An Evaluation of Preposition Representation in the Omani Basic Education ELT Textbooks: Focus on Grades 1-4

Introduction

The Omani public school ELT textbooks have been specifically designed by the country’s Ministry of Education to meet the English language outcomes of the Basic Education curriculum. These outcomes cover all core language skills in addition to vocabulary and grammar. While several studies have explored various aspects of these textbooks (see Abdenacer, 2006; Al Harrasi, 2012; Al-Mahrooqi, Denman, & Al-Maamari, 2015), as of yet, evaluations have largely failed to explore the presentation of grammar activities in them. The current study sought to begin addressing this by focusing on the representation of prepositions within the grade 1-4 textbooks.

As part of the grammatical system, prepositions represent a particular challenge. Despite the availability of preposition descriptions which act as guides to correct usage, they can be extremely hard for non-native English speakers to master (Baldwin, Kordoni, & Villavicencio, 2009; Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1999). Grammar has always been an important concern in the teaching of English as a second or foreign language. In Oman, grammar is integrated into the English language curriculum which has an ostensible focus on teaching the language in a communicative, student-centred way (Ministry of Education, 2010). Care is taken not to overload the curriculum with grammatical items at either the Basic (grades 1-10) or Post-basic (grades 11-12) education levels. Instead, these items are recycled throughout the curriculum in the school textbook series “English for Me” for grades 1-10 and “Engage with English” for grades 11-12.

In general, textbooks are argued to offer users a number of advantages including developing the necessary skills for language practice and interaction, offering useful general input for effective language learning, raising users’ language and cultural awareness, and providing a useful source of material for training teachers (Crawford, 2002; Cunningsworth, 1995; Edge & Wharton, 1998; McGrath, 2002; Mukundan, 2004, 2009a, 2009b; Richards, 2001; Timmis, Mukundan, & Alkhaldi, 2009; Tomlinson, 1998, 2003). On the other hand, textbooks may also be associated with a number of potential disadvantages. For instance, Woulds and Simpson (2010) claim that textbooks can leave language “dead on the page” and that teachers must utilize all their skills and experience to revitalize textbook language for learners. Other commentators, including Flack (1999) and Pulverness (1999), claim that textbooks are a “necessary evil” in classrooms and that, despite their sleek designs and glossy pictures, they are incapable of capturing learner interest. Despite such criticisms, textbooks have gained wide acceptance as an essential tool in classrooms the world over. As a result, there is a need to examine textbooks to determine if teaching and learning are fully supported by them across contexts.