foreign language in the ninth grade of primary school. With the help of these analyses we would like to establish: -. whether the texts in the chosen textbooks are authentic enough to enhance automatic learning of vocabulary,. -. whether the method for expanding vocabulary, which was named as the most successful in the theory, is also used in the textbooks that were analyzed. -. and whether the textbooks include sufficient exercise to assimilate and refresh new vocabulary.. To form our questionnaire we used the questionnaire from Rahimpour (2011) and adapted it. Some of the questions were added extra. The questionnaire for students includes 23 questions. Two of them are open ended questions, where the students are given the chance to express their opinion. The other ones are closed-ended questions, where the students must choose one of the pre-determined possible answers. The questionnaire for the teachers is very similar. It includes 25 questions. Two of them are also open-ended. The rest are again closed-ended questions.. 15 | p a g e.

10 The Breakdown, Detailed Definition and Limitations of the Empirical Research 10.1 Research Questions for Students 1. Gender 2. Which coursebook do you use during English lessons? Vocabulary: 3. Does the vocabulary load throughout the textbook seem to be reasonable for you? 4. Are the vocabulary items systematically graded from simple to complex items? 5. Are the items repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement? 6. Are the new vocabulary items presented in a variety of ways? 7. Are the vocabulary items introduced in motivating and realistic contexts? 8. Is it better to learn new vocabulary in context or through translation? 9. Do you reinforce the newly introduced vocabulary items with multiple repetitions of these items during your lessons? 10. Do the new items receive sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises in the textbook? 11. Is there any connection between the homework activities and the exercises in the coursebook? 12. Do the vocabulary exercises promote internalization of the previously and newly introduced items? 13. Open question: If I were the author of this book, I would … Reading: 14. Are the texts interesting for the students? 15. Are the texts authentic pieces of language? 16. Do the texts cover a variety of topics and themes? 17. Do the topics dealt with meet the local and national standards? 18. Are the topics up-to-date?. 16 | p a g e.

19. Do the texts serve as a window into learning about the target language culture? 20. Do the texts present information in a way that the students will understand? 21. Is the content age-appropriate? 22. Are there enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts? 23. Open question: If I were the author of this book, I would …. 10.2 Research Questions for Teachers 1. Gender 2. How many years of teaching experience do you have? 3. Which coursebook do you use during English lessons? Vocabulary: 4. Does the vocabulary load throughout the textbook seem to be reasonable for students of each level? 5. Are the vocabulary items systematically graded from simple to complex items? 6. Are the items repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement? 7. Are the new vocabulary items presented in a variety of ways? 8. Are there enough exercises directly in the coursebook? 9. Are the vocabulary items introduced in motivating and realistic contexts? 10. Is it better to learn new vocabulary in context or through translation? 11. Do the new items receive sufficient practice through different kinds of exercise? 12. Is there any connection between the homework activities and the exercises in the coursebook? 13. Do the vocabulary exercises promote internalization of the previously and newly introduced items? 14. Which method for expanding vocabulary do you mostly use during your lessons? 15. Open question: If I were the author of this book, I would …. 17 | p a g e.

Reading: 16. Are the texts interesting for the students? 17. Are the texts authentic pieces of language? 18. Do the texts cover a variety of topics and themes? 19. Do the topics dealt with meet the local and national standards? 20. Are the topics up-to-date? 21. Do the texts serve as a window into learning about the target language culture? 22. Do the texts present information in a way that the students will understand? 23. Is the content age-appropriate? 24. Are there enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts? 25. Open question: If I were the author of this book, I would …. 10.3 Research Hypothesis Three research hypotheses that this thesis wishes to prove were set as follows: 1. The texts in the chosen textbooks are authentic enough to enhance automatic learning of vocabulary. 2. The method for expanding vocabulary, which was named as the most successful in the theory, is also used in the textbooks that were analyzed. 3. The textbooks include sufficient exercise to assimilate and refresh new vocabulary.. 11 Methodology 11.1 Research Method The descriptive and causal-non-experimental method of empirical pedagogical research has been used in this master’s thesis.. 18 | p a g e.

