Examinational Type And Practical Type - A Comparative Study Of Two Teaching Materials For Secondary Vocational School

Choosing a suitable textbook is the first step for the teacher to help students learn English, a compulsory course in Secondary Vocational School, according to their difference. To show how different textbooks help students in different ways, this paper, starting from the relevant views in field of SLA, Contemporary Education and Psychology, compares the Vocational English Textbooks published respectively by FLTRP and HEP as an effort to reveal that they are oriented toward different demands: one for exam (Examinational Type textbook) and one for practical use (Practical Type textbook). The analysis includes three stages:a static comparison of the contents in the two books; a Questionnaire to learn how students and teachers think of the textbooks; and a following up interview to have an in-depth peep on the results of using those textbooks.Among the major findings are:1) FLTRP and HEP textbooks have each one’s own features which can be identified as FLTRP one combines the teaching syllabus with the examination syllabus, featuring both its academic nature and the exam orientation, and HEP combine the teaching syllabus with life and career, showing its "universality" trait and vocational features;2) FLTRP textbook belong to Examinational Type while HEP textbook Practical Type;3) The two textbooks follow similar theories of language learning and education and similar principles of compilation;4) the ideal English textbooks for Secondary Vocational School students are the ones that should be, on one hand, interesting, vivid and lively, helpful for daily life, job and exam and, on the other hand, contributive to developing the students’ international culture awareness, nurture students’ love of their country and hometown.