Transcript Universal Characteristics of EFL/ESL Textbooks

Language Teaching Design and Assessment 684
Assignment 1
Course book Evaluation
Reading and Writing
For use at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta
Indonesia
Curtin University of Technology
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC)
SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (SEAMEO RETRAC)
MASTER OF ARTS
(Applied Linguistics)
Intake 06
COURSE ASSIGNMENT 01 A
Module:
Language Teaching Course Design and Assessment 684
Full Name
: Jati Suryanto
Student Number : 15124513
Lecturer
: Paul Mercieca
Paper Outline
The paper will mainly discuss:
 The existing ELT Textbook Evaluating Schema
 The selected schema for evaluating the course book
 The syllabus as the basis of the course book design
 The review of the course book of English for Reading
and Writing for semester 1 students at Muhammadiyah
University of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
 Conclusion
 Recommendation.
Some existing ELT Textbook Evaluating Schema
 Ansary, Hasan and Babaii, Esmat (2002) Universal
Characteristics of EFL/ESL Textbooks: A Step Towards
Systematic Textbook Evaluation
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 2002
(http://iteslj.org/ retrieved on August 12, 2010))
 Tucker, C. A. (1975). Evaluating beginning textbooks.
English Teaching Forum, 13, 355-361.
 Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching: Practice &
Theory (pp. 184-187). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Some reasons for the chosen schema
 Ansary, Hasan and Babaii, and Esmat’s schema is a
combination of both Tucker and Ur’s schemas.
 Tucker (1975, p. 357) proposes "adequacy of pattern
practice" as a criterion which is not always applicable for all
approaches and methods of learning teaching.
 Penny Ur (1996, p. 186) also offers "good grammar practice"
as a criterion which is not always applicable for all
approaches and methods of learning teaching.
 Tucker (1978, p.358), include "competence of the author" or
"whether or not a textbook is based on the findings of a
contrastive analysis of English and L1 sound systems" as
criteria. Of course this criteria is not relevant anymore as
the criteria to review a course book.
Universal features of EFL/ESL textbooks
Hasan Ansary and Esmat Babaii (2002) Universal Characteristics of EFL/ESL Textbooks: A Step
Towards Systematic Textbook Evaluation, The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 2002
(http://iteslj.org/ retrieved on August 12, 2010))
Approach
 Dissemination of a vision (theory or approach) about
 the nature of language
 the nature of learning
 how the theory can be put to applied use
Content Presentation
 Stating purpose(s) and objective(s)
 For the total course
 For individual units
 Selection and its rationale
 Coverage
 Grading
 Organization
 Sequencing
Universal features of EFL/ESL textbooks
 Satisfaction of the syllabus
 To the teacher
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Providing a guide book
Giving advice on the methodology
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Giving theoretical orientations
Key to the exercises
Supplementary materials
 To the student
 Piecemeal, unit-by-unit instruction
 Graphics (relevant, free from unnecessary details, colorful, etc.)
 Periodic revisions
 Workbook
 Exercise and activities
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In the classroom
Homework
Sample exercises with clear instructions
Varied and copious
Periodic test sections
Accompanying audio-visual aids
Universal features of EFL/ESL textbooks
Physical Make-up
 Appropriate Size & weight
 Attractive layout
 Durability
 High quality of editing and publishing
 Appropriate title
Administrative Concerns
 Macro-state policies
 Appropriate for local situation
 Culture
 Religion
 Gender
 Appropriate Price
Syllabus as the basis of the course book design
Rationale and Background
 Students of Language Training Centre -UMY are expected to have a
good ability in both spoken and written English since UMY
commits to create graduates who have global perspectives and
professional abilities. One of these abilities is being able to write
sentences and paragraph as well as master the reading skills. So, the
capability of writing and reading skills in English will be a good skill
that must be possessed by the students.
Pre-requisites
 It is assumed that students entering this course have very low ability
in both reading and writing skills.
Timing
 This course is offered to students of semester 1. It runs twice a week
for 90 minutes over 30 meetings of contact time, plus two formal
exam periods, in mid-semester and at the end of the semester.
Syllabus as the basis of the course book design
Activities types
 Typical activities in this course will include: Lecturing; Individual
tasks; Pair work/small group activities; Class discussion; Class
presentations; Games; Video discussions
Aim
 The overall aims or broad goals to be achieved by students in this
course are: understand various types of reading skills; apply reading
skills taught in the classroom; write English Sentences; write
paragraphs in English
Objectives
 The specific knowledge, skills, strategies, understandings, and/or key
competencies to be achieved by students during this course are to:
write basic sentences; write compound sentences; write complex
sentences; write a good paragraph in English; guess the meaning from
texts; reference and inference ; scan and skim for specific
information; apply reading skills in some texts.
Evaluation of the Textbook
English for Reading and Writing
(a course book for semester 1 students)
Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Approach
 Dissemination of a vision (theory or approach)
about
 the nature of language
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The course book is used to teach English skills, especially reading and
writing skills. However, the learning process is including speaking skill when
the students have to brainstorm the topic that they have to read and write.
 the nature of learning
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Although it is not clearly stated, the course book uses communicative
language teaching. Before reading and writing, the students have to discuss
the topic and sometimes they have to conduct some interviews.
 how the theory can be put to applied use
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Seeing the fact that the course book focuses on the process how to develop
the students’ skills, especially reading and writing, it can be concluded that
the theoretical background of learning and teaching can be well applied in
the process.
Content Presentation
 Stating purpose(s) and objective(s)
 For the total course

The total course has shown that it meets the purposes and objectives of
the syllabus.
