7차 초등영어 교재의 읽기 내용 분석

An Analysis of the Reading Contents in the Elementary English Textbooks Developed for the 7th National Curriculum

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reading contents in the elementary English textbooks developed for the 7th national curriculum. The analysis is focused on the appropriateness of the reading contents in terms of the following criteria: the quantity of the reading contents, the level of the reading contents, the sequence of the reading contents, and the relevance of the reading contents to the curriculum. The results of the analysis reveal that the quantity of the reading contents in 5th and 6th grade are relatively larger than that of 4th grade compared to the time allotment for teaching. The levels of the reading contents in 4th and 5th grade are likely to be appropriate, whereas the level of reacting contents in 6th grade is remarkably difficult because the reading contents are not graded at a gentle pace; there is a large jump from reading a word to reading a sentence between 5th grade and 6th grade. The sequence of the reading contents lacks a reasonable amount of repetition of frequently-used vocabulary, and it thus causes the learning difficulty in upper grades. Although reading contents in 4th and 5th grades reflect the achievement goals in the curriculum adequately, those in 6th grade are less likely to be relevant to the curriculum. Some implications and suggestions for development of reading contents in the process of further curriculum design are included.