Free English Language Dissertations - This Accent On Everyday English Is Indicative Of The Course’s Youthful
This accent on Everyday English is indicative of the course’s youthful outlook, which is also evident in the selected topics, e.g. adventure sports, first job interviews, email exchanges, etc...
Throughout New Headway students are required to draw from their own culture and experience to put topics and language into a personal context. Unfortunately, this aim is not always complimented in the task with authentic materials that are predominantly Western, e.g. Harry Potter, Madonna, magazine problem pages, European weather pages, relationships, etc Although Unit4 (world manners) has an international setting, the rest relies on the teacher’s creative interpretation.
In countries/classes where the students are young, familiar with and approving of Western cultures (e.g. Japan), the social and cultural emphasis is a useful tool for enthusing students to learn English. However, for students outside this sphere, it may be an off-putting (even offensive) obstacle to language learning requiring much editorial work on the teacher’s part.
Meeting the students’ needs
Context
The school at which the selected course will be aimed is a private language school in Israel. The student profiles show that they are well-educated young adults aged between 18 and 25, from a lower-middle class background. Their motivations to learn English are positive, practical and intrinsic, including travelling, socialising, education and professional advancement.
Topics and subject content
The topics/themes covered in the course are practical and are well suited to the students’ learning aims, focussing predominantly on communication in context to which learners can relate, e.g. making travel arrangements (Unit5).
The taught grammar focuses on and revises useful and common verb structures and question formations. Students are continually encouraged to produce the language orally in controlled and freer practice, enabling them to build their confidence and express themselves coherently in the social situations in which they hope to find themselves.
Additionally, the ancillary materials (e.g. interactive website, video, etc) can be fully exploited thanks to the school ample equipment provisions.
Social and cultural values
A coursebook that is going to interest a learner should contain something that he wants to learn about or involve himself in, quite apart from the language itself. English should come over as a means of conveying messages of consequence and relevance and as a means through which one’s experience is enriched and widened. It could well be presented as a ‘window on the world’.
Since Israelis are relatively familiar with Western culture, the course’s cultural basis will not hinder education and should, if anything, encourage learning with relatable contexts geared towards young adults.
