A Comparative Study of the Grammar Sections in the Old and New PEP Junior High School English Textbooks

Abstract

This study investigates the similarities and differences between the grammar sections of the 2012 and 2024 editions of the People’s Education Press (PEP) English textbook for Grade 7, Volume I, and examines how these revisions influence teachers’ instructional priorities under the English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition)j. Using comparative and corpus-based methods supported by textual analysis, the study systematically compares the two editions in terms of grammar coverage, sequencing, and modes of presentation. The findings indicate that both editions present grammar in meaningful contexts and provide example sentences followed by varied practice activities. However, the new edition covers a broader range of grammar and streamlines previously dispersed content into fewer, more integrated units. It also introduces practical grammatical structures earlier and organizes them more closely around students’ communicative needs. In terms of presentation, the new edition uses more word- and phrase-based unit titles to foreground thematic meaning, encourages students to discover and generalize grammatical patterns through observation and comparison, and replaces knowledge-oriented self-check activities with integrated reflective assessment. These changes shift the focus of grammar instruction from the explanation and mechanical practice of isolated rules to theme-guided, discourse-based, and inquiry-oriented language learning. The study concludes that the new edition is more closely aligned with the 2022 Curriculum Standards and better supports the development of students’ practical language use and core competencies. Accordingly, teachers should organize grammar instruction around unit themes and discourse, facilitate students’ independent discovery of grammatical rules, and create authentic contexts for meaningful language use.