11.2 Research Sample The empirical research is based on a sample of ninth year students from two primary schools, where the abovementioned coursebooks are used for teaching English as a foreign language.. Table 1: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students participating, according to gender.. GENDER. f. f%. Female. 21. 43.8. Male. 27. 56.2. Total. 48. 100.0. Table 1 shows that there were 48 students participating in the research. 21 of them were female and 27 were male students. Even though there were more male students participating than female, the difference between them is small and we can say that the sample is balanced. The primary school teachers of English that answered the questionnaire were chosen randomly. Table 2: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers participating, according to gender.. GENDER. f. f%. Female. 65. 89.0. Male. 8. 11.0. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 2 shows that there were 73 teachers participating. Among them were 89.0% female teachers which indicates that there are still more female teachers teaching in primary schools than male.. 19 | p a g e.

11.3 The Data-Collecting Procedure The organization of Collecting Information First, we looked through the Rules on approving textbooks, which includes the Catalogue of textbooks for primary school (n.d.) to find all of the coursebooks for English as a foreign language that are currently validated for using in primary schools in Slovenia. After that we included the list of the validated coursebooks in the questionnaire for teachers to see which two coursebooks are most commonly used among the teachers. Based on the results we selected two primary schools, where those two most commonly used coursebooks are used. Then we adapted the questionnaire for the students. The data was collected among the teachers and the students at the end of the school year in June 2016. This particular period was chosen on purpose to make sure that the students knew the coursebook well. Content-Formal Sides of the Questionnaire The first part of the questionnaire for the students consists of two facts, gender and coursebook used during English lessons. The second part consists of 11 questions which refer to new vocabulary in the coursebooks. The third part consists of 10 questions which refer to reading and texts in the coursebooks. The first part of the questionnaire for the teachers consists of three facts (gender, years of teaching experience and coursebook used during English lessons). The second part consists of 12 questions which refer to new vocabulary in the coursebooks. The third part consists of 10 questions which refer to reading and texts in the coursebooks. There are 2 open-ended questions in both questionnaires, where the participants could express their opinion on the coursebook they use. Other questions are closed-ended, where the answers are prepared in advance. The participants from both groups can choose only one answer. The answers are prepared based on a four-level Likert-type scale with the following options:. 20 | p a g e.

-. to a great extent,. -. to some extent,. -. not satisfactorily,. -. not at all.. The participants have to grade particular items in the coursebook based on their opinion and satisfaction.. 11.4 Data analysis To analyze the data from the questionnaires we used the SPSS statistical program. The basic descriptive (frequencies: f and f %) and inferential statistics (χ2-test) were chosen to interpret the data.. 12 Results and Interpretation 12.1 Results from the Analysis of the Teachers´ Answers Table 3: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by years of their teaching experience.. ANSWER. f. f%. 1 – 5 years. 6. 8.2. 6 – 10 years. 20. 27.4. 11 – 15 years. 19. 26.0. 16 – 20 years. 10. 13.7. more than 20 years. 18. 24.7. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 3 shows that 8.2% of the 73 teachers that participated in the survey have 1 to 5 years teaching experience. 27.4% of them have 6 to 10 years teaching experience, 26.0% have 11 to 15 years teaching experience, 13.7% have 16 to 20 years teaching experience and 24.7% of them have more than 20 years teaching experience. We can say that the sample is balanced since representatives of all. 21 | p a g e.

groups took part. However, there are more than a half of the teachers with more than 10 years teaching experience. Table 4: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by the use of the coursebook during their lessons.. ANSWER. f. f%. B. Wetz, D. Pye: ENGLISH PLUS 3, ucbenik za anglescino kot prvi tuji jezik v 9. razredu osnovne sole, OUP, MKT (leto potrditve: 2012). 2. 2.7. D. Goodey, N. Goodey, M. Levy: MESSAGES 4, ucbenik za pouk anglescine v 9. razredu osnovnosolskega izobrazevanja, CUP, ROCUS KLETT (leto potrditve 2011). 16. 21.9. J. Skela: TOUCHSTONE 9, ucbenik za anglescino v 9. razredu osnovne sole, TANGRAM (leto potrditve: 2011). 15. 20.5. M. Levy, N. Goodey, D. Goodey: MESSAGES 4, eucbenik za anglescino v 9. razredu osnovnosolskega izobrazevanja (www.irokus. si), CUP, ROKUS KLETT (leto potrditve: 2013). 8. 11.0. T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 4, FOURTH EDITION, ucbenik za pouk anglescine kot prvega tujega jezika v 9. razredu osnovne sole, OUP, MKT (leto potrditve: 2014). 11. 15.1. 17. 23.3. T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 4, THIRD EDITION, ucbenik za pouk anglescine kot prvega tujega jezika v 8. in 9. razredu osnovne sole, OUP, MKT (leto potrditve: 2013). 22 | p a g e.

