Curriculum Analysis of the Junior High Seventh and Eighth Grade English Textbooks in Terms of Scope and Sequencing Framework

In Iran, Junior High School English textbooks are written based on Grammar Translation Method (GTM) for a long time and little attention is paid to the communicative needs of the learners. However, educational policy-makers of curriculum development have recently decided to alter the method and develop a new textbook for junior high seventh and eighth graders in accordance with Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This qualitative study aims at investigating different elements of scope and sequencing framework posed by Jack C. Richards in junior high English textbooks. Furthermore, it intends to clarify some strength and weakness points from different aspects of these English textbooks. It was found that one of the most obvious points about these English textbooks is their method of teaching in that CLT method is used in both grades and the books made use of simplified dialogues to introduce some main grammatical points without mentioning them in a separate part to be called 'grammar' or 'grammar focus'.

Keywords:

Learners' Needs , Junior High English Textbooks , Curriculum Development , Scope , Sequencing