IP - FPMTL
INITIAL PROPOSAL (D1) FOR THE FINAL PROJECT
Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
User code
[CRFPMTFL3257800]
2019-02RMesénHidalgo_InitialProp
1. Program:
[FPMTFL - Máster universitario en Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza del Inglés Lengua
Extranjera]
2. Personal and academic information:
Student Name: Group:
Roberto Mesén Hidalgo FPMTFL
Email address: Date:
[email protected] 05 05 2020
3. Final Project Supervisor:
[Magister Verónica Cabañas]
4. Title and topic of the Final Project:
An analysis of the book 21st Century Communication 2A by implementing a reference
checklist for ELT coursebook usefulness evaluation
5. Justification of academic and personal interest of the topic:
As a language teacher, I have been choosing books for the different courses I have been
assigned for the last years. This process is quite essential because it is not just to select
the first book that is offered or you find at the bookstore. We, as language teachers, must
know that there are many aspects to consider before choosing a book for a specific
course. Those aspects are not only about the group and curriculum background. It goes
beyond that. Factors such as curriculum, approach, syllabus, and method are relevant.
Most of the time, the book defines the method to be used; this is hugely relevant. Also,
factors such as students’ background would definitely become crucial at the moment of
choosing a book. However, once a book has responded to these aspects and factors here
mentioned, it must be scrutinized in depth by evaluating specific book components and
traits. This scrutiny should be carried out to evaluate the book usefulness for the particular
course it has been chosen.
I firmly believe that in developing an analysis of this level, a checklist to evaluate book
usefulness must be designed and implemented. Language teachers should have a
reference checklist for ELT coursebook usefulness -evaluation. A reference checklist not
only provides the opportunity to carefully identify to what extent a book can fulfill and
achieve the objectives the book itself has, but teachers can also determine how the book
can contribute to achieving the course objectives. The book 21st Century Communication
2A has been implemented and used by specialized institutes in English language teaching
to work with upper-intermediate students; however, it has not been evaluated in-depth
since its implementation. That is why I consider it extremely important to evaluate the
book’s scopes.
As stated before, language teachers from different institutes where the book is used will
be the direct audience for this specific checklist design. In having and dealing with a book
analysis justified with a reference checklist that provides a structure of descriptions,
language teachers might understand not only the relevance of the book evaluation, but
they will have a framework of results and suggestions on how to implement the said
evaluation.
The reason why I want to carry out this project lies on purpose to have a clearer and
strong validation for the book implementation. Besides, using a reference checklist
updated for this book analysis may also end in the chance to count on a reliable
evaluation instrument ready to be implemented in the near future. This academic zeal also
relies on the urgent to understand that the said book may not be chosen by how colorful it
is or how useful the bookseller may say the book is. Consequently, my purpose is to
determine if the book is trustworthy or not for its implementation based on its objectives
and use..
6. Type of Final Project:
a) Research
b) Action Research
X c) Material Analysis
d) Material Design
e) Material Analysis and Design
f) Action Research and Material Design
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g) Course Design
h) Syllabus Design
7. Research question
[This section only applies to students who have chosen option A, research or option b,
action research. Other types of Final Project must not include it.]
[Please, specify the research questions that fueled this project. This research question
will usually define the aims of the study which will be detailed in the following question.]
8. Aims of the study:
To establish a reference checklist for ELT coursebook analysis
To analyze the book 21st Century Communication 2A’ usefulness
- Main aim of the Project:
To analyze the book 21st Century Communication 2A’s usefulness through the design of
a reference checklist for ELT coursebook’s usefulness evaluation.
- Specific aims:
:
To elaborate a reference checklist for ELT coursebook’s usefulness
evaluation by using updated criteria found in current studies.
To evaluate the book 21st Century Communication 2A’ usefulness
by using a reference checklist.
To analyze the book 21st Century Communication 2A evaluation’s
results in reference to the checklist’s criteria
9. Theoretical background:
This project about material analysis, which focuses on the analysis of the book 21 st
Century Communication 2A by implementing a reference checklist for ELT coursebook’s
usefulness evaluation would cover:
- Evaluation of coursebooks’ usefulness
- Scopes of coursebooks’usefulness evaluation
- Criteria for a reference checklist derived from current coursebook’s
evaluation studies.
