Teaching a whole English language course to first year undergraduate stuaents: a proposal to attain coursebook optimization

Core English language is probably the most important subject in English Studies. Consequently, the design and implementation of the syllabus has to be carefuUy prepared. However, we have very tight timetabling, many students, and a very heterogeneous level as far as their command of the language is concerned. This paper aims to determine language areas which present difficulties for students in their first year of English Studies according to the results obtained in the final exams of June 2000 and June 2001. After a statistical recount we have determined that the questions related to the use of the English past tense and comparing and contrasting structures are those in which our students registered the highest rates of failure. We propose the consolidation of the aforementioned areas through overexploitation of the reading and the writing activities proposed in the book. As neither the syllabus nor the timing of the lectures can be changed, we have considered that taking full advantage of the textbook could benefit the students.