T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 5, THIRD EDITION, ucbenik za pouk anglescine kot prvega tujega jezika v 9. razredu osnovne sole, OUP, MKT (leto potrditve: 2013) Total. 4. 5.5. 73. 100.0. Table 4 shows that the majority of the teachers use the coursebook PROJECT 4 THIRD EDITION (23.3%), MESSAGES 4 (21.9%) or TOUCHSTONE 9 (20.5%). There are also 15.1% teachers that are using PROJECT 4 – FOURTH EDITION and 11.0% that are using MESSAGES 4 – E-BOOK.. Vocabulary: Table 5: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook being reasonable for the students of each level.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 4. 5.5. Not satisfactorily. 10. 13.7. To a great extent. 21. 28.8. To some extent. 38. 52.1. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 5 shows that the majority of the teachers think that the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook they use is reasonable for the students of each level. 52.1% of the think that the vocabulary load is reasonable to some extent and 28.8% think that the vocabulary load is reasonable for the students to a great extent. For only 5.5% the vocabulary is not reasonable at all.. 23 | p a g e.

Table 6: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary items being systematically graded from simple to complex.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 2. 2.7. Not satisfactorily. 10. 13.7. To a great extent. 27. 37.0. To some extent. 34. 46.6. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 6 shows that 46.6% of the teachers answered that vocabulary items in the coursebooks are being systematically graded from simple to complex to some extent. 37.0% chose the answer “to a great extent”. In total 83.6% gave an affirmative answer. However, 16.4% of them are not satisfied with the systematical grading of the vocabulary items in their coursebooks.. Table 7: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about vocabulary items being repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 3. 4.1. Not satisfactorily. 11. 15.1. To a great extent. 15. 20.5. To some extent. 44. 60.3. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 7 shows that the majority of the teachers think that vocabulary items are being repeated in subsequent lessons for reinforcement. 15.1% of the teachers are not satisfied with the repetitions in the subsequent lessons and the rest of them (4.1%) do not agree with the question at all.. 24 | p a g e.

Table 8: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about vocabulary items being presented in a variety of ways.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 2. 2.7. Not satisfactorily. 15. 20.5. To a great extent. 21. 28.8. To some extent. 35. 47.9. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 8 shows that 28.8% of the teachers think that vocabulary items in the coursebooks are presented in a variety of ways. 47.9% of the teachers are not so certain about it and the rest (23.2%) is not satisfied with the presentation of vocabulary items.. Table 9: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the coursebook including enough exercises directly in it.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 6. 8.2. Not satisfactorily. 18. 24.7. To a great extent. 14. 19.2. To some extent. 35. 47.9. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 9 shows that there are 19.2% of the teachers who are satisfied with the amount of exercises directly in the coursebook. 47.9% are to some extent satisfied with the amount and 32.9% are not satisfied, 8.2% of them not at all.. 25 | p a g e.

Table 10: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary items being introduced in motivating and realistic contexts.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 1. 1.4. Not satisfactorily. 7. 9.6. To a great extent. 27. 37.0. To some extent. 38. 52.1. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 10 shows there are 52.1% of the teachers who think the vocabulary items in the coursebook are introduced in motivating and realistic contexts to some extent. 37.0% of the teachers completely agree with the fact that the vocabulary items are introduced in motivating and realistic contexts. 11% of the teachers think the contexts in the coursebooks are not motivating and realistic.. Table 11: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about learning new vocabulary in context or through translation.. ANSWER. f. f%. In context. 69. 94.5. Through translation. 4. 5.5. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 11 shows that there are 94.5% of the teachers that prefer learning new vocabulary in context. Only 5.5% teachers think it is better to learn new vocabulary through translation.. Table 12: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about new items receiving sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 1. 1.4. Not satisfactorily. 14. 19.2. 26 | p a g e.

To a great extent. 14. 19.2. To some extent. 44. 60.3. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 12 shows that the teachers are in general satisfied with the amount of the practice the students get through different kinds of exercise. 60.3% answered “to some extent” and 19.2% answered “to a great extent”. However, 20.6% of the teachers answered that the new items do not receive sufficient practice through different kinds of exercises in the coursebook.. Table 13: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about an existing connection between the homework activities and exercises in the coursebook.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 0. 0. Not satisfactorily. 2. 2.7. To a great extent. 49. 67.2. To some extent. 22. 30.1. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 13 shows that the majority of teachers think that there is a connection between the homework activities and exercises in the coursebook. There are 97.3% of the teachers who gave an affirmative answer.. Table 14: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the vocabulary exercises promoting internalization of the previously and newly introduced items.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 1. 1.4. Not satisfactorily. 9. 12.3. To a great extent. 21. 28.8. To some extent. 42. 57.5. Total. 73. 100.0. 27 | p a g e.

