A Study Of The Implementation Of The Functional Approach In The English Textbooks Of Gujarat Secondary Board, India

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to express gratitude my study supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first titles and last name here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis comprise my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not before been submitted for academic written test in the direction of any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own attitudes and not inevitably those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

Abstract

The English textbooks for secondary schools of Gujarat were introduced in the academic year 2004-2005. Before that the state followed structurally based textbooks. Realizing the pressing need of real life communication, functionally based textbooks were implemented. With this change there came a wave of change in teaching methodology and testing styles. A new approach- Mod Com (Modified Communicative Approach) was devised and recommended. As the name suggests, the communicative approach was modified to suit Gujarat classes, the students and the teachers. Teacher training was conducted on a large scale for the success of the new approach.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

ABSTRACT1

CHAPTER 1: THE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING3

English in India3

Schools in India3

The history of dialect teaching4

Research Aims and Objectives6

Research Question6

Hypothesis7

Academic context of the dissertation:7

CHAPTER 2: AN OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SYLLABI MORE FOCUS ON STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL9

Goals, anxieties, and values36

Transition in English teaching methodology38

CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FUNCTIONALLY GRADED TEXTBOOKS WORLDWIDE41

Textbook Evaluation System:42

Curriculum design and its importance43

Syllabus design and its importance44

Summarise different types of syllabus45

Structural and functional textbooks46

Summarise language teaching methodology47

Language functions48

Modcom (modified communicative method)50

CHAPTER 4: REVIEW OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FUNCTIONALLY GRADED TEXTBOOKS WORLDWIDE52

Textbook Investigation: A Case Study52

The Textbook Package - Value, Content; Methodology:52

Layout & Design:57

Overall Organization of Textbook57

Layout and conceive of Each Unit58

CHAPTER 5: RECCOMENDATIONDS AND SUGGESTINS60

Findings60

Recommendatins64

Scope of Future Research65

REFERENCES66

APPENDIX69

Chapter 1: The History Of Language Teaching

English in India

India likes Gods. And Englishmen like impersonating as Gods. The English language was part of the pose and power. Indians accepted it, too. (Kachru, 1986, p. 5)

Given that India's population is over one billion at present, this statement implies there are nearly 40 million people who can speak some variety of English in the country. And this: ….is a virtual three-fold increase from the number of English speakers when the British rule ended in 1947. Today there are more English teachers, more English students and more Indian English writers, a stronger English press and a powerful English media than when the British left the country. (Khubchandani, 1994, p. 77)

David Crystal (1995) pointed out that in terms of numbers of English speakers, India ranks third in the world, after the USA and UK. It is not surprising therefore that there is considerable demand in the country for English Medium schools.

Schools in India

Since achieving independence in 1947, India has provided free education to all children aged 6 to 14. The literacy rate has increased from 14% to 65% throughout the ...