COURSE BOOK ANALYSIS

Name: Timothy Albornoz

Isidora Herrera
Subject: English as a Foreign
Language Methodology

Concepcin, Chile

COURSE BOOK ANALYSIS

Factual details
Title: Objective KET (students book)
Author(s): Annette Capel & Wendy Sharp
Publisher: Cambridge University press
ISBN: 9780521541497

Prize: $31.378 (internet prize)

No. of pages: 152

Components: Teachers book, Set of 2 cassettes, Set of 2 audio CDs, Workbook and workbook with
answers (all sold separately)
Level: A2 Low intermediate
Units: 20

Length: Not specified

Lessons sections: 4

Hours: Not specified

Target skills: Exam skills, Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation (P) and Spelling (S)
Target Learners: Students from bilingual schools ranging between 11 and 12 years
Target teachers: School teachers

Assessment (* Poor ** Fair *** Good ****Excellent)

FACTOR
Rationale

Availability

RATING
**

User definition

***

Layout/graphics

****

Accessibility

Linkage

COMMENTS
Even though the book promotes pronunciation and speaking,
the majority of the activities are focused on receptive skills
and grammar. The group or collaborative work is not
promoted at all.
This book is available only in certain book stores of Chile.
The authors of this book state that Objective KET offers
students complete preparation for the Cambridge Key English
Test. The course combines solid language development with
systematic and thorough exam preparation and practice. The
short units give a sense of progress and cover a wide variety
of motivating topics
Colors, images and graphics are appropriate. It is very teen
oriented.
Due to its prize and target students this book can be found in
few stores of Chile.
No external links provide to exercise.

Selection/grading
Appropiacy

****
****

Authenticity

****

Sufficiency

**

Cultural bias

***

Educational validity

****

Stimulus/practice/revision

***

Flexibility

****

Guidance
Overall value for money

****
**

There is a connection between topics, language and tasks

This book offers the complete preparation for the Cambridge
KET examination.
The book contains authentic material provided from
Cambridge University.
The book contains all the possible material for the Cambridge
exam. Even though the audios are not available for the
students, they have to be bought separately.
As it is the preparation of an international exam, the topics
seen in this book are focused on global activities. Oriented on
the necessary vocabulary for the test.
It is certified by the university of Cambridge ESOL
Examinations.
The book has a clear warm up followed by grammar activities
that have direct relation with the topic.
Teachers are able to change and mix the contents and units
with real life contexts and situations
Instructions are clear in all the activities.
The Chilean prize dobles the value

INTERVIEW CHART
Questions

Categories

do you
think
coursebook
s are
important?

importance
of
coursebook

what are
your
criteria for
choosing a
coursebook

criteria for
choosing a
coursebook

Participa
nts
School
teacher

School
teacher

Comment

Analysis

I think they are

important as
long as they
are well
chosen for a
specific
purpose. In
my opinion,
course books
used in Chilean
public schools
are neither
valid nor
reliable, thats
why I try not
to use them
very often in
class.
First of all it
needs to have
relationship
with the topics
we are
covering in the
different units.
I focus on the
instructions,
they have to
be clear. It is
important for
me that a
course book
includes the
development
of the four
language skills:
productive and
receptive, and
that it
provides some
guided
activities on
one hand, and
on the other

In this aspect, the teacher presents

her point of view regarding the
importance that she gives to the
books for specific purposes. In
addition, it can be noticed that the
teacher invalidates the use of public
Chilean course books as they are not
reliable for class use. It seems that
she maintains some theoretical
ideas to back up her opinion
towards course books, using
(author's) concepts of reliability and
validity

In this category, the criteria used by

the teacher is slightly similar to
Gilmore's (2004) investigation about
textbooks in which it is analysed the
functional language used for
listening tasks. Also, the teacher
declares that it is important for her
the integration of both receptive
and productive skills - a clear signal
of Brown's (2004) Integrative
Approach. However, it may occurs
that she only focuses on the use of
receptive skills as she mentions only
activities for visual learners (Oxford,
1990) , and also in the next question
it is confirmed by her answering
that "she usually uses the book for
reading and listening". As it may be
noticed, the theoretical back up for
the use of an Integrative Approach
is present, although it does not
seem to be applied in the classroom.

which part
of the CB
do you
frequently
use?
which part
of the CB
do you
seldom use

parts of the
CB more
used

School
teacher

parts of the
CB seldom
used

School
teacher

hand, some
activities that
they can do
independently.
I like the
activities to be
interesting,
motivating and
fun, very
colorful and
full of images
for the visual
ones. I love
the books that
include
additional
material for
students and
teachers too.
I usually use
the book for
reading and
listening
activities.
I never use the
book for
grammar
exercises
because it is
never enough
and
sometimes the
exercises are
not quite
accurate. I
prepare those
on my own.

Analysed above.

In the parts the course books

seldom used, the teacher declares
not using the book for grammar
exercises as they are not accurate,
relying on the design of authentic
materials. On the theoretical side,
Wu & Hu (2004: 36) point out that
the design of authentic materials
promotes the motivation on
students and also the
communication among the tasks
given by the teacher. Nevetheless,
Wu & Hu never mention the design
of authentic material in the Form
aspect of grammar teaching, thus
they focus on vocabulary
acquisition. On the other hand, it
can also be noticed that the main
focus of the teacher is on aids
creation, laying bare the seemly
constant use of Elicitiative resources
(Correa & Daz, n.d). In addition, it
can also be seen that the teacher
may only supplements when she

has to deal with the grammar

lessons.

