An Exploratory Analysis of Activities of Grade 11 English Language Textbook

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a survey that investigated the students' preference of the themes, lessons, and activities of the grade 11 English language textbook. The objectives of the study were to explore the appropriacy of the units, themes and activities and examine the role of the activities in improving speaking skills. A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect data in a non-experimental research design. We obtained our sample (n=207) from grade 11 students from 3 schools in the Colombo Division. Data were subjected to several statistical measures. It was reported that 83% of the students preferred the activities, but 17% reported that they disliked the activities in the workbook. 67.1% of the students reported the need for interesting activities. 62.3% of the students reported that they needed to learn English language grammar, while 60% of the students expressed the need for using technology for effective learning. One recommendation is adapting materials and activities to suit the current proficiency levels and preferences of the students. Using additional teacher-made communicative activities and adding supplemental speaking activities to support a balanced skills approach (BSA) are also suggested. A small sample contributed to low statistical power and limited generalizability of the findings. Limitations in statistical analysis and the non-representative sample reduced the generalizability of the results. Future studies involving a representative sample of students and a combination of quantitative and qualitative statistical measures are suggested.