Number of Words: 2,600 words

Students Name: Raghdah Al-Madany

Presented to: Dr. YOSIF AL- Shumaimeri

Students number: 429921289

ABSTRACT:

The aim of the paper is to investigate Saudi students view of the English textbooks
Headway Series based on need analysis, in order to identify the students needs and
help them learn the English language in a smooth way. The study consists of three
parts: the literature review, the research methodology, and the empirical effort.
First, I will give an account of the literature review which tackles the importance of
textbooks. The second step is the questionnaire *Appendix A* that will help me in
evaluating the textbook presented in this study from the point of view of the
students. Finally, the focus is going to be on revealing the results of the empirical
work and concluding the findings of the study.

The results showed that there was a general satisfaction about the textbook, most
students answers showed that the textbook has a good design; it covers all the four
skills and encourages learners independence and the use of technology. The book
authors Soars and Soars, (1993) Promise to fulfill all the needs for learners of
English in which they accomplish their objectives presented in the textbooks
according to two studies. The first study done by Zareva, (not mentioned) on
Bulgarian learners which evaluated Headway Elementary. The second study
evaluated Upper-Intermediate textbooks done by Ranalli (2002 ) on Korean
students.

I) INTRODUCTION:

Language teaching nowadays is quite important in order to be able to connect with

different nations or people. English is the language that most people speak around
the world. According to London Teacher Training College (LTTC) TEFL handbook
English is used as an official or semi-official language in over 60 countries, also
there are 300 million mother tongue speakers of English in addition to 300 million
people who use English as a second language, adding up 100 million people who
speak English fluently as a foreign language. It is also quite motivating to know that
two thirds of the worlds scientists write in English, while 80% of all the information
stored electronically around the world is in English. English language is used
everywhere whether in books, newspapers, sports, medicine, technology or even
music and academic conferences. In fact, learning English or any other subject
involves three main participants, the teacher, the textbook, and the student
Alshumaimeri (2001). We should also ensure "that careful selection is made, and
that the materials selected closely reflect [the needs of the learners and] the aims,
methods, and values of the teaching program." (Cunningsworth, 1995 p.7).

In my paper, I will specify the textbook from the point of view of the learners.

Textbooks are the core of the curriculum and syllabus in most of our classrooms,
according to Vellegna (2004) also, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) suggest: "The
textbook is an almost universal element of [English language] teaching. Millions of
copies are sold every year, and numerous aid projects have been set up to produce
them in [various] CountriesNo teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete
until it has its relevant textbook. (p.315). yet, rarely do they offer adequate
information for learners pragmatic competence. The purpose of this paper is to
evaluate Headway Elementary since the series is used in the PSCC (Prince Sultan
Cardiac Center) for heart technicians in order to make the students capable of
reaching an intermediate level of general English. The Headway Series is taught for
a year and a half. I will evaluate the book according to general guidelines. Also, the
study is going to be empirical through a questionnaire Appendix A based on to the
students answers (20 students) who have been studying the book for a 7 month
now.

11) CONTEXTS:

A) THE LEARNERS:

This course is aimed at High school graduates who somewhat lack simple
communication skills in English as a foreign language. These students are being
taught English for a year and a half in order to have a good command of the
language. This course is considered an important one that holds (120) credits. The
language of instruction is English; also the books aim to cover the four skills of the
language not to mention grammar. A questionnaire was conducted in order to
evaluate the book from the point of view of the learners themselves.

B) THE BOOK:
 I have chosen this book for the following reasons. I also borrowed some reasons
from Zareva (Not mentioned):

According to the authors, Headway Elementary has been designed for adult and
young adult who would like to use English both for fluency and accuracy and all the
four skills are developed systemically (Soars and Soars, 1993) which makes this
book appropriate for all kind of learners.

The book concentrates on traditional approaches such as a clear focus on

grammar with in-depth analysis and clarification, through many exercises and
reading material, yet it employs the Communicative approaches since students
are required to work out rules individually and reflect upon their personal opinions
According to Ranalli (2002).

The book has been used for more than five years in the PSCC Center for Saudi
Students.

* The book is suitable for beginners and a false beginner (Zareva) given that it is
the first of five books, which cover the initial stage of language learning.

