Textbook Evaluation: Explorations 1

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Textbook EvaluationExplorations 1 2

• By
• Maria Tafoya Rosette Finneran
• AHT 5087, Summer 2004

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OVERVIEW

• Part of Integrated English series
• 4-skills program for adult students
• Series comprised of three, two-book courses
  Gateways, Transitions, Explorations
  (beg-inter levels)
• Explorations Intermediate level

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COMPONENTS

• EXPLORATIONS 1
• Student Book
• Workbook
• Cassettes (2)
• CDs (2)
• Teacher Guide

• EXPLORATIONS 2
• Student Book
• Workbook
• Cassettes (2)
• CDs (2)
• Teacher Guide

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COMPONENTSStudent Book

• Eight 8-page units
• Integrates 4 skills grammar around engaging
  topics
• Grammar Guide Vocabulary Workshop support
  expand each unit (in back)
• 3 two-page Strategy Sessions on conversation
  management strategies

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COMPONENTS Cassettes CDs

• All of these parts are recorded
• Listening activities
• Conversations
• Pronunciation activities
• Readings in Student Book

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COMPONENTS Workbook

• Complements Student Book in these ways
• Grammar exercises
• Vocabulary exercises
• Additional reading material
• Writing program
• In class ? or homework ?

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COMPONENTS Teachers Book

• Contains step-by-step suggestions for setting up
  carrying out Student Book activities.
• Additional background/cultural info on topics
• Teaching tips
• Expansion activities

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EXPLORATIONS Claims

• Innovative topic-based syllabus
• Authentic content
• Context for meaningful language study
• Basis for the exploration of interesting adult
  topics

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6 KEY FEATURES

• Rich Content
• A Discovery Approach to Grammar
• Multiple Opportunities to Recycle
• Task-based activities that integrate the skills
  of reading, writing, listening, speaking
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Vocabulary Learning Strategies

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KEY FEATURES 1 Rich Content

• EXAMPLES
• Photo collages
• Interviews
• First-person accounts
• Captioned photos
• Charts graphs

• Rich Content aspect provides students with
  reasons to
• confer
• ask meaningful questions
• seek clarification
• share opinions
• make comparisons
• agree or disagree

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KEY FEATURES 2A Discovery Approach to Grammar

• Opportunities to
• Deal explicitly with language
• Ask questions
• Make test hypotheses about a particular
  language structure

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KEY FEATURES 3Multiple Opportunities to Recycle

• Each unit functions as a review unit of
• previously studied material.
• For Example
• Language structures
• Vocabulary

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KEY FEATURES 4Task-Based Activities

• Includes task-based activities that integrate
  the skills of reading, writing, listening,
  speaking.
• For Example
• Ask pairs of students to come up with questions
  about a photograph, listen for answers to their
  questions take notes, then relate what they
  learned to their own lives by completing a chart.

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KEY FEATURES 5Critical Thinking Skills

• Activities encourage the use of critical
  thinking skills.
• For Example
• Apply whats learned to new situations
• Analyze
• Categorize
• Compare information
• Evaluate ideas

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KEY FEATURES 6 Vocabulary Learning Strategies

• Vocabulary Workshops
• Tips and techniques for new vocabulary
• For Example
• How to keep a vocabulary notebook

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONPresentation

• The Presentation sections introduce and
• get students thinking
• about the topic of unit.
• For Example

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONLanguage Focus

• Focus on grammar feature (for topic)
• Opportunities to make/test hypotheses about
  language point
• Opportunities to try out that new language in a
  more controlled way

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONListening

• Task-based listening activities include
• Interviews
• Play a game
• Give an explanation
• Describe something
• Tell a story
• Recording often models tasks students will
  carry out

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONRead Explore

• Reading in 2nd part of each unit
• Variety of sources
• Different genres
• Pre- post- reading activities

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONPronunciation Point

• Each unit contains a
• pronunciation exercise that
• presents practices
• an important pronunciation point
• related to the
• topic grammar of unit.

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONCommunicative Task

• Opportunities to apply whats learned from
  preceding language focus listening sections
• Interview
• Describe
• Role play
• What Do You Think / Suggest ?
• Share Ideas
• Identify
• Compare

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONVocabulary Workshop

• Unit supplements (back of book)
• Suggests ways to process new vocabulary
• For example

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONGrammar Guide

• Cross-referenced to unit Language Focus
• Provides additional examples, exercises
• Helpful tips on form usage

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONWriting (Workbook)

• Connected reading writing sections
• Consolidates important reading skills
• Presents key writing strategies
• Provides practical writing tips

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UNIT ORGANIZTIONStrategy Sections

• Follows 2nd, 4th, 6th units
• Introduces important conversation management
  strategies
• For example

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SUMMARY OF UNIT ORGANIZATION

• Presentation
• Language Focus
• Listening
• Read Explore
• Pronunciation Point

• Communicative Task
• Vocabulary Workshop
• Grammar Guide
• Writing (Workbook)
• Strategy Session

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INTERESTING FINDINGS

• Claims
• Task-based vs. task-supported
• Changes as you proceed through books
• Usefulness to SLA
• Usability
• General conclusions reflections

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• F.Y.I.

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COMPONENTS

• EXPLORATIONS 1
• Student Book 14.95
• Workbook 8.95
• Cassettes (2) 31.95
• CDs (2) 35.95
• Teacher Guide 15.95

• EXPLORATIONS 2
• Student Book 14.95
• Workbook 8.95
• Cassettes (2) 31.95
• CDs (2) 35.95
• Teacher Guide 15.95

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CLASS SET OF 30

• EXPLORATIONS 1
• approx. 800.00

• EXPLORATIONS 2
• approx. 800.00

TOTAL approx. 1600.00
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NYC Dept of Ed. Ordering Info

• NYSTL approved ?
• Find out at
• http//www.fastrackcatalog.com/
• Explorations 1 2 YES