a comparative view on english and albanian language textbooks

24

Global Journal of English Language and Literature April 2014. Volume 2. Issue 2. Website: https://sites.google.com/site/globaljournalofell/

A Comparative View on English and Albanian Language Textbooks

Irida Hoti

Abstract

This paper highlights some important aspects of language learning at school. It attempts to present a

comparative view on English textbook and Albanian language textbook. Firstly, is analyzed how far these

texbooks are identical and different in terms of the structure of the text. Secondly, is shown the extension of

grammatical knowledge, their integration with writing, reading and speaking, on second and sixth grade. The

textbooks analyzed in this paper are applied in albanian schools in the second and sixth grade.

Key Words: language, listening, reading, speaking, textbook, workbook, writing

About the Author(s): Dr. Irida Hoti teaches in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Linguistics “Luigj Gurakuqi” University ,Shkoder, Albania. E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

The paper attempts to present a comparative view on English textbook and albanian language

textbook. Firstly, it will be shown how far these texbooks are identical and different in terms

of the structure of the text and then the extension of grammatical knowledge, their integration

with writing, reading and speaking.

1. The structure of the text

Good times 2

25


This text for elementary school, reflects tradicional history, games, roleplays, songs,

activities and projects, all contextualised through the principal theme of each unit. This

textbook applies the theory of communication and motivates the pupils to express themselves

in English in the first lessons.

The text contains 10 units: 7 are fables and tales (Elephant trunk, The fox and the grapes,

The sword in the stone, The pipe of Hamelin, The ant and the grasshopper, The tortoise and

the rabbit.) accompanied with: The language in action, Culture, Games.

Grammatical knowledge don’t follow a chronologic or linear order.

On “Writing” and “Speaking” section, there aren’t particular themes, but they are included

into themes. Through some examples and the pictures exposed, the pupil has to make

dialogues.

A special place in each item is “Listening”, which is accompanied by singing what is listened.

The text has some sections on pronunciation of consonants, vowels, groups of consonants, as:

s, z, iz, s, ing, i, th etc.

Access 2

26


This English textbook is applied in Albanian schools as a foreign language textbook, on the

sixth grade. It is divided in 10 modules by six units. Each unit has short fragments associated

with comprehensible questions on the text and grammar application through exercises. Each

module presents an important part of a grammar. There is not too knowledge grammar into

the units, the whole grammar knowledge is in “Grammar reference section” (Evans, Dooley.

121-129). The two last units in each module are: Culture Corner and Curricular Cut.

The structure of the text is based on Grammar-Vocabulary, Reading-Listening, Speaking-

Function, Writing, Culture - Curricular.

At the end of each module there is a Self-check, which measures the knowledge assimilated

by the pupil.

Albanian language textbook 2

This is the first language textbook, which the pupils study after ABC book. The pupils

befriend with Era, who accompanies them from page to page. The text is divided in six parts:

Era at home, Era outside home, Grandma’s tales, Grandpa’s tales, Era’s dreams and Era in

internet.

In first four parts, the section “Reading” is followed by the features: Talking together,

Knowing our language, Writing, meanwhile two last parts include reading themes,

27


accompanied with the section: ‘Talking together’. The themes on “Writing” and “Speaking”

are directly connected with reading parts.

“Reading” is connected by subsections, as: ‘Understanding the text, ‘Asking about the text,

‘Read the part in roles’, ‘Working together’ etc. Reading fragments are accompanied by an

explained vocabulary of the unknown words of the text.

The knowledge is in a linear order and it is integrated properly.


This textbook for the sixth grade has two parts:

I. Literature: (Reading-Speaking-Writing)

II. Grammar knowledge: (Morphology – Orthography – Syntax – Lexicology – Word

formation - Language Culture).

The first part is structured on these main topics: 1. Our friends, 2/4. Poetry page, 3. Problems

and true stories, 5. Trips and curiosities, 6. Media world. The fragments from Albanian and

foreign literature, tales, fables, novels, poetries and also reading after class. The pedagogical

construction of the text is based on: 1. Comprehension, 2. Interpretation, 3. Language.

28


In the second part the grammar knowledge are explained and applied in exercises in 65

lessons. 10 lessons are for project works and free hours, which the teacher can decide

together with the pupils what to use them for.

