ESL COURSE-BOOKS

To What Extent do ESL Course-Books Reflect Vocabulary Teaching?

To What Extent do ESL Course-Books Reflect Vocabulary Teaching?

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate the selected English language coursebooks from the viewpoint of vocabulary selection and teaching techniques they employ. The two coursebooks chosen by the researchers are all for adults and young adults to learn and teach English as a foreign language. The books are as follows: Say it in English and Flying High, Countdown to First Certificate; Advanced Masterclass by Tricia Aspinall and Anette Capel, Oxford University Press, 1999); Say it in English (by Sandra N. Elbaum, Thomson Heinle, 2001-3rd Edition and 2005-4th Edition); New Headway Advanced (by Liz and John Soars, Oxford University Press, 2003); Top Notch 2 (by Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher, Pearson Education CAE (, 2006). As an examination and evaluation method, content-analysis was preferred in this study.

As a result of this evaluation, it was seen that all selected coursebooks integrated lexis into their syllabuses, giving emphasis to word knowledge by means of separate headings and additional sub-headings, such as Vocabulary, Word Building, Word Formation, Easily Confused Words, Keyword Transformation, Near-synonyms and Synonyms. Also, by means of word lists supplied at the end of Student's Books, they provide quick-reference data for selfcheck. Furthermore, all of the coursebooks have colorful layouts supporting vocabulary acquisition and comprehension through pictures, graphic designs, drawings, diagrams and cartoons except for Say it in English also which has also some pictures and drawings, but all are all in black-and-white format and fewer in number, which makes the Student's Book somehow dull and less attractive than the rest of the coursebooks (Fillmore, 2000, 55).

As one of the most significant issues in teaching English as a Foreign Language (ESL hereafter) and English as a Second Language (ESL hereafter), acquisition and teaching of vocabulary is under inspection. It has been gaining more concern from both learners and educators gradually compared to the previous times. In his mythoclastic book, Folse (2004), with the support of ample empirical research data collected since the mid-1990s, refutes the eight prevailing misconceptions about vocabulary teaching and learning.

One of those myths (Myth 8) he discusses is that “Teachers, textbooks, and curricula cover second language (SL hereafter) vocabulary adequately,” and he comments as follows: “The truth is that vocabulary is lacking in the overall curriculum. … Furthermore, except for the few vocabulary textbooks that explicitly cover vocabulary, most ESL textbooks do not systematically deal with vocabulary” (Burt, 2005, 69)

Similarly, Zimmerman (1997) states that, “although the lexicon is arguably central to language acquisition and use, vocabulary instruction has not been a priority in second language acquisition research and methodology” (p.17). Nation (2001) also discusses the main points “in designing the vocabulary component of a language course and focuses on the importance of learner autonomy in vocabulary learning” (pp. 394-406). Another researcher, Folse (2004), relating to the same issue, states that, “students appreciate good instruction in vocabulary, which includes teaching words that students need to know, ...