Tasks in English workbooks : An analysis of task types in workbooks for the English subject in the ninth grade

Sammanfattning: The study aimed to find out and compare what skills and task-types that could be found in two workbooks for the ninth grade in English as a second language in Sweden. The research was conducted using a quantitative content and text analysis in order to compare two workbooks and categorize their tasks into production and interaction skills and task-types. The workbooks were chosen as they were the latest editions at the time. The study showed that both workbooks prioritized production and interaction skills. Both had a low focus on speaking skills but Sparks 9 had more integrated skills in tasks. Wings 9 had a major focus on writing skills and grammar. Both workbooks focused on comparing, problem solving, listing and sorting and ordering task-types. Task-types such as creative tasks and sharing personal experience were low in both workbooks but Sparks 9 had a better overall spread of all task-types in general. The understanding that tasks incorporate much more than simply goals to achieve could potentially be used in a practical teaching environment by adapting tasks to fit students´ different needs.