2. Grammar knowledge

Good times 2

The text doesn’t have grammatical rules. These knowledge (which aren’t a lot) are given

through exercises and games.

The textbook consists of four sections for grammar knowledge: Think about the language;

The presentation of the language; The language in action and Language review.

Through these grammar knowledge are: Prepositions: in, on, under, which are retaken in use

three times. (page.5, 38, 40, 44).

Morphology:

The noun, the pronouns this/that, he, she, they; the plural of the nouns; the adjective; The

short form of the verb Be, third singular pronoun (is=’s); Present continuous tense, which is

retaken in the next lessons (page 41, 55, 62) and in the page 44 in affirmative and negative

form; the verb can/can’t, the present continuous tense affirmative, interrogative and negative,

the auxiliary verb do.

Syntax: Imperative sentence, affirmative and negative.

Interrogative sentences and imperative, affirmative and negative. (page.54.)

Access 2

29


The text structured on 10 modules, presents in each module an important grammar as

follows: Module I talks about the present Simple Tense (affirmative, interrogative and

negative), Module II is about Present Continuous Tense, Module III- past simple of the verb

to Be, Module IV is about Past Continuous, and the time expressions used to distinguish past

simple from past continuous, Module V is about Future simple and Conditional type 1,2. It

also explains the usage of Question Tag. Module VI is about the comparison of the

adjectives, Module VII is about the Present Perfect tense, Module VIII is for the right usage

of the articles a/ an and some/any/every + compound, Module IX is the usage of Can/can’t,

must/mustn’t, have to, should and relatives. The last module is The Passive Voice.


In the first part there are knowledge from syntax and orthography, associated by

appropriate rules for the pupil’s age, and accompanied by examples and applied exercises.

Syntax: The text, the sentence, The sentence with which we show/tell, the sentences are

different, the smallest sentence, adding and extracting sentences, Changing the place of group

words, affirming and negating, Asking and answering (what, with what?, where?).

Orthography: The capital letter and the full stop, The separation of the words in the end of

the row, the full stop and the question mark, the exclamation mark and the full stop.

In the second part:

Morphology: The distinction of the noun, The distinction of the people and animal’s nouns,

The distinction of the nouns of places, We distinguish the gender of the noun, We distinguish

the number of the noun, We distinguish the numeral, adding words, creating new words, the

distinction of the adjective, the distinction of the gender of adjective, the distinction of the

number of the adjective,

30


Orthography: Nouns ending with –ë.

In the third part:

Morphology: The distinction of the verb, I am, you are, I have, you have, I read, you read, I

write, you write, I eat and drink, Before-now - after, yesterday I was…. tomorrow I will be, I

had, I will have.

Orthography: Adjectives ending with–ë, The distinction of the adjective, which begins with

pa-, The distinction of adjectives with different meaning.

In the fourth part we have knowledge from:

Morphology: I read .. I will read, Plant… Planted. Verbs with different meaning, principal

words and complementary words.


The second part of the Albanian language textbook is all about grammar knowledge full of

grammatical exercises. These grammar knowledge on: Morphology – Orthography – Syntax

– Lexicology – Word formation - Language Culture are also applied in pupil’s workbook.

The grammar section starts with Language Culture, which tends to explain the

communication tools Language as a communication tools etc. Then it continuous with: Word

formation, Lexicology, Morphology (noun, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, etc.) and

Syntax (subject, object,).

3. The comparative view

From the comparison of the four language textbooks we notice that:

31


Similarity

These textbooks deal with the noun, the adjective, the verb, the affirmative

sentence.

They both retake grammatical knowledge from lesson to lesson to be

assimilated better from the pupils.

‘Access’ and ‘Albanian language textbook 6’ both have interdisciplinary

integration of Reading-Writing-Speaking-Grammar.

‘Access’ and ‘Albanian language textbook 6’ have a workbook for pupils

to fulfill.

Differences

Albanian textbook has too many large reading fragments 76, English has

less and shorter.

Albanian textbook present “Writing” and “Speaking” in special lessons,

but connected with reading fragments, meanwhile English textbook has

exercises of speaking and writing into reading fragment.

