The Objectives of primary English education in the National Curriculum announced in 2007
include fostering learners\' confidence in using English and skills in communicating in simple
everyday English. While opportunities for the learners to engage in activities for language use
are essential in order for these objectives to be achieved, textbooks have typically been seen as
lacking in language use activities.
In this study, an activity for using English that the students learned was devised and carried
out. Students were asked to compare how this activity differed from the activities in their
textbooks. Their written responses and their teacher\'s observation records were collected and
analyzed.
The results of the study shows that the third grade learners carried out the activity for
language use with little difficulty. While they were immersed in the activity having fun, they
seemed to be integrating the expressions they were using more effectively than in the textbook
activities, which characteristically employs mechanical repetition. Students\' responses seem to
suggest that providing activities for language use, its importance frequently emphasized but
lacking in practice, is very likely to yield positive effects on their way to developing
communicative skills both in affective and cognitive domains.