An Evaluation of the Sixth Grade English Textbook for Saudi Boy`s Schools

Dear Client

As regards this 10 pager review of literature , I have so far uploaded seven pages so you may start reading it while the 3 remaining pages are soon to follow . Glossing over your thesis proposal and the materials you sent plus the ones I got through questia , I came up with the following outline in organizing this review

I started with a short discussion of the strategic importance of a textbook particularly in English language courses . Second , notions on the effectivity of evaluating textbooks must consider the feedback of

its direct users - the teachers and the L2 learners . Thus , a look into what L2 learners look for in an EFL course should also be a top concern

Standard means of evaluation of course materials should likewise be determined and comprehended . Finally , if the textbook is to contribute to the long term goal of equipping L2 learners with the skill to deal with opportunities and challenges of participating in global transactions , the shifting global perspectives on the role English courses should accomplish should be kept in mind . Changing concerns in the global perspective must also be considered to ensure that the textbook will prepare its users to meet the challenges of the 21st century

If this is fine with you , I will eventually include the introduction and conclusion of your original review of literature and other materials that you cited . Such evaluation should similarly include an understanding of current approaches , issues , and concerns to language learning

I think materials touching on the other concerns of your survey such as layout , appearance , design , illustration , etc . or other aspects of visual communication may be included in the review for this may prove helpful when you get to the results and discussion portion of your br

Warmest regards

Review of Literature

Evaluation of the effectivity of the textbook entails considering the purposes and feedback of its direct users - the teachers of the second language and the learners of the L2 . Ian McGrath (---- ) states that a textbook is important because it sets the direction , content , and to a certain extent how the lesson is to be taught . Similarly he said it is significant to view the images that teachers have as this reflects their attitudes and beliefs toward textbooks which will impact on how teachers use textbooks . Furthermore , Thornbury (1991 :194 ) as cited by McGrath explains that these images not only show teacher 's attitudes toward teaching and learning but also influence their practice

In a study by McGrath (2006 ) entitled Teachers ' and Learners ' Images for Coursebooks ' he compared learner 's and teacher 's attitudes for textbooks . Using the minimalist form of data gathering , respondents of the aforementioned study , namely teacher and students alike were asked to complete the stem of the statement A coursebook is a ' either through metaphor or simile . The framework of this study is that metaphors and similes are forms of language which are particularly revealing of the subconscious beliefs and attitudes that underlie consciously held opinions (p .173 . This notion is supported by Martinez , Sauleda and Huber (2001 in Grath 2006 ) who states that metaphors may function as stepping stones to a new vantage point from which a teacher can look at his or her own practice as an educator from a new perspective (p . 974

Data on metaphors for a coursebook of English language teachers and secondary level students gathered in Hongkong over a two year period collected by McGrath were classified and resulted into categories arrived at using semantically related images . Some examples of teachers metaphors are the following (1 )A coursebook is like a choker that can make you look good but can also make another feel suffocated (2 ) A coursebook is a map (and as such can be deceptive in its apparent simplicity of direction and explanation (3 ) A textbook is a thick wood , rich , you learn a lot , you see a lot [but] you get entangled , you get lost (4 ) A coursebook is a smokescreen [subsequently explained as a sop to the parents rather than a guide to what is actually done in class] . 5 . A textbook is like a pair of shoes . It takes time to choose one that you feel comfortable to wear for a long time . A bad pair will kill you , give you blisters . A good one will give you confidence to run to jump , to fly high

Some examples of earner 's metaphors on the other hand are the following

Table 1 . List of learner 's images on a coursebook (McGrath , 2006

a pair of glasses (which help me to see what the teacher is talking about more

a beggar (no one likes to approach it

a meteor (that makes you brilliant

[like] a glass of water (good for us and make us healthy

[like] milk (it nurtures our brains

toxic (like CO2 , N2O , make me feel bored , sleepy , waste my time

supermarket (you can get everything there Results of McGrath 's study showed that teachers have a gap as to their orientation towards textbooks but what was more revealing according to McGrath were the nature and strength of the metaphors of the learners which reflect either positive or negative attitudes toward textbooks pointing to the significance learners attach to textbooks in terms of either its suitability or to the way teachers use them

This study of McGrath is important for two reasons - first it presents one way of evaluating the effectivity of a textbook by examining whether it satisfies teachers and learners expectations regarding its function or significance in the learning environment . Furthermore it highlights how metaphors can be an important tool or methodology to extract subconscious attitudes of both learners and teachers regarding course books . Second , it reveals the significance that learners attach to the importance of textbooks in formal educational environments

Evaluation of the effectivity of the textbook also entails considering the purposes and feedback of its direct users - the teachers of the second language and the learners of the L2 . A case study on the different methods of textbook evaluation of three difernt years of teaching experience (one year[T1] , five years [T2] , and twelve years[T3] ) was conducted to see how teachers of various lenths of teaching experience go about in analyzing a textbook in terms of approaches to evaluation as well as considerations in terms of book content . This case study further aimed to contirubute to the literature as far as theorizing techniques of textbook evaluation (Johnson et al 2006

The technique of concurrent verbalization coupled with think-aloud protocols ' were used in this study to reveal inner thoughts of teachers regarding the effectivity of an English textbook entitled Just Right by Harmer (2004 ) used by the intermediate level at the Lancaster University . Along with the main textbook came a teacher 's book , and a mini-grammar booklet containing transcripts of the listening activities With the aid of video and audio tapes , the research group observed five categories of data , namely sequence of evaluation , teacher preferences use of terminology , methodological concerns , and flexibility in usage

Results showed that T1 was the least methodical of the three teachers and was the least familiar with the general layout of a textbook and proceeded from one reference (textbook ) to another (mini grammar booklet ) then jumped back to the textbook and went to the teachers manual , not necessarily following a rigid set of procedures for evaluation

In the case of T2 the method of evaluation proceeded by looking at the front and back covers of the materials then looking at the contents of the textbook then went through the teacher 's manual then compared it to the textbook . T2 again looked at the beginning of the textbook and went through the pages again before beginning the evaluation . T2 's focus of evaluation centered on what the teacher took as immediate needs of the student , such as s , themes , vocabulary , and functional language

T3 , covered wide concerns than T1 and T2 but gave more slant on the linguistic rationale of the textbook such as the occurrence of language in chunks ' in a variety of activities . The depth of his evaluation far surpasses the two other evaluators and was not concerned with establishing categories but more on expressing his likes and dislikes on the book such as its features , activities , and options presented on how to use or go about the book . This framework which T3 followed also showed his flexibility because he was able to accommodate a wide array of expectations both from the students and the teachers as well . He was more concerned , however , with the needs of the novice teachers and long-term academic needs of students . Furthermore his evaluation included references to other textbooks he was familiar with

T3 's systematic approach to evaluating of a textbook and depth of insights may be a vital point in the sense that it sets degree of efficiency and effectivity that may be needed due to the premium placed on the importance of textbooks in a language course (Johnson , K et al 2006

Additional considerations in textbook evaluation would be an understanding of current approaches , to language learning . Comparison of the different approaches used in a textbook will set the basis for gauging the effectivity of the material . The following is a review of the language learning theories that evolved through the years as presented in a book by Hinkel and Fotos entitled