Albanian textbooks present grammar knowledge in linear and concentric

order, and integrate the linguistic components: reading, speaking and

writing. The grammar knowledge are given in an analytic manner, but the

pupil can apply them in different linguistic situations in Albanian

language textbook and on pupil’s workbook. In English textbook, the

linguistic knowledge are given through examples and dialogues, but

without linguistic rules.

In English textbook there are estimated works, in which the pupil can

value the new knowledge learned, meanwhile in Albanian there aren’t.

32


English textbook associate reading with listening, meanwhile in Albanian

textbook reading isn’t associated with listening.

In English textbooks there are cultural pages, in Albanian textbook there is

language culture based on the rules on orthography, on the life of

linguistics etc.

In English textbook is valuated the project work, in Albanian textbook

rarely are.

In English textbook there are a lot of role plays, in Albanian textbook the

role plays can be applied only inside the fragments.

The diversity of English textbook (games, roleplays, songs, activities and

projects) able the pupils in other applied models, Albanian textbook misses

the games and role plays, especially at the second grade.

In Albanian textbook, grammar knowledge are in a linear order, (noun-

adjective-verb etc), they are not redone in the next lessons as in English

textbook.

English textbook has pantomimes, Albanian textbook doesn’t.

‘Access’ has grammar section and a wordlist for each module, ‘Albanian

language textbook’ doesn’t because the grammar knowledge are given in

the second part of the text.

In Access, in each module there is a unit based on dialogues, Albanian

textbook has dialogues only into the reading fragments, but not dialogues

to learn a grammatical clue or to learn new words.

The Vocabulary at Albanian textbook is at the end of each reading

fragment not selected at the end of the text.

33


In Access is studied first the verb-tenses of the verb -noun, then the

adjective. In Albanian textbook is studied first: the noun-the adjective then

the verb.

English textbook priorities

The English textbook ‘Access’, at the end of the last module has reviews of knowledge.

These are very important because they really concentrate and systematize the knowledge of

the pupil taken during the whole level:

- An Optional Listening Practice. (Evans, Dooley. 114-115)

- An Optional Vocabulary Practice. (Evans, Dooley. 116-120)

- A Grammar reference section. (Evans, Dooley. 121-129)

- A Wordlist, with all the words, in modules. (Evans, Dooley. 130-139)

- A Table of Irregular Verbs (Present-Past Simple-past Participle)

We think that is a good model for every language textbook, even for Albanian language

textbook.

4. Conclusion

This study has analyzed four textbooks (English and Albanian- second and sixth grade),

based on their structure and on extension of grammar knowledge. Thus we can conclude that

Good times 2/Access and Albanian language textbook 2/ Albanian language textbook 6, are

well structured (each in its point of view) but differences as cited above make us think that

the pupils at elementary school need exercises, which vivify the language, not too much

grammar knowledge. This is much more evident in the English textbook than in Albanian

textbooks, maybe because of being a mother tongue textbook. Meanwhile English textbooks

34


(in our schools as a foreign language textbook) are well organized full of diversity in reading

writing or speaking. This study highlights some important aspects of language learning at

school.

References

Evans, Virginia. Dooley Jenny. Access 2. Student’s book, Express Publishing, Newbury,

2013

Evans, Virginia. Dooley Jenny. Access Workbook 2, Express Publishing. Newbury, 2013.

Hoti, I. Gjuhësia e zbatuar përmes kurrikulës së gjuhës shqipe. Shtëpia Botuese “Progresi”.

Shkodër, 2013.

Hoti, I. “Fletoret e punë së gjuhës shqipe- Vlera shkencore dhe didaktike” in Buletin

shkencor. Seria e shkencave didaktike. VitiXXXX i botimit., nr. 60, Shkodër, 2010.

Good times 2, Selt Publishing, Richmond, 2001.

Petro, Rita. Gjokutaj, Mimoza. Gjuha shqipe 2, Botimet shkollore Albas, Tiranë, 2003.

Petro, Rita. Pepivani, Natasha. Çerpja, Adelina. Gjuha shqipe 6, Botimet Albas, Tiranë, 2013

Petro, Rita. Pepivani, Natasha. Çerpja, Adelina. Fletore pune Gjuha shqipe 6, Botimet Albas,

Tiranë, 2013

a comparative view on english and albanian language textbooks

Documents