A Comparative Study Of Listening Tasks In The Listening And Speaking Textbooks Of New Horizon College English And New College English

As some related figures suggest,New Horizon College English(NHCE)and New College English(NCE)are among the most popular college English textbooks in China.What,on earth,are the specific differences between NHCE and NCE?This thesis took the listening tasks in both New Horizon College English Listening and Speaking 2(NHCEls2)and New College English Listening&Speaking Course 2(NCEls2)as the research subjects and adopted text analysis for conducting a comparative study which focuses on three dimensions—formats,materials and writing of listening tasks,from which the author attempted to probe into the following three issues:(1)What are the major differences between these two textbooks in formats of listening tasks?(2)What are the significant differences between these two textbooks in selecting materials of listening tasks,and(3)what are the main differences between these two textbooks in writing listening tasks?The author hoped to provide some theoretical implications to college English listening textbooks in terms of compilation,tasks writing,editorial control of college English listening textbooks and the further relative studies.Findings indicate that,the listening tasks in these two textbooks had their own merits and demerits in the matter of formats design,materials selection and writing principles,skills and techniques.However,with all aspects taken into consideration,the result suggests that NCEls2 possesses comparatively more merits.This thesis is divided into seven chapters.The purposes of the first chapter are to introduce the background,sources,purposes and significance of the study.The next chapter provides some literature reviews on the nature of listening and listening tasks at home and abroad.In addiction,it presents the overall theoretical framework of the thesis.Then Chapter Three,based on the previous chapters,exhibits research design in the aspects of research subjects,research questions,research instruments and research process.The following two chapters aim at exhibiting,analyzing and discussing the relevant data of this study.Based on the findings from Chapter Five,Chapter Six refers to some relevant implications or enlightenment.And the last chapter makes a global conclusion of the study,mentioning some limitations of the study and providing some suggestions to the relevant future studies.