Table 14 shows that 57.5% of the teachers chose the answer “to some extent” when asking them if the exercises in the coursebook are promoting internalization of the previously and newly introduced items. 28.8% of the teachers answered with “to a great extent” and 12.3% answered with “not satisfactorily”. There was only one person who chose the answer “not at all”.. Table 15: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their method for expanding vocabulary they mostly use during their lessons.. ANSWER expanding vocabulary through memorizing expanding vocabulary through reading authentic texts expanding vocabulary through repeating (also repeated reading) expanding vocabulary through translation story telling using reading authentic texts as additional (home) work combination of all the mentioned Total. f. f%. 1. 1.4. 45. 61.6. 12. 16.4. 12. 16.4. 1. 1.4. 1. 1.4. 1. 1.4. 73. 100.0. Table 15 shows that the majority of the teachers (61.6%) try to expand the students’ vocabulary through reading authentic texts. 16.4% of the teachers try to do it through reading or through translation. Other options are clearly not that widely used. The last question in connection to the vocabulary part was an open question, where the participants were asked to offer their suggestions about improving the coursebook. The teachers gave the following answers about what they would do, if they were the author of the coursebook:. 28 | p a g e.

-. add more vocabulary exercises and more reading texts,. -. include a wider range of vocabulary input (upgrade the quantity of vocabulary items),. -. include more current issues, change the topics (add more culture topics),. -. put in longer and authentic texts,. -. use popular songs and comics the students can relate to (age-appropriate and updated texts),. -. include more grammar practice in the learning materials,. -. include various types of exercises (gap-fills, word-formation),. -. include videos instead of tapescripts,. -. provide more practical examples or real-life situations,. -. modernize it,. -. use richer vocabulary for this level.. Reading: The second part of the questionnaire included questions about reading and texts in the coursebooks. Table 16: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about texts being interesting for the students.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 3. 4.1. Not satisfactorily. 7. 9.6. To a great extent. 18. 24.7. To some extent. 45. 61.6. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 16 shows that 61.6% of the teachers share the same opinion that the texts in the coursebook are partially interesting for the students. 24.7% of the teachers think that the texts are interesting for the students. 9.6% of the teachers say that the texts are not interesting enough and 4.1% think that the texts are not interesting at all.. 29 | p a g e.

Table 17: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts being authentic pieces of language.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 3. 4.1. Not satisfactorily. 6. 8.2. To a great extent. 28. 38.4. To some extent. 36. 49.3. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 17 shows that almost a half of the participants think that the texts in the coursebooks are authentic pieces of language to some extent and 38.4% think the texts are authentic. The others (12.3%) do not think that the texts in the coursebooks are authentic pieces of language.. Table 18: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts covering a variety of topics and themes.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 1. 1.4. Not satisfactorily. 7. 9.6. To a great extent. 37. 50.7. To some extent. 28. 38.4. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 18 shows that the majority of the teachers (89.1%) agree that the texts cover a variety of topics and themes, while 11.0% think the topics lack of variety.. Table 19: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the topics dealt with meeting the local and national standards.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 0. 0. Not satisfactorily. 12. 16.4. 30 | p a g e.

To a great extent. 22. 30.1. To some extent. 39. 53.4. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 19 shows that the topics dealt with meet the local and national standards to some extent according to 53.4% of the teachers. 30.1% of the teachers are completely positive about that. 16.4% chose the answer “not satisfactorily”, while nobody chose “not at all”.. Table 20: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the topics being upto-date.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 3. 4.1. Not satisfactorily. 14. 19.2. To a great extent. 22. 30.1. To some extent. 34. 46.6. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 20 shows the answers from the question about the topics being up-to date. 46.6% of the teachers think the topics are up-to-date to some extent. 30.1% say that the topics are up-to-date to a great extent. On the other side there are 23.3% who claim the topics are not up-to-date.. Table 21: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts serving as a window into learning about the target language culture.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 0. 0. Not satisfactorily. 3. 4.1. To a great extent. 31. 42.5. To some extent. 39. 53.4. Total. 73. 100.0. 31 | p a g e.

