| A Critical Analysis of Prospect 3 based on Nation and Macalister's (2010) Four-Strand Framework |
| کد مقاله : 1102-CNF-FULL |
| نویسندگان |
|
حامد عرب1، علی راستگو *2 1گروه زبان، دانشکده علوم انسانی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی شاهرود 2عضو هیات علمی، گروه زبان، دانشکده علوم انسانی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی شاهرود |
| چکیده مقاله |
| Prospect Series are three English textbooks published in 2013 by the Ministry of Education to enable junior high school students in Iran to develop their communicative competence. Using Nation and Macalister’s (2010) four-strand framework for textual analysis, the current study critically evaluated different sections of Prospect 3 to measure the degree to which the textbook establishes balance between activities targeting meaning-focused input, meaning-focused output, language-focused learning, and fluency development. Each section in the book was considered independently to identify the strand(s) it aims to improve. To maximize validity, the sections were rigorously reconsidered several times in light of the four-strand framework and the instructions in the Teacher's Guide. Analyses of the activities and instructions given to teach sections in the Student Book, such as Conversation, Photo Dictionary, Language Melody, Grammar, Listening/Reading/Writing/Speaking, Role Play, etc., as well as in the Review Section and the Workbook demonstrate an approximate balance between the four strands characterized by Nation and Macalister’s (2010) as long as teachers are informed by and act in compliance with the Teacher’s Guide. Results suggest that, in line with CLT principles, the majority of tasks in Prospect 3 involve learners with familiar, high-frequency themes in classroom events and demand them to participate in classroom activities individually, in pairs and in groups. Many sections fulfill a multipurpose aim by integrating foci on two or more of the strands simultaneously, hence developing fluency and output production and allowing students to develop their communicative competence. The study discusses the implications of the findings. |
| کلیدواژه ها |
| textbook evaluation; Prospect 3; four-strand framework; meaning-focused input; meaning-focused output; language-focused learning; fluency development |
| وضعیت: پذیرفته شده برای ارائه شفاهی |