Assignment C - Part 1
An Evaluation of Cutting Edge Advanced
Use the checklist from unit 10 ('Evaluating course book material') to write a general evaluation of the book.
You won't be able to comment on all items as you only have one unit and the contents, but say as much as you can.
This must be presented as a coherent essay, not just a list.
Then say whether you personally would like to use the book with an advanced class and why or why not - this is just your opinion,
so there is not a right or a wrong response to this part.
You do not need to refer to the class described for Part 2 of this assignment.
Write 300 - 500 words.
When evaluating a course book, there is a lot of things to look at and consider. In my opinion “ease
of use” is of high importance to both the students and teachers looking to use said course book. At
first glance I found the Cutting Edge Course book, even though it was only an extract, to be slightly
confusing due to a lot of referencing to other pages and other parts of the activity, which
incidentally is also not easily accessible.
I refer to page 7, point 6c. “Look at audio script 1.1 on page 162. Add any useful words and phrases
to the word web in exercise 4b.” Firstly there is no “exercise 4b” to be found and secondly, all the
up and down paging in the book can easily waist a lot of time as well as be a form of distraction for
the other students.
However, above mentioned points is the only ‘negative’ aspect of said course book in my opinion.
The chosen materials and activities are perfectly suited for the target CERF stage (C1-C2 students),
with the topics and texts both interesting and relevant enough to appeal across the board to
students from around the world, with the activities getting progressively more difficult as the
students improve. The book also contain a lot of revision activities that ensure that grammar,
vocabulary and pronunciation is constantly monitored and improved upon. The course book also
strongly focuses on the development of the students speaking and listening skills which are both of
great importance to effective and fluent communication using English as the lingua franca.
Although I only have access to a small excerpt, I would say that it is overall a great course book,
with no apparent racial or cultural ideologies. It properly covers all four of the skills required to
learn and master a foreign language (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking). A lot of authentic
pieces as well as a lot of “self-help” activities for those students whom wish to go the extra mile.
With a couple of small additions and changes the Cutting Edge Course Advance Course Book is
defiantly material that I would personally utilize in my classes.
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, Assignment C - Part 2.i
Authentic Text
Check the Class Description and Notes on Part 2 on the assignment platform before you begin.
The text should be 500 - 700 words long. (4-5 minutes for listening texts).
In this document, provide a copy of the reading text or a transcript of the listening text you have chosen.
Ensure the text is referenced, and if you have selected a listening text or video, provide a link.
If you choose a reading text, you can shorten and/or adapt it slightly.
Please supply a copy of the original and your adapted version.
If you have adapted the text, briefly explain the decisions you've made about changing the text in section b) of the
essay.
Highlight 12 vocabulary items (words or phrases) which would be useful to pre-teach.
Endangered African Penguins, With
Multiple Bee Stings, Are Found Dead
Dead bees were found near where the birds died at a park in South Africa, said officials, who
suggested the bees may have become aggressive after their nest was disturbed.
More than 60 endangered African penguins were recently found dead, all with multiple bee stings and no other
external injuries, according to officials in a coastal city in South Africa where the birds regularly migrate.
Sixty-three dead African penguins were found Friday at the Boulders Penguin Colony, in Simon’s Town, about 25 miles
south of Cape Town, in the southwest of the country.
All the penguins had multiple bee stings, and “many dead bees were found at the site where the birds had died,”
according to a statement from the South African National Parks. “Therefore preliminary investigations suggest that the
penguins died because of being stung by a swarm of Cape honey bees.”
No external physical injuries were observed on any of the dead penguins, the statement said.
The penguins migrate to the area annually. The bees found near the dead birds are native to the area, “usually coexist
with wildlife” and “don’t sting unless provoked,” according to Dr. Alison Kock, a marine biologist at the South African
National Parks.
“We have never had a problem like this before,” she said.
The penguins had been stung around the eyes and on their flippers, areas not covered by feathers, Dr. Kock said.
“The feathers over the penguin’s body are densely packed and it’s unlikely the bees stings could have penetrated
through these feathers,” Dr. Kock said in an email. “On the other hand, the skin around the eyes and flippers have no
feathers and the stings could penetrate in those regions.”
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