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The overall aims or broad goals to be achieved by students in this
course are: understand various types of reading skills; apply
reading skills taught in the classroom; write English Sentences;
write paragraphs in English
The specific knowledge, skills, strategies, understandings,
and/or key competencies to be achieved by students during this
course are to: write basic sentences; write compound sentences;
write complex sentences; write a good paragraph in English;
guess the meaning from texts; reference and inference ; scan and
skim for specific information; apply reading skills in some texts.
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Content Presentation
 Stating purpose(s) and objective(s)
 For individual units
 The individual units have build a comprehensive process of
understanding the skills of reading and writing from the simple
activity to the more complex reading and writing activities.
 In contrast with the good processes of activities, the units do not
show good arrangements of topics. It does not start from the
topic around the students that develop to the broaden scope of
topic.
Content Presentation
 Selection and its rationale
 Coverage
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The course book covers reading and writing skills. It is aimed that the students
have ability of conducting speed reading and sentence and paragraph writing as
stated in the syllabus.
 Grading
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The 12 units of the course book are arranged from the lower level of
understanding to the more difficult level of understanding. It can be seen from
the length of the text and the complication of writing activities.
 Organization
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The course book is well organized as it starts from pre-reading, while reading, and
after reading activities. Writing activities are arranged in relation with the reading
topics that they give better input before writing. Moreover, before writing, the
students have to discuss and brainstorm the topic of writing before they start
writing. The unit also provide the students the activities of editing the writing
composition.
 Sequencing
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Unit 1 to 12 do not show a good sequencing of the topic as it does not start from
the topic around the students that develop wider scope of topics.
Content Presentation
 Satisfaction of the syllabus
 To the teacher
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Providing a guide book
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The book is not completed with a guide book.
Giving advice on the methodology
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Giving theoretical orientations
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Key to the exercises
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The course book does not state the specific approach and
methodology, but the arrangement of every unit shows that the
teacher can apply communicative language teaching.
The key to the exercises are the use of discussion and
brainstorming before reading and writing activities.
Supplementary materials
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The course book does not show the supplementary materials. The
institution lets the teacher to use their own supplementary
materials in the form of loose leaf materials.
Content Presentation
 Satisfaction of the syllabus
 To the student
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Piecemeal, unit-by-unit instruction
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Graphics (relevant, free from unnecessary details,
colorful, etc.)
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All the instructions are easy to understand and they can be followed
clearly.
The book is printed in black-white color that the pictures do not
attract the students to pay attention to the pictures.
Periodic revisions
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The course book is periodically revised. Even this book is the new
version. The previous book was not arranged integrally.
Content Presentation(cont.)
 Satisfaction of the syllabus
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Workbook
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There is no work book which can make the course book more effectively.
Exercise and activities
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In the classroom
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Homework
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The examples and practices are varying.
Periodic test sections
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The course book has sample exercises with clear instructions
Varied and copious
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The course book does not specifically give homework. The teacher can give
any homework freely based on the topic.
Sample exercises with clear instructions
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The course book gives appropriate numbers of classroom activities.
The tests are carried out twice; formative and summative test
Accompanying audio-visual aids
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The course book is not completed with audio visual aids.
Physical Make-up
 Appropriate Size & weight
 The course book size is good because it consists of 12 units with 161
pages. It is designed for 24 sessions meeting.
 Attractive layout
 The book lay out is well arranged but it will be better when using
colorful pictures.
 Durability
 The 12 units is suitable for 24 sessions meeting. Each unit can be
taught for two sessions, one for reading session and another one for
writing session.
 High quality of editing and publishing
 The course book is well edited and it is published limitedly for internal use.
 Appropriate title
 The title is clear as the course book is for reading and writing class.
Administrative Concerns
 Macro-state policies
 Indonesia is now pushing all educational institution to reach a world class
level of education. To reach this policies, all levels of education must
compulsory teach English to the students. The course book is suitable for this
purposes as it can make students use English productively in academic
setting.
 Appropriate for local situation
 Culture
 All units discuss global cultures that every student can learn it happily.
Even unit 6 talks about culture of the world that the students can improve
their understanding of other cultures in other parts of the world.
 Religion
 All the units do not talk specifically about any religions that the course
book is free from religious values. All students , then, can use the course
book.
 Gender
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There is no gender bias in the course book.
 Appropriate Price
 The course of the book is reasonable. All students can afford it
Conclusion
 The course book does not state the approach and the method used in
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the process of learning. However, from the process of learning guided
by the boot, it can be concluded that communicative language teaching
is used in the process of learning and teaching.
The course book has met the objectives stated in the syllabus.
The course book can be easily used by the students to learn and by the
teacher to teach.
The level of difficulty of the course book has been well arranged,
however, the topics are not well sequenced.
The course book physical appearance is good, but it would be better if
the book is printed full color.
The content of the course book is appropriate for local culture and it
does not focus on a certain religion that it can be applied for every
students from different religious and cultural background.
The price of the course book is reasonable.
Recommendations
 The course book should state the approach and the
method of learning and teaching.
 The topics should be sequenced from any specific
topics around oneself to wider range of topic outside
the learners such as their environments or something
from real to something more abstract.
 The course book should be printed full color.
References
 Ansary, Hasan and Babaii, Esmat (2002). Universal
Characteristics of EFL/ESL Textbooks: A Step
Towards Systematic Textbook Evaluation
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2,
February 2002 (http://iteslj.org/ retrieved on
August 12, 2010)
 Tucker, C. A. (1975). Evaluating beginning
textbooks. English Teaching Forum, 13, 355-361.
 Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching:
Practice & Theory (pp. 184-187). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.