1. "Using the Textbook English for Today in the Classroom: An Investigation into the English 1st Part Classroom Activities at the HSC Level in Bangladesh"
Md Abdul Karim Ruman
Department of English,College of Sciences & Arts at Al-Namas, KKU
Mobile: ,
Objectives and background:
The pedagogical tradition of English language teaching in the colleges in Bangladesh undervalues the demand and use of communicative approach designed in the textbook English for Today. This issue initiates this researcher to search for possible problems lying behind it with the hypothesis that the textbook is not being properly implemented in the classroom. The paper's major objectives are: to reveal whether the textbook is being implemented properly in the classroom situation; to point out whether all the tasks and activities included in the textbook are performed; to discover if teachers’ training has any influence on the techniques of using the textbook; and to find out if the testing system influences the ways of using textbook.
Methodology:
The study is a field research. As it concentrates on the classroom activities, its subjects are definitely teachers and students. Random sampling was adopted for data collection. 30 students from 10 different colleges and 5 teachers from 5 different colleges were selected randomly for collecting data. Data were collected through two types of questionnaires- students’ survey questionnaire and teachers’ survey questionnaire. Classroom observation method was adopted for collecting data directly from the classroom.
Result:
Analyzing data quantitatively, the results are shown here using bar graphs, pie charts etc. It is found that rather than practicing the tasks and activities designed in the textbook, teachers usually concentrate on the solution of model questions. Therefore, the communicative competence designed for the textbook cannot be achieved.
Figure 1: Percentage of teachers’ making students acquainted to all the contents of the text at the beginning of the course.
Figure 2: Percentage of teachers' employing communicative tasks in the classroom.
Figure 3: Percentage of tasks exposed to the students for the development of speaking and listening skills.
Figure 4: Percentage of the college teachers having training on the textbook use.
Figure 5: Percentage of employing the tasks designed in the textbook English for Today in the classroom to build students’ communicative skills.
Figure 6: Percentage of teachers’ assumption about impact of present testing system at the HSC level in Bangladesh on implementation of the textbook in classroom.
Conclusion:
This paper recommends some solutions to the problem. For example, National Curriculum & Textbook Board should take proper steps in monitoring the implementation of the textbook. It can run a mandatory training course for the college teachers on using the textbook in the classroom. Teachers should focus on the students' acquisition of communicative competence. Besides, teachers should involve students in practicing the tasks and activities mentioned in the lessons of the textbook. Teachers should also focus on the vocabulary building activities in the textbook. Finally, the examination authority should re-consider and re-design the present testing format involving such questions which will test the students' development in the four skills of English language.