The textbooks have been written to satisfy the needs of all kinds of learners from
different countries or backgrounds, they are not merely used for a particular
national group.

111) THE LITERATURE REVIEW:

The choice of the teaching material is quite important since the learners are making
their initial steps in learning the language and getting a hold with other cultures
according to Zareva; the textbook is a very essential factor for learners attitude
towards the language and culture(s) it represents. By means of its content - texts
and language learning activities - the textbook may encourage or hinder the
process of developing learners intercultural competence (Zareva). Student needs
and interests present good reasons for choosing the greatly popular Headway
series, which is for students who want to make use of English accurately and
fluently, and to communicate with ease in both social and everyday situations
(Soars & Soars, 1996).

Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997) have suggested that there are three different
kinds of material evaluation. They argue that the most common form is probably the
'predictive' evaluation which is intended to study the future performance of a
textbook. The other types of textbook evaluation are the 'in-use' evaluation planned
to study material that is currently being used and the retrospective (reflective)
evaluation of a textbook that has been used in any respective institution. For this
paper, Im going to employ the second kind. My first question revolves around
whether the textbook units and topics are designed in an attractive way, which can
motivate learners? Does Headway Elementary encourage Communicative
approaches? Does it integrate the four skills of the language beside the excessive
rules of grammar? And many more questions.

THE CRITERIA:

In order to evaluate Headway Elementary books, I have borrowed certain criteria

points from De Jong (De Jong 1996), Byram (Byram 1991), Zareva , also I worked
some points out myself in which the designed questionnaire was built upon :

1. The design of the book is interesting and brings the best in the students and
motivates them.

2. The topics are of interest to the student and up to date.

3. The books cover the major skills of the language and encourage students center
learning.

4. The text materials, visuals and learning tasks should represent the cultural
difference and encourage comparison between their culture and what they
encounter through the process of learning English

5. The book encourages pair/ group work and full of multiple tasks or activities.

6. The book encourages learners independence.

METHDOLOGY:

The Role of Textbooks in the EFL/ESL Classroom:

Sheldon (1988) consents that textbooks not only "represent the visible heart of any
ELT program" (p.237) but also offer considerable advantages - for both the student
and the teacher when they are used in the ESL/EFL classroom. (p.237) but also offer
substantial reward - for both the student and the teacher, when they are being used
in the ESL/EFL classroom. Haycroft (1998) most important reward of using textbooks
is that they are psychologically vital for students since their accomplishment can be
measured concretely when we use them. According to Cunningsworth (1995) and
Ellis (1997) who both suggested that textbook evaluation helps teachers move
beyond generalized assessments and it aids them to obtain helpful, precise,
systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. Also
Chambers (1997) who points out that the activity of evaluating a certain book is
frequently very beneficial once it is taken by everyone involved in the teaching and
learning process. The study consisted of the theoretical literature review and the
empirical study *quantities * a questionnaire given to 20 students who have been
studying Headway Elementary books series for 7 month now. I have chosen the
questionnaire method because it is feasible, moreover it is self-administering, and
easy to classify and analyze Alshumaimeri (2001).

PARTICIPANTS:

The study was conducted in Prince Sultan Cardiac Center (PSCC). Data was
collected from 20 Saudi female students age (18+). The students level ranges from
mere beginners to Pre-intermediate. The students are high school graduates, who
are specializing to be heart technicians, as a requirement of this major; they have to
take an intensive English course for the first year and a half in order to be able to
communicate in everyday situation since the program as a whole is taught in the
English language only.

There will be a sample accompanied within the research.

DATA ANALYSIS:

Through looking at the results of the, thirteen questions it was very clear that most
of the students (20 students) showed high agreement on most of the questions as
shown the diagram below:

According to the criteria mentioned and the students answers to the questionnaire,
it is very clear that the Headway Elementary textbooks have achieved the
objectives mentioned.

Check the suitable answer for you in the following items:

The item Strongly agree agree Dont know Strongly disagree disagree

1)The book is interesting and colorful 18 2 0 0 0

2) You like the way the book and the units are designed 10 10 0 0 0

3) The book covers all the Four skills (Reading, writing , listening and speaking +
GRAMMAR) 10 8 1 0 1

4) Are the activities during the unit enough and the explanation of the grammar
supplied at the end of the book sufficient 11 4 3 0 2
 5) Does the book encourages the use of technology and has Cd's and online
support for the learner?

