英文摘要 |
This study evaluates the speaking activities included in nine selected coursebooks employed in Taiwanese universities for English major students. The constraints of the coursebooks may be one reason why learners in Taiwan do not develop good speaking skills. However, when comparing English major students and non-English major students' English oral abilities, English major students are much better than non-English major students. In the study, an attempt was made English conversation coursebooks that provide more appropriated speaking activities than Freshman English coursebooks. Thus, the primary aim of this study is to examine whether the selected English conversation coursebooks provide sufficiently appropriate speaking activities. The data for the study comes from evaluations of the nine selected English conversation coursebooks and includes an impressionistic overview checklist. The impressionistic overview checklists are used to check the quantity of speaking activities in each unit in the nine selected English conversation coursebooks. The results of the checklists demonstrate the match between the speaking activities in the English conversation coursebooks and what the literature identifies as the principles of speaking tasks. The results also reflect constraints with regard to the quantity of the selected coursebooks for Freshman English. In view of this, the study finds that awareness, appropriated and autonomous activities are common in the English conversation coursebooks. The study compared the selected coursebooks for Freshman English, it suggests that awareness, appropriated and autonomous activities should be increased in Freshman English coursebooks. Overall, the study provides some suggestions for teaching English speaking and selecting English coursebooks. It also suggests some ideas for people who are interested in developing freshmen English speaking abilities. To adapt or rewrite the speaking activities in Freshman English coursebooks more similar English conversation coursebooks probably is a good solution for promoting Taiwanese freshmen English speaking abilities. |