- The use of checklists and criteria to evaluate coursebooks
10. Context for the project and methodology:
This project will be carried out in the context of an English Language Teaching institute
where the book 21st Century Communication 2A has been used since 2018. The book has
been used with intermediate and upper intermediate students. However, the book has
been chosen to be used by agreement on the proposal presented by National Geographic
Learning. This means that coordinators of the said institute did not implement an
exhausted evaluation of the book by using technical criteria, except that one presented by
the bookseller. This lack of analysis is what establishes the basis for implementing a
deeper evaluation of the said book. It is important to clarify that even though there is a
context where the book is implemented, it is my personal position and interest the ones
that drive me to carry out this study.
For doing this analysis, an exhausting literature review will be carried out to validate useful
criteria for coursebooks’ usefulness evaluation. Then, based on this literature review some
theoretical referents will be used to elaborate a reference checklist to evaluate the
usefulness of the books. It is important to mention that referents may be national,
international, or both. The theoretical referents will determine the criteria to develop the
reference checklist. Once the checklist is done, this one will be now used to evaluate the
book 21st Century Communication 2A’s usefulness. In brief the said checklist will be the
main tool to conduct the evaluation. Finally, the results will be analyzed to determine
whether the book is useful or not. The latter based on mirroring the results with the
checklist criteria.
10. Viability analysis
[For carrying out this analysis, there will be access to different sources such as
coursebook and teachers who use it. Besides, for expanding the theory and consequently
the selection of criteria for elaborating the reference checklist, different search platforms
such as Science Direct, Kimuk CONARE, and other trustful academic-platforms will be
used to access to update documents. In doing this the inclusion and exclusion of sources
will be easier. Based on the former and the latter, the study has viability.
11. Work planning:
Date Activity
Work on literature review search 15 05 2020
Evaluate criteria found studies 22 05 2020
Develop reference checklist 29 05 2020
Carried out book analysis 05 06 2020
Review instructor’s feedback 12 06 2020
Work on instructor’s feedback 19 06 2020
Advance one 30 06 2020
Study instructors feedback 17 07 2020
Work on instructors feedback 24 07 2020
Work on instructors feedback 31 07 2020
Work on instructors feedback 07 08 2020
Work on instructors feedback 14 08 2020
Work on instructors feedback 21 08 2020
Work on instructors feedback 28 08 2020
Advance two 15 09 2020
Review instructor’s feedback 02 10 2020
Work on instructors feedback 09 10 2020
Work on instructors feedback 16 10 2020
Work on instructors feedback 23 10 2020
Final project 31 10 2020
12. Bibliography
Delen, B., & Tavil, Z. M. (2010). Evaluation of four coursebooks in terms of three speech
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acts: Requests, refusals and complaints. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,
9, 692–697. doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.219
Hismanoǧlu, M. (2011). The integration of information and communication technology into
current ELT coursebooks: A critical analysis. Procedia - Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 15, 37–45.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.048
Inglesa, D. D. L., & Sevilla, U. De. (1997). In what ways do we want EFL coursebooks to
differ? 25(2), 275–284. doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(97)00014-6
Sarıçoban, A., & Can, N. (2013). An Evaluation of the 9th Grade Local and the
International English Coursebooks in Terms of Language Skills and Components.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 70, 997–1001.
doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.150
Sevilla Morales, H., & Gamboa Mena, R. (2015). Interactions 1 as an ELT coursebook: A
curricular and theory-based scrutiny. Retrived from
https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/aie/article/view/20982
12. Student compliance:
Roberto Mesén Hidalgo, who is enrolled in the academic program FPMTFL - Máster
universitario en Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza del Inglés Lengua Extranjera, agrees
with the above detailed proposal to complete the Final Project and hereby commits
himself/herself to carry out a personal and original work.
In Guápiles, Costa Rica, on May 08, 2020.
