The Evaluation of Navigate Coursebook （Advanced→C1）

1. Brief Introduction to Navigate C1

The coursebook I evaluate here Navigate is the third level of the series coursebooks Navigate. Designed for young adult or adult English learners， Navigate C1 consists of 12 major units （topics）， each topic with five relevant sections. The first two sections are generally two articles related to the topic， then the vocabulary and skills development. The fourth section is about four basic language skills freely grouped in each unit， and Video comes to the last. Under each topic， there are several specific items showing the key aims or activities of this unit. Every unit even every section has independent tasks and goals. The selected topics and themes are very appealing and up-dated to modern learners and immerse them in questions or issues from all over the world. Each unit has different focus on the following aspects， grammar， vocabulary， pronunciation， listening， reading， speaking and writing. Built up from Oxford 3000 and linked with the CEFR， this course book provides a vocabulary syllabus which helps learners with the most relevant， frequent and important words they need to communicate in the world today.

2. Theories of English language teaching materials evaluation

2.1 The definition of course book evaluation

Activities like perhaps a quick glance through the pages of a course book， taking in the topics， illustrations and the main language points and so on， are intuitive evaluation. Tomlinson （2003b：17）put it with these words “ad hoc and impressionistic”. However， he also defines material evaluation in a principled way， as his definition （2003b：15） states that course book evaluation is a procedure that involves measuring the value （or potential value） of a set of learning materials. It involves judgments about the effect of course book on the people using them. Hutchinson and Waters（1987：96） refers to evaluation as a matter of judging the fitness of something for a particular purpose. In similar vein， course book evaluation is a matter of judging whether the course book can fit the teachers teaching goal and the learners learning need.

2.2 The approaches to course book evaluation

McGrath （2002） mentions in his book， that there are three basic approaches of course book evaluation， namely， the impressionistic， the checklist and the in-depth approach.

2.2.1 The impressionistic approach

Just looking through it quite quickly and getting an overview of its possibilities and its strengths and weaknesses， you form a general impression of the course book： whether the cover attracts readers， the illustrations are colorful， the layout is clear and comfortable and what the entire course package consists of， etc. Though it seems subjective and less systematic， it is sometimes very useful and provides you with a general introduction to the material.

2.2.2 The checklist approach

According to Cunningsworth（1995）， a quick-reference checklist for evaluation and selection contains 8 main aspects presented as follows： （1） Aims and approaches. （2） Design and organization. （3） Language content. （4） Skills. （5） Topics. （6）Methodology. （7） Teachers book. （8） Practical considerations. In different and specific circumstances， on the basis of your own priorities and concerns， you can figure out your own checklist.

2.2.3 The in-depth approach

The in-depth approach gives enough details to check whether the contents of a course book is well matched with the requirements of the teaching and learning situations. It is a more penetrating and comprehensive approach. Such questions， like how specific items are dealt with， how activities of the four language skills are arranged， and whether sequencing and staging are reasonable etc， are usually taken into consideration.

3. The Evaluation of Navigate C1

Navigate C1 displays many positive features in a general impression. Firstly， the cover is in the style of modern simplicity and abstract which fits in with modern adults aesthetical standard. The complete package includes students book， workbook with audio， teachers book， teachers guiding video， and the electric edition both for the students and teachers book. Secondly， by looking through the pages， bright colors and vivid pictures in real life make learners interested and relevant. Lastly， audioscripts is attached， which is very convenient for students reference.

As is mentioned above in the theories part， referring to Cunningsworths 8 quick checklists， the aims is clearly displayed in each section of each unit， and the teaching programs and activities closely correspond with the goals of that part. New approaches of learning language are introduced. The organization of the course book obeys the development of cognitive ability， for there are adequate recycling and revision to strengthen what they learn before. And the instructions are clear， the advantage of which is to help learners easily find their way around the course book. Many aspects of language are contained. Grammar， vocabulary， pronunciation and four basic language skills. Whats more， all the four skills are adequately covered and materials for integrated skills work are contained. The distinctive features of Navigate C1 are rich topics and innovative methodology. And teachers book gives enough support and guidance for each exercise and additional knowledge and activities for expansion.

More deeply， take the first topic of Navigate C1 as example. The topic is about Change. Part 1.1 presents an article Up to speed？ that tells the style of life nowadays has changed， the attitude of people towards the world changed， and things turn intense and people are less patient. Part 1.2 Managing change deals with the story of the Pike Fish Market indicating that the significant change when the company has a positive work culture. In1.3 vocabulary and skills development part， the reading passage unfolds around the plot of transformation， a synonym of change， introducing several classic film about mutation. Now comes to 1.4， though the learning task is writing a report and speaking， is still about describing change in population and rate of growth. So from life style， business culture ，film and literature to economy and geography， all aspects of change are presented to us. Each part are closely linked to each other and has separate fields and angles. The selection of such materials are beneficial to the learners， broadening their horizons and intriguing their further thinking about the topic concerned. It fully reflects the fact that the topics in this book are rich and make learners feel related to the world.

However， from Contents of Navigate C1， there are several items representing separate learning aims in each unit， which is overwhelming and tiring for learners acceptance capability. It is not suitable for those who has a weak foundation of English language. For some units， the grammar items are difficult and beyond the level of learners. The amount of materials given is not enough to cover the large range of vocabulary. Materials for reading is not enough while the exercise for grammar is emphasized much. The English version course book like Navigate， is not easy to purchase or get， especially for non-native English learners who need it for bettering and advancing their English. Though the selected topics in this course book is up- to- date and interesting， classic passages are less provided. As to the activities designed and arranged in a good recycle and sequence， but some of them is quite demanding and difficult. Adults with a weak English level will find difficulty in learning this book. Besides， time for each activity or exercise is not mentioned and instructed， so that how to arrange the activities is not clear.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion， the evaluated coursebook Navigate C1，in spite of some disadvantages， have evident advantages in many related aspects. On the whole， it reconciles with the needs of teachers and learners who use it. It is worth introducing to adults with the aim of bettering their English to a higher level. Besides， coursebook evaluation is an expertise every teacher or learner should possess in the process of teaching and learning， which is of great value to the improvement of teaching and learning ability.

References：

[1]Cunningsworth， A. Choosing your Textbook[J].Oxford：Heinemann， 1995.

[2]Hutchinson， T.， & Waters， A. English for Specific Purposes： A Learning–Centred Approach[M]. Cambridge： Cambridge University Press，1987.

[3]McGrath， I. Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching[M]. Edinburgh： Edinburgh University Press，2002.

[4]Mark， B. and Kate， P. Navigate Coursebook Advanced C1[M]. Oxford： Oxford University Press.

[5]Renandya. Extensive Reading Coursebooks in China[J]. RELC Journal，2005，46（3）.v.

[6]Tomlinson，B.Material evaluation.In B.Tomlinson（ed.），Developing Materials for Language Teaching[J].London：Continuum，2003b：pp15- 36.

【作者簡(jiǎn)介】邸巖，渤海大學(xué)。