A Content Analysis of Speech Acts in Action Pack Series and Jordanian EFL Teachers' and Students' Practice of these Acts in the Classroom
This study aimed at analyzing the content of Action Pack series in light of the presentation and recycling of five speech acts: Apology, compliment, greeting, request, and thanking. It also aimed at investigating FL teachers' and students' practice of these five speech acts in the classroom.
The sample of the study was Action Pack series from the first grade to the tenth grade. The participants of the study were 30 female EFL teachers and their students; three teachers were chosen from each grade from the basic stage from the public schools of the Second Directorate of Education in Amman in the academic year 2009-2010.
The researcher used two instruments: A content analysis sheet to analyze the five speech acts under study in Action Pack series and a classroom observation checklist to investigate EFL teachers' and students' practice of these speech acts in the classroom.
The findings of this study revealed that there is no complete presentation of any of the speech acts in Action Pack series; however, the speech acts of greeting, request and thanking are more emphasized than the speech acts of apology and compliment; the varied forms and responses of the speech acts in the English language are not utilized to recycle them in Action Pack series; and the EFL teachers and students had no proper practice of any of the speech acts although the teachers practiced the speech acts of greeting, request and thanking better than the speech acts of apology and compliment and the students practiced the speech act of greeting better than the other speech acts.
In light of the findings of the study, the authors of the future editions and the evaluation committee of Action Pack series are recommended to take into consideration the varied forms and responses of the speech acts of apology, compliment, greeting, request and thanking. The Ministry of Education is recommended to hold a specialized training course for the EFL teachers about these speech acts.