英语论文网

Chapter Four Results and Discussion

4.1 Results from the internal textbook evaluation
It has been noted that the textbook compilation and evaluation should be based onthe Curriculum Requirements which are restricted by many factors, e.g. needs ofsociety，training objectives, language skills, the current level of students, learning timeand so forth (Fan, 1998). Many researchers argue about the important role ofRequirements in materials evaluation (McDonough & Shaw, 1993; Cunningsworth,1995; Cheng, 2002; Sheldon, 1988; Shu & Zhuang, 1996). The English CurriculumRequirements for English Majors, Requirements for short，was first implemented in1990s and revised by the Ministry of Education of China in 2000. The revisedRequirements lay the foundation for English teaching and materials development.It is proposed in the Requirements that English majors should be cultivated tobuild up a solid English language base and enhance their cultural awareness so thatthey can be well qualified for future jobs. A solid language base should be given toppriority because it will lay a foundation for obtaining other abilities and knowledge.Although the Requirements emphasize the cultivation of students' speaking, writingand translating skills, it by no means indicates that listening and reading skills couldbe ignored. The Requirements thus argue that students ought to have a balanced development of the five skills. Besides, the Requirements highlight the students'capacity for cross-cultural communication, and aim at enhancing their culturalawareness to meet the needs of increasingly wide international exchange. Therefore,listening textbooks shoulder the responsibility of enhancing students' listeningcomprehension ability, cultivating their listening skills, providing them with enoughopportunities to be exposed to the target culture, as well as enhancing students' abilityof innovation.
……………

Conclusion

The present study is conducted to explore whether English majors are satisfiedwith the currently in-use listening textbooks and whether the two sets of textbooks areconsistent with the ideal textbooks in learners' minds based on the newly constructedworking model for listening textbook evaluation. Internal evaluation, externalevaluation, as well as needs analysis are conducted to collect both qualitative andquantitative data as well to present a comprehensive picture of the strengths andweaknesses of the two sets of EFL listening textbooks and investigate whether theycan meet the needs of learners.The internal evaluation is divided into two parts; an overall evaluation and adetailed evaluation. The results of the two listening textbooks from both sides aredifferent from each other. LTW is topic-based and student-centered because each unitis centered on one topic and more attention is paid to the learners' needs. Compiled onthe basis of relevant theories of cognitive psychology and new Requirements, ALC isprocess-based and student-oriented, for listening is considered an active process andthe cultivation of communicative competence is stressed. Authenticity is betterhandled in LTW with a combination of semi-authentic and authentic versions than inALC.
……………
Reference (omitted)