Table 21 shows that 95.9% of the participants think that the texts in the coursebook are serving as a window into learning about the target language culture. There are only 4.1% who chose the answer “not satisfactorily”.. Table 22: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the texts presenting the information in a way that the students will understand.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 0. 0. Not satisfactorily. 1. 1.4. To a great extent. 45. 61.6. To some extent. 27. 37.0. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 22 shows that the teachers share the same opinion on this question. 98.6% of them answered that the texts present the information in a way that the students will understand at least to some extent, if not to a great extent.. Table 23: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the content being age-appropriate for the students.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 0. 0. Not satisfactorily. 5. 6.8. To a great extent. 45. 61.6. To some extent. 23. 31.5. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 23 shows the opinion of the teachers about the content being ageappropriate for the students. 61.6% of the teachers say the content is ageappropriate to a great extent. 31.5% of them claim it is age-appropriate to some extent. There are only 6.8% who think that the content is not age-appropriate for the students.. 32 | p a g e.

Table 24: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of teachers by their opinion about the coursebook including enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 3. 4.1. Not satisfactorily. 13. 17.8. To a great extent. 18. 24.7. To some extent. 39. 53.4. Total. 73. 100.0. Table 24 shows that there are 53.4% of the teachers that say the coursebooks include enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts to some extent. 24.7% of the teachers claim the coursebooks include enough exercises and activities accompanying the texts. On the other side are 21.9% of the teachers who are not satisfied with the amount of the exercises and activities accompanying the texts in the coursebooks.. The last question in connection to the reading part was again an open question, where the participants were asked to offer their suggestions about improving the coursebook. The teachers gave the following answers about what they would do regarding to reading and texts, if they were the author of the coursebook: -. add more vocabulary exercises,. -. vary the type of texts throughout the coursebook,. -. provide more activities,. -. prepare more creative homework,. -. put in exercises for stronger and weaker students,. -. include more about modern science and technology,. -. make the content more age-appropriate and interesting,. -. use more up-to-date and popular texts (teenager-motivating texts),. -. include more literature pieces in the coursebook,. -. provide longer texts,. -. add authentic texts,. -. compare English and Slovene themes,. 33 | p a g e.

-. add more revision materials or on-line pages with exercises,. -. give more songs, stories,. -. provide more information,. -. use more exercises for guided writing,. -. offer more reinforcement exercises,. -. provide some extra texts (on the same topic as the basic text in the book) for faster learners,. -. provide more listening material, provide lots of different expanded authentic texts with detailed new vocabulary - different themes, areas, phrases, idioms, proverbs,. -. use richer vocabulary for this level.. 12.2 Results from the Analysis of the Students´ Answers. Table 25: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by the use of the coursebook during their lessons.. ANSWER D. Goodey, N. Goodey, M. Levy:. f. f%. 30. 62.5. 18. 37.5. 48. 100.0. MESSAGES 4, ucbenik za pouk anglescine v 9. razredu osnovnosolskega izobrazevanja, CUP, ROCUS KLETT (leto potrditve 2011). T. Hutchinson: PROJECT 4, THIRD EDITION, ucbenik za pouk anglescine kot prvega tujega jezika v 8. in 9. razredu osnovne sole, OUP, MKT (leto potrditve: 2013). Total. 34 | p a g e.

Table 25 shows that the majority of the students use the coursebook MESSAGES 4 (65,5%). 37,5% of the students that participated in the research use the coursebook PROJECT 4 - THIRD EDITION.. Vocabulary: Table 26: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook being reasonable for them.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 6. 12.5. Not satisfactorily. 1. 2.1. To a great extent. 18. 37.5. To some extent. 23. 47.9. Total. 48. 100.0. Table 26 shows that the majority of the students think that the vocabulary load throughout the coursebook they use is reasonable for them. 47.9% of the students think that the vocabulary load is reasonable to some extent and 37.5% think that the vocabulary load is reasonable for them to a great extent. For 12.5% the vocabulary load is not reasonable at all.. Table 27: Number (f) and percentage (f%) of students by their opinion about the vocabulary items being systematically graded from simple to complex.. ANSWER. f. f%. Not at all. 2. 4.2. Not satisfactorily. 4. 8.3. To a great extent. 20. 41.7. To some extent. 22. 45.8. Total. 48. 100.0. Table 27 shows that 45.8% of the students answered that vocabulary items in the coursebooks are being systematically graded from simple to complex to some extent. 41.7% chose the answer “to a great extent”. In total 87.5% gave an. 35 | p a g e.