The New English Language Textbook “Crescent” [Archives:2000/07/Local News]
Saeed Azazi,
Bani-Assaad, Al-Mahbish
‘Crescent’ is the new English text book taught at Yemeni schools from the first class of preparatory school to the end of secondary school. The name of the text has not been chosen arbitrary, but there is a meaning, for it means the curve of the moon in the first quarter. If you look at the moon on the first days, you will see the figure then the moon go around the earth every day to complete its course until it becomes a full white moon. This is the moon in its wonderful figure. So, the relation between the text and the cover’s title is strong. How is this? Teaching English begins in the preparatory classes when the student’s mind has nothing about English. I regard that point as a black figure then the student starts studying English at the first class of preparatory school, “the first quoter of English course.” After that the English goes forward from class to another where information about English is extended more until the black figure becomes white. This indicates the process of getting information on English as the student undergoes through elevating from a class to another.
Generally speaking, the text is interesting, suitable, useful, attractive and better than the old text in all aspects. Moreover, it is British and the supervisor is “Oxford University,” while the old text was Egyptian.
The text has many advantages that I have found during my teaching of this new text and my short experience in the field of teaching. They are as follows:
1- Its series of the text is strongly chained.
2- It encourages interaction between the teacher and pupils in the class while teaching. Contrast this with the old text, when pupils were mere audience.
3- It provides all teaching aids such as colored pictures, wall sheets, flash cards, cassettes, etc. to help the teacher demonstrate any new vocabulary, sentences, phrases, etc. In addition, it encourages teachers to avoid using Arabic as far as they can.
4- It provides teachers’ book (teacher’s guide) that gives the teacher a general idea about the procedure of lessons. Teacher’s book helps the teacher prepare lessons using the best means. It also provides the teacher with pieces of advice, summaries, new vocabulary, spelling aims, writing aims and so on.
Thereby, teaching as well as learning English will be easy, interesting, useful and simple. Pupils will be very active in the class.
However, teachers sometimes find difficulties in teaching due to the following shortcomings that are resulted from the carelessness of the Ministry of Education an those who are in charge of it:
* Teaching aids are unavailable for teachers so, teacher will stay at the same position as the main speaker and everything will depend on him. There are only “colored pictures” that help the teachers elicit the lesson.
* The text includes cassettes for listening activities. Unfortunately, no cassettes are to be found at the majority of schools, even in cities.
* It also includes wall sheets, flashcards, writing Book A and writing book B, all of which is unavailable for teachers.
* The new text requires an ideal class and ideal period of time. This is contrasted to situations at our schools, especially in large cities where we find small classrooms, big numbers of students and a short time. In this case, teacher will not be able to achieve all the aims of the lesson and they may retire to translation from English into Arabic and verse vice.
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