96302

6) The topics tackled * touched upon* on the book are very old and lacking of
innovation 2 5 1 2 10

7) The tasks required from you in the classroom are vague and very difficult to work
on 1 7 2 4 6

8) Each unit of the book cover a reasonable amount of vocabulary and new
information 9 10 0 0 1

9) The book relates to everyday

life situation 9 7 3 1 0

10) The exercises or activities of the book vary and are very motivating in learning
a new skill? 5 13 1 0 1

11) The book encourages cooperation among pairs and groups of learners 4 11 2 0
3

12) The text book encourages comparison between the students' culture and the
culture they meet during the process of learning English. 3 13 2 1 1

13) The textbook encourages learners independence 9 9 2 0 0

111) DISCUSSION:

Thirteen questions were presented to 20 students. The first question deals with
layout and design of the book. According to the greatest 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, that the evaluation
checklists ought to have some criteria relating to the physical characteristics of
textbooks such as layout, organizational, and logistical characteristics. On the
cognitive level, Reda (2003) examined topics of a sample of six EFL textbooks
including the well-known Cambridge English Course and Headway. The topics
covered many aspects such as food, colors, fashion, leisure and sports and many
other things * Appendix 2 part 2*. He recommended enlarging the amount of
vocabulary presented in the book. On the affective level, Peacock (1997) inspected
the importance of the use of authentic material to raise learners' motivation. On the
procedural level, Jacobs and Ball (1996), focusing on the quality of interaction. All
the students agreed on the book's colors and design, also in the second question,
students approved of the way the units were designed and arranged. In the third
and fourth question the majority of the students agreed that the book covers the
four major skills and it has multiple task and activities that encourage interaction
among pair/ group work, according to Vygotsky (1978) and Long (1990) who have
advocated the cognitive value of student-student/social interaction for promoting
learning. Moreover, Long (1990) mentioned five benefits which include students
enhancing their opportunities of learning, encountering new ideas , elaboration, re-
conceptualizing information, expressing ideas, getting feedback, and justifying their
claims (Bruning, Schraw, and Ronning, 1999) As for the fifth and sixth question
which dealt with technology and new topics, it seems that the students enjoyed the
topics tackled in the book. Furthermore, the questionnaire gives an insight of what
students would like to change in the book, which was very little in this case.

As for the eighth question, according to Reda (2003) headway books incorporate
vocabulary through its five graded levels: elementary, pre-intermediate,
intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced * Appendix 2 *

Even when it came to the use of authentic material and cultural comparison, a high
majority of students agreed that the textbook presented everyday life situations.
Also the students enjoyed doing the tasks presented in the textbook and the
textbook itself covers a reasonable amount of vocabulary. The textbook raises
English cultural awareness among students which develops their intercultural
competence at the early stages of their language learning Zareva (not mentioned).

1V) CONCLUSION:

According to Zareva (-) in his study of Headway Elementary books, the book is quite
attractive with it is pictures and layout design. The textbooks take into
consideration the needs of its learners through developing their receptive and
productive skills within a selection of context. Thirdly, the textbook provide learners
with knowledge about different cultures as they are being exposed to native and
non-native English speakers in the textbook itself. Many kinds of tasks and activities
are presented in the book in order to encourage pair/ group work. Learners'
autonomy is stressed through out the textbook and the use of communicative
activities is very obvious since students have to attempt these exercise first. The in-
depth analysis of the grammar was not a drawback. According to Cunningsworth
(1995) and three guidelines which dealt with the book corresponding to the
learners needs , reflecting different uses (present and past) which learners will
make of the language. Also, considering the students needs as learners and smooth
the progress of their learning the language without commanding a stiff method.
According to Ranalli (2002) assessment of the New Headway Series Upper-
Intermediate is well designed and well written so that it provides a fine deal of
support for learning. The book offers a great balance on accuracy and fluency. The
authors have done a great job in making sure to engage learners in diverse tasks
and multiple activities. The book also encourages learning through mistake and trial
(communicative approach)

REFERENCES:

Alshumaimeri, yousif (2001) Saudi Students Perceptions of Their Textbook: English

for Saudi Arabia, (EFSA), Secondary Year One.