When do
you
supplement
the CB?
Why?

context and
reasons for
supplementi
ng

School
teacher

how do you
supplement
the CB?

procedure
oractivities
for
supplementa
tion

School
teacher

what kind
of help
would you
like to have
from the CB
in teaching
GR?

help in
teaching GR

School
teacher

As I said
before, when
it has to be
with grammar
I prefer to
prepare my
classes
because my
students
prefer a power
point
presentation
or video rather
than looking at
their books.
I supplement it
using videos,
PPTs and
worksheets.

Rather than
the grammar
rules on course
books, I prefer
them to have
plenty of
exercises for
students to
practice, not
the typical
exercises such
us fill in
blanks, but
using the
language
instead.

Analysed above.

Even though the teacher has

presented a sightly marked
tendency to produce Elicitative
activities for students, she also uses
Instructional materials for course
book supplementation in activities
or procedures.
In this category, the teacher seems
to show preferences for drilling
activities rather than grammar
structures. Thus, references to
Larsen & Freeman's (2003) Use and
Meaning seem not to be present in
the development of teaching
grammar. Even thouhg the use of
language is mentioned, she may not
be taking into account the different
system of the language such us
Phonology and Lexis.

what kind
of help
would you
like to have
from the CB
in teaching
pronunciati
on?

help in
teaching
pronunciatio
n

School
teacher

what kind
of help
would you
like to have
from the CB
in teaching
lexis?

help in
teaching lexis

School
teacher

what kind
of help
would you
like to have
from the CB
in teachin
skills of the
lg?

help in
School
teaching
teacher
skills of the lg

I think
including
images
showing
where to
stress the
syllables,
pictures, etc.
Books also
include a CD
with
pronunciation
activities to
practice,
practice and
only practice.
According to
what Ive seen
in my
students, they
are very visual,
and love
learning
vocabulary
through
images,
mimics, etc. If
a book
includes that, I
am happy with
it.
I would like
books to
include
activities for
each skill that
they can
practice every
lesson. For
example, in
one lesson,
use the first 10
minutes for a
reading
activity from
the book and a
speaking
activity related

As it can be seen, the teacher seems

to rely on the use of drilling for
practicing the different systems of
the language. However, it is
reafirmed the use of Elicitative
activities regarding the style of her
students.

Again, the use of Elicitative

materials seems to be constantly
carried out for the development of
teaching the systems of the
language in this particular teacher's
using course books.

Supporting the idea of an

Integrative Approach (Brown, 2004),
throughout this aspect the teacher
reinforces the idea of using course
books to develop the four skills in
every lesson, as she did in question
two. However, this time it is gone in
depht into the exemplification of
how she uses the four skills in one
lesson even though she does not
seem to back up her lessons with
Brown's approech.

to the same
reading. In the
following
lesson,
students can
have a
listening
activity from
the book and
then write a
report about
what they
heard.

TYPED INTERVIEW
1. Do you think course books are important?
I think they are important as long as they are well chosen for a specific purpose. In my opinion, course books
used in Chilean public schools are neither valid nor reliable, thats why I try not to use them very often in class.

2. What are your criteria for choosing course books?

First of all it needs to have relationship with the topics we are covering in the different units. I focus on the
instructions, they have to be clear. It is important for me that a course book includes the development of the
four language skills: productive and receptive, and that it provides some guided activities on one hand, and on
the other hand, some activities that they can do independently. I like the activities to be interesting, motivating
and fun, very colorful and full of images for the visual ones. I love the books that include additional material for
students and teachers too.

3. Which part(s) of the course books do you frequently use?

I usually use the book for reading and listening activities.

4. Which part(s) do you seldom use?

I never use the book for grammar exercises because it is never enough and sometimes the exercises are not
quite accurate. I prepare those on my own.

5. When do you supplement the course book? Why?

As I said before, when it has to be with grammar I prefer to prepare my classes because my students prefer a
power point presentation or video rather than looking at their books.

6. How do you supplement the course book?

I supplement it using videos, PPTs and worksheets.

7. What kind of help would you like to have from the course book in teaching grammar?
Rather than the grammar rules on course books, I prefer them to have plenty of exercises for students to
practice, not the typical exercises such us fill in blanks, but using the language instead.

8. What kind of help would you like to have from the course book in teaching pronunciation?
I think including images showing where to stress the syllables, pictures, etc. Books also include a CD with
pronunciation activities to practice, practice and only practice.

9. What kind of help would you like to have from the course book in teaching lexis?
According to what Ive seen in my students, they are very visual, and love learning vocabulary through images,
mimics, etc. If a book includes that, I am happy with it.

10. What kind of help would you like to have from the course book in teaching skills of the language?
I would like books to include activities for each skill that they can practice every lesson. For example, in one
lesson, use the first 10 minutes for a reading activity from the book and a speaking activity related to the same
reading. In the following lesson, students can have a listening activity from the book and then write a report
about what they heard.

REFERENCES
Correa, R. Diaz,C. (2014) Materials: A challenging world [Power Point Slides] retrieved from:
Universidad Catolica de la Santsima Concepcin.
Gilmore, A. (2004). A comparison of textbook and authentic interactions. ELT journal, 58(4), 363374.
Hu and Wu (2005) Applying Communicative Teaching Method in English-teaching Classroom.
Shijiazhuang College, Sino-US English Teaching.
Littlewood, W. (1981). Communicative language teaching: An introduction. New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. New York:
NewburyHouse.
Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. NY:
Pearsons Longman.