EVALUATION OF COMMUNICATIVNESS OF THE READING TASKS OF ENGLISH FOR ETHIOPIA STUDENT’S TEXTBOOK (2011): GRADE SEVEN IN FOCUS

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to evaluate communicativeness of the reading tasks in grade 7 ELT textbook (2011) based on the criteria set for communicative tasks. To this end, the study employed evaluative research design. The sources of data to the study were 32 ELT teachers of grade 7 from all the primary schools of Tembaro Woreda and the grade 7 ELT textbook. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, textbook evaluation was used as principal data gathering tool while questionnaire and semi-structured interview were used as supplementary tools. Textbook evaluation was employed to evaluate the reading tasks in grade 7 EFL textbook. The researcher analyzed all the 17 reading tasks found in the textbook. The questionnaire was administered to crosscheck the data gained through textbook evaluation and to gather further information on the reading tasks of grade 7 EFL textbook. Furthermore, semi-structured interview was held with 3 teachers to triangulate the data gained through the textbook evaluation and the questionnaire. All the data collected using different instruments were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that most of the activities under the reading tasks were appropriate to the communicative goals of the tasks that is specified in the teacher’s guide and they were designed in line with the input data. On the other hand, the findings revealed that the objectives of the reading tasks were not explicitly stated in the textbook as a result the learners do not know the purpose of the reading tasks. The conclusion made from the study is that the reading tasks in grade 7 textbook do not fully meet the criteria set for communicative tasks. Therefore, it is recommended that the teachers should adapt the reading tasks activities in a way that encourage the principles of communicative task designing.