Textbook evaluation

Focus on Grammar is a thematically centered instructions text that combines communicative and controlled practice in a consistent approach to assist students at all levels. Every unit goes through the four steps which are Grammar Presentation, Grammar in Context, Communication Practice, and Focused Practice. Using such a program makes it easy for students understand the context and enables teachers to implement easily it in practice. It is possible through contextual writing, reading, speaking and listening activities. Focus on Grammar also combines communicative and controlled practice with ongoing assessment and critical thinking skills. Thus, the book provides students with lively integrated skills to enable them bridge the gap between understanding and comprehending the structures of grammar to using them in practice.

As a thematic instruction centered text, Focus on Grammar combines communicative and controlled practice in a consistent approach to providing a proven success to students. The authors point out that there are two main paragraph problems that arise from advanced-level and intermediate ESL textbooks. The intermediate paragraphs use simpler vocabularies and are shorter in length than the advanced paragraphs. Additionally, the type of article use also varies among the paragraphs. Therefore, the text uses a familiar format of grammar exercises in a range of series so that students will find easy and familiar steps of patterns. The exercises start with basic structure questions such as matching or fill in blanks. With the progression of the unit, the questions become tougher. Some of the common activities in this book include a use of time lines for comparing grammar structure and correct mistakes of written passages. The first chapters are about the reading selection as a grammar topic. The modeling of these selections is about the real world situations, such as emails, movie reviews, memos, and newspapers. These selections are very helpful since the use proponent features in the reading exercises about a specific topic in grammar. For example, there is reading about the movie, Wonderful Life, and it demonstrates the use of 3rd conditional. Throughout this book, other examples of third conditionals are in bold writing that enables students to be aware of them.

The text Focus on Grammar is, therefore, the best for students learning about the English grammar on their own and yet also helpful for English teachers. The book has great topics with a wide range of exercises and examples. The book provides an interesting approach to grammar learning and teaching. Most essentially, the text combines the three-dimensional model for grammar which many EFL teachers are in search for meaning, use, and form. The three-dimensional models assist teachers to plan effectively their lessons in a communicative manner. The book also sums up the four basic skills and readers do not have to struggle in searching for listening exercises or other skills that are not always available when we are in search of them. Focus on Grammar, in general, is among the best titles under the textbooks category for the ESL. A student or teachers will be happy to use this book, in theory, learning and teaching respectively (Fuchs, Bonner, & Westheimer, 2006).

References

Fuchs, M., Bonner, M., & Westheimer M (2006). Focus on Grammar. Integrated Skills Approach, Edition 3. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

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