Al-Shumaimeri, Y. (1999) M.Ed TESOL Assignment. University of Leeds. Leeds.

Brown, J. 1995. The Elements of Language Curriculum. Heinle and Heinle

Publishers.

Bruning, R.H., G.J., Schraw, and R. Ronning. 1999. Cognitive Psychology and
Instruction. Prentice Hall.

Byram, M. and Esarte-Sarriers U., 1991, "Investigating cultural studies in foreign

language teaching", Clevedon: Multilingual Matters 62.

Chambers, F. 1997. 'Seeking Consensus in Coursebook Evaluation'. ELT Journal.

Volume 51/1.

Cunningsworth, A 1995. Choosing Your Coursebook. Heinemann.

De Jong, W., 1996, Open Frontiers. Teaching English in an intercultural context,

Heinemann

Ellis, R. 1997. 'The Empirical Evaluation of Language Teaching Materials'. ELT

Journal.

Volume 51/1.

Harmer, J. 1996. The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman.

Haycroft, J. 1998. An Introduction To English Language Teaching. Longman.

Hutchinson, T. and E. Torres. 1994. 'The Textbook as Agent of Change'. ELT Journal.
Volume 48/4.
Litaz, David (2001) TEXTBOOK EVALUATION AND ELT MANAGEMENT:

A SOUTH KOREAN CASE STUDY. Asian EFL Journal. http://www.asian-efl-

journal.com/Litz_thesis.pdf

Jacobs, G.M. & Ball, J. (1996): "An investigation of the structure of group activities in
ELT coursebooks." ELT Journal, vol. 50/2, 99-107.

Long, M.H. 1990. 'Task, Group, and Task-Group Interactions' in S. Anivan (ed.).
Language

Teaching Methodology for the Nineties. SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.

London Teacher Training College (LTTC) TEFL handbook

Peacock, M. (1997): "The effect of authentic materials on the motivation of EFL

learners." ELT Journal, vol. 51/2, 144-156.

Ranalli, James(2002) An Evaluation Of New Headway Upper-intermediate .

University of Birmingham, March (2002)

Reda, G. (2003): "English coursebooks: Prototype texts and basic vocabulary

norms." ELT Journal, vol. 57/3, 260-268.

Sheldon, L. 1988. 'Evaluating ELT Textbooks and Materials'. ELT Journal.

Volume 42/2.

Soars, L. and J, 1995 Headway Elementary. Students book, OUP

Soars, L. and J, 1995 Headway Elementary. Work book, OUP

Soars, J. & Soars, L. (1996) New Headway Intermediate, Oxford University Press

Vellenga, Heidi (2004) Learning Pragmatics from ESL & EFL Textbooks: How Likely?
Northern Arizona University (2004). http://tesl-ej.org/ej30/a3.html

Vygotsky, L.S. 1978. Mind in Society. Harvard University Press.

Williams, D. 1983. 'Developing Criteria for Textbook Evaluation'. In ELT Journal.

Volume 37/3.

Zareva, Desislava (not mentioned) THE ROLE OF HEADWAY ELEMENTARY FOR

DEVELOPING BULGARIAN LEARNERS INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE New Bulgarian
University.
APPENDIX A

Check the suitable answer for you in the following items:

The item Strongly agree agree Dont know Strongly disagree disagree

1)The book is interesting and colorful

2) You like the way the book and the units are designed

3) The book covers all the Four skills (Reading, writing , listening and speaking +
GRAMMAR)

4) Are the activities during the unit enough and the explanation of the grammar
supplied at the end of the book sufficient

5) Does the book encourages the use of technology and has Cd's and online
support for the learner?

6) The topics tackled * touched upon* on the book are very old and lacking of
innovation

7) The tasks required from you in the classroom are vague and very difficult to work
on

8) Each unit of the book cover a reasonable amount of vocabulary and new
information

9) The book relates to everyday

life situation

10) The exercises or activities of the book vary and are very motivating in learning
a new skill?

11) The book encourages cooperation among pairs and groups of learners

12) The text book encourages comparison between the students' culture and the
culture they meet during the process of learning English.

13) The textbook encourages learners independence

HEADWAY BOOK SAMPLE APPENDIX 2

Ghsoon Reda (2003)

PART 2

Ghsoon Reda (2003)