Critical Analysis of Textbooks and Integration of main concepts Rasilla César - Martínez Rocío

1. PART 2
After Reading the theory in Harmer (2016), chapter 2, read the materials from “Made in Corrientes” and “Project 1”, Oxford,
choose a unit and answer:
● How are grammar, lexis, functions and pronunciation presented in each of them?
● Which presentation seems to be more adequate to teach English in state schools/ at private institute level? Which
variables would you consider for each of these contexts?
MADE IN CORRIENTES 1: http://www.mec.gob.ar/documentos/MIC-Level1-Digital.pdf
TOPIC GRAMMAR LEXIS PRONUNCIATION FUNCTIONS
CONTENT
CONNECTIONS
AND VALUES
At School
(Pages 1 to 21)
* Verb to Be.
* Present Simple.
* Personal
Information
* Feelings
* School Objects
/æ/: Andy, sAd,
hAppy, exAm,
schoolbAg, mAtch
Interpersonal
functions:
* Introducing
ourselves.
* Ask and answer
about personal
information
* Show how we feel
* This unit teaches
children to
socialize and
makes them
achieve an
intercultural
awareness
* Music: chant

2. At School
(Pages 1 to 21)
Verb to be
Has got/ have got.
* School Objects
* Family
* Numbers from 1-
20
* Colours
School Objects and
plosives:
Book, Pencil, Pen,
ruBBer, schoolBag,
Pencil Case
* Describe their
classroom context
and family
* Talk about their
possessions
* Count their
objects
* It teaches values
such as tidiness in
the classroom,
solidarity and
companionship
PROJECT ENGLISH 1:
TOPIC GRAMMAR LEXIS PRONUNCIATION FUNCTIONS
CONTENT
CONNECTIONS
AND VALUES
Animals
(Pages 61 to 72)
Animals
*Revision: have/has
got. Adjectives of
dimension (short,
long, etc.)
*Adverbs of manner.
some/any
How many?
*Revision: present
simple.
*Animals.
*Animal’s features.
*Feelings (Fear,
interested in, etc.)
*Food.(More
specifically
animal’s food)
/ :ɑ /: Arm, lArge,
fAst, girAffe, shArk,
banAna, dArk,
shArp.
Animals and
affricates/fricatives:
*Describing
physical
characteristics.
*Describing the
manner of an
activity.
Expressing fears
and reasons for
them.
*Expressing
*This unit teaches
students to
describe an
animal.
*It teaches fears
and how to make a
classroom survey
on what animals
people are afraid of
and why.

3. (Pages 61 to 72) *Object pronouns. CHeetah, ostriCH,
Giraffe,Shark,
Snake, Spider,
Vampire
quantity.
*Describing habits
and lifestyle.
*Asking What’s the
matter with...?
*It teaches how to
retell a story from
another character’s
point of view.
*This unit teaches
how to make a
story of an animal
you are interested
in.
1) M.I.C
● Grammar: no grammatical charts used. Students learn about grammar without knowing the grammatical labels used in an
ordinary book of English. They make sentences respecting the proper structures but they do not learn by heart the names of
the grammatical tenses they are using, for example.
● Lexis is carefully selected so that the vocabulary is not far from students reality, but rather words they need to know to
communicate in their own language, i.e, the vocabulary is not only meaningful to them but also useful.
● Functions: In the unit we chose from this book, the function taught is mainly intra/ interpersonal communication. The
contents aim to let students express their feelings, and they can do it through different structures such as:
How are you today? Today I feel… What about you?
Santi is sad - Malena is happy
My friend makes me feel…

