Textbook Evaluation

When we reflect on why things work for a few students, we can begin to formulate a stance toward all students, a stance based on our commitment to respect the depth of their potential and the dignity of their person.

Robert Fried

Evaluating textbooks may be seemed by some teachers as extra work and as a boring and unnecessary process to carry out. However, it has been acknowledged that teachers should evaluate the textbooks they will use for teaching before working with them in the class. Since textbooks are not perfect, it is recommendable to evaluate them to know to what degree the textbook matches the teaching and learning needs of the population or institution that will make use of it. Indeed, “Evaluation is a matter of judging the fitness of something for a particular purpose” (Evaluating an EFL Textbook-A New English Course 2). In this particular case, teachers and principals have to decide whether a textbook could be valuable or not for what they are looking for. Textbooks at simply sight can be considered appealing and relevant for an English class, but when analyzing them carefully weaknesses can come out. Some of the components that have to be considered in any textbook evaluation process are: vocabulary, content, page layout, pictures used; availability of web sites, table of content, glossary, bibliography, comprehension and critical-thinking questions, and extension activities; use of captions and label, format of type style, line length, and leading, the role of the teacher, the role of the student, and the types of listening, speaking, reading, and writing exercises as well as the inclusion of culture and pronunciation activities. Finally, accessibility of assessment and testing are other components to consider.

All those components must be evaluated in respect to the language program or curriculum in which the textbook would be used. Since language programs might differ, textbooks used cannot be the same for every particular class. When textbook analysis is carried out, professors are ensuring that students are being exposed to what they need to study. Nevertheless, textbooks do not substitute the teacher or that does not mean that professors should not prepare additional materials and activities. On the contrary, textbooks should be perceived as additional aids and sources for teaching.

Listening: A New Way to Go

“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song”.

Maya Angelou

I have observed many English classes in which teachers use songs for teaching listening comprehension or pronunciation. They just played songs and students listened to them without learning the target language. I even remember my pronunciation classes. There we just listened to songs and we had to sing; but again, without any learning objective. Most exercises were filling in the blanks. It is a shame that teachers do not know how to take advantage of music, video clips, or even sitcoms to teach listening. There are many activities and aspects of the language that can be taught by using a single song or video.

When using songs or videos, educators need to think about a pre-, during, and post activity. Then, they have to consider whether or not they would need to teach some of the vocabulary from the materials used. It is also necessary to point out that filling in the blanks is not the only exercise that can be done. Jigsaw activities, spotting the mistakes, group discussions, representing the song by drawings, and much more activities can be created. All of them, if well planned, allow learners to acquire the language easily by having fun.

Even every educator must remember that any source of listening should be as much as possible a real source of authentic language that can make students to notice the native language pronunciation, culture, grammar usage, vocabulary in context, and so on. Songs and authentic videos then have to be carefully chosen since they have to be useful language-wise. Not every source of listening can be used.

But is that all with what learners can be provided? Is that all what teachers must do and know? What about letting students the chance to choose what they want and like to listen to. Is there a time to reflect on one’s own listening process? Are students conscious of what they can be able to understand and how is that possible or easier for them to do so?

Teachers should also help their students to become mindful about their listening skill in regards to the target language as well as to understand their cognitive, linguistic and social demands of L2 listening. Therefore, students need to be taught how to listen more than focusing on what they are listening to. For that purpose, the leaners have to comprehend cognitive, affective, and social domains. They need to know what strategy works better for them during listening, to be aware of their feelings when listening, and to share their listening comprehension and feelings. Teachers should ask students to reflect and analyze what is what they need to understand spoken English by also pointing out the importance of practicing outside the classroom. Asking students about how much they listen to the target language outside the classroom is essential. What type of English programs, videos, or music do you like to listen to? How much do you understand? How can you understand? They are also some of the questions that can be addressed.

Finally, it would be great to have students preparing their own listening activities by using the source of listening they prefer. Considering students’ likes and giving them the chance to have control over their own listening process and class allows them to increase their interested in listening to the target language as well as to reflect on their listening process.

What is going on with Materials?

“Art is not a thing; it is a way”.

Elbert Green Hubbard

Some time ago, in an English class from the English teaching major, a teacher asked to me and my classmates what materials were and how they could be developed and evaluated. At that time, we were not teaching; therefore, we did not know what to say. Even though he tried to explain to us, we still did not have a clear idea. Then, I started teaching and consequently I had to use a great variety of English teaching materials. From that experience and from what I have studied in the Material Development course in the Master’s program: Second Language and Culture at the Universidad Nacional, I understood that materials are anything used in order to get effective learning by increasing the learners’ knowledge and helping them to accomplish communicative competence. However, not any type of material can be used in any context. Teachers should ask themselves whether materials are correctly adopted, adapted, developed and used; and whether they are accomplishing the stated objectives in the class.

Therefore, when teachers want to use specific materials, it is their responsibility to take some time to evaluate them. Actually, when teachers are designing their own materials, they have to consider the students´ language level, interests, and context. Indeed, there are some principles of ESL learning and material development that teachers have to know. For example, materials must achieve impact, help learners feel at ease, create motivation and positive attitude and feelings, break the routine, promote cultural sensitivity, among others.

Accordingly, choosing materials is a careful procedure in order to provide students with useful materials and consequently with a meaningful English teaching/learning process.