Assignment C - Part 1
An Evaluation of Cutting Edge Advanced
Use the checklist from unit 10 ('Evaluating course book material') to write a general evaluation
of the book.
You won't be able to comment on all items as you only have one unit and the contents, but say
as much as you can.
This must be presented as a coherent essay, not just a list.
Then say whether you personally would like to use the book with an advanced class and why or
why not - this is just your opinion, so there is not a right or a wrong response to this part.
You do not need to refer to the class described for Part 2 of this assignment.
Write 300 - 500 words.
The Cutting Edge coursebook is well presented and the unit on global living is certainly suitable for
the age and experience of the class. All the texts are relevant, and in my opinion interesting, for a
mixed age group at C1-C2 level. The texts and graphics are written as if they are authentic material
and provide the students with an attractive layout to work through. It also gives the class multiple
opportunities to talk about their own countries and experiences which I think is inclusive and
significant when you have a class of mixed nationalities.
The order in which the language is presented is appropriate and logical, with the tasks becoming
more challenging in each section as you progress. The Global Living unit covers all four skills -
reading, writing, listening & speaking, with a range of different topics. The units begin with casual
discussion in groups, sharing ideas and brainstorming but as you advance through the sections it
offers different activities, for example, scanning questions, reordering sentences and debate style
activities. The variation of question style is good and will not only be more challenging for the
students but also keep them engaged. Towards the end of the unit the students are tasked and
tested with writing a report, this offers writing practice and gives the opportunity to use the
language they have learned throughout the unit. During the unit a grammar review is included, I
think this is essential as it is important to check the students understanding of the continuous form
and the verb tenses, particularly for this topic. This is a good example of revision within the unit
and helps ensure the students are prepared for the final report they are expected to write. While I
think the grammar review is a good revision activity, there doesn’t appear to be a vocabulary list,
which I think could have been beneficial to the students and a useful referral point. As well as this,
although the book has a good selection of in class activities, it doesn’t offer the students any work
they can focus on when not in the classroom and mostly consists of group work.
Overall I think this coursebook can be used as a good teaching tool during a lesson and the topic is
especially good for a class of different nationalities. I would use activities from the book but also
combine them with my own ideas and activities. Using the vocabulary and texts I would also
provide the students with my own vocabulary list and homework to work on out of the class which
were not provided in the unit.
© 2020 The TEFL Academy. All rights reserved. 1
An Evaluation of Cutting Edge Advanced
Use the checklist from unit 10 ('Evaluating course book material') to write a general evaluation
of the book.
You won't be able to comment on all items as you only have one unit and the contents, but say
as much as you can.
This must be presented as a coherent essay, not just a list.
Then say whether you personally would like to use the book with an advanced class and why or
why not - this is just your opinion, so there is not a right or a wrong response to this part.
You do not need to refer to the class described for Part 2 of this assignment.
Write 300 - 500 words.
The Cutting Edge coursebook is well presented and the unit on global living is certainly suitable for
the age and experience of the class. All the texts are relevant, and in my opinion interesting, for a
mixed age group at C1-C2 level. The texts and graphics are written as if they are authentic material
and provide the students with an attractive layout to work through. It also gives the class multiple
opportunities to talk about their own countries and experiences which I think is inclusive and
significant when you have a class of mixed nationalities.
The order in which the language is presented is appropriate and logical, with the tasks becoming
more challenging in each section as you progress. The Global Living unit covers all four skills -
reading, writing, listening & speaking, with a range of different topics. The units begin with casual
discussion in groups, sharing ideas and brainstorming but as you advance through the sections it
offers different activities, for example, scanning questions, reordering sentences and debate style
activities. The variation of question style is good and will not only be more challenging for the
students but also keep them engaged. Towards the end of the unit the students are tasked and
tested with writing a report, this offers writing practice and gives the opportunity to use the
language they have learned throughout the unit. During the unit a grammar review is included, I
think this is essential as it is important to check the students understanding of the continuous form
and the verb tenses, particularly for this topic. This is a good example of revision within the unit
and helps ensure the students are prepared for the final report they are expected to write. While I
think the grammar review is a good revision activity, there doesn’t appear to be a vocabulary list,
which I think could have been beneficial to the students and a useful referral point. As well as this,
although the book has a good selection of in class activities, it doesn’t offer the students any work
they can focus on when not in the classroom and mostly consists of group work.
Overall I think this coursebook can be used as a good teaching tool during a lesson and the topic is
especially good for a class of different nationalities. I would use activities from the book but also
combine them with my own ideas and activities. Using the vocabulary and texts I would also
provide the students with my own vocabulary list and homework to work on out of the class which
were not provided in the unit.
© 2020 The TEFL Academy. All rights reserved. 1