4. ● Pronunciation: Even though pronunciation is not explicitly taught, we consider that through the combination of Spanish and
English words students are unconsciously aware of the differences regarding sounds in each language. For example, in a
sentence like: Tincho drinks Tea, the students probably notice the difference between both t sounds and, as they are young
learners, they may be able to separate them into two different systems. This means that pupils do not learn about phonetics
by the use of detailed description or theoretical material, but they acquire the “pronunciation model” naturally, by listening to
the language, making their own inferences, and finally applying it.
Project English 1:
● Grammar: Project English is a traditional book that teaches grammar as if it were maths or an area to be learnt by heart.
This kind of activities conditions the students’ ways of thinking, and make them learn the language in an unreal way.
Languages are significantly acquired through use, not through the memorizing of theoretical frameworks.
● Although students may know about the lexis taught in the unit we chose (animals), they are not connected to their reality. If
books do not bridge their contents with students’ realities and needs, they end up not being successful, significant and useful.
● Functions: Mainly making statements and questions.
● Pronunciation: This textbook teaches only one variety of English, which is the standard. It projects a stereotype about how
the language should be and disregards speakers who are not natives.
2) It would be very innovative and important for both kinds of educational entities (state school/private institute) if they based their
teaching system on presentations such as the one shown in Made In Corrientes book. Considering that M.I.C. uses a multicultural
way of teaching, learners of English as a foreign language find it helpful for their learning to have the possibility of associating the
foreign language with different aspects of their everyday (real) life, because it also provides them with the opportunity of choosing
the model they find more suitable for their own learning, different from Project 1 which only follows the hegemonic model imposed

5. by the United Kingdom. Anyway, it is more likely to find activities such as the ones we observe in Project 1 in private institutes,
taking into account that they have as a priority to teach features of the language more than aspects applicable to our reality; and the
ones in Made In Corrientes in state schools syllabuses which tend to prepare students to apply the language to their “normal” lives.
We believe that the most important variables to consider are that usually in state schools there is a higher number of
students per teacher (normally between 25 and 30) than in a private institute (6-10); and not only the number but we also need to
know that students who attend private institutes go specifically to learn English, while in state schools students have to learn the
language plus other subjects, what results in fewer hours of English lessons (compared to those at institutes) and pupils are tired
when the English lessons start. Finally, teachers of private institutes have more economic support than those who work in state
schools due to the fact that institutes normally earn money from the fees student’s parents have to pay.
PART 3
● What can we do to enhance motivation in young learners studying English at primary school level?
As we have discussed in class young learners (more specifically children attending primary school) are enthusiastic about
learning specially through playing and other enjoyable and interactive activities that don’t require long periods of concentration on
the same topic. We suggest different creative tasks such as singing songs, doing arts and craft works, reading stories, playing
games, etc., which we consider as very enjoyable activities for young students.
Also we need to take into account that learners at this age use language skills without analysing why or how they use them
and are very good at imitating people. Any teacher can take advantage of young students’ attitude, and trigger their curiosity and
engage them in the class with new tasks and body language.

6. by the United Kingdom. Anyway, it is more likely to find activities such as the ones we observe in Project 1 in private institutes,
taking into account that they have as a priority to teach features of the language more than aspects applicable to our reality; and the
ones in Made In Corrientes in state schools syllabuses which tend to prepare students to apply the language to their “normal” lives.
We believe that the most important variables to consider are that usually in state schools there is a higher number of
students per teacher (normally between 25 and 30) than in a private institute (6-10); and not only the number but we also need to
know that students who attend private institutes go specifically to learn English, while in state schools students have to learn the
language plus other subjects, what results in fewer hours of English lessons (compared to those at institutes) and pupils are tired
when the English lessons start. Finally, teachers of private institutes have more economic support than those who work in state
schools due to the fact that institutes normally earn money from the fees student’s parents have to pay.
PART 3
● What can we do to enhance motivation in young learners studying English at primary school level?
As we have discussed in class young learners (more specifically children attending primary school) are enthusiastic about
learning specially through playing and other enjoyable and interactive activities that don’t require long periods of concentration on
the same topic. We suggest different creative tasks such as singing songs, doing arts and craft works, reading stories, playing
games, etc., which we consider as very enjoyable activities for young students.
Also we need to take into account that learners at this age use language skills without analysing why or how they use them
and are very good at imitating people. Any teacher can take advantage of young students’ attitude, and trigger their curiosity and
engage them in the class with new tasks and body language.