A Study On Exercises In Senior High English Textbooks Based On Needs Analysis

Being an important part of teaching materials, textbook exercise plays a very important role in language learning, and it also reflects the value and characteristics of language teaching materials. Besides,textbook exercise is not only the reference that teachers study the textbook and design their teaching aims,but also the ladder for students to consolidate their knowledge and improve their language ability.Meanwhile, it is also the bridge that transforms knowledge into capabilities. It provides certain guidance for both teaching and learning.In the year of 2001 and 2003, the Ministry of Education enacted the Outline for Basic Education Curriculum Reform(Trial) and the English Curriculum Standards for Senior High School(draft)respectively. In accordance with that, a series of English teaching materials and textbooks have been compiled. Meanwhile, textbook exercises, as an important part of the textbooks, have been greatly changed.When facing these new textbook exercises, what perspectives do teachers and students have? How do they adapt to these textbook exercises under the instruction of the new curriculum standards? Taking the New Senior English for China(short for NSEC) Book 1 to Book 5, which was published by people’s education press for example, the present study made particular analysis about textbook exercises from the perspective of type and quantity. As for the content of exercises, the author analyzes from the aspect of language knowledge and language skills. What’s more, the author also made some questionnaires for teachers and students in two senior high schools in Zhengzhou. After collecting the data, the author analyzes whether these textbook exercises meet the students’ learning needs. On the basis of that, the author summarizes its advantages and disadvantages as well as offers some suggestions for both further compiling and using.Through the quantitative analysis of textbook exercises and qualitative analysis of teachers and students’ needs, the present study hopes to present the characteristics of exercises in NSEC, help teachers and students have a deep understanding of this textbook as well as make some meaningful attempt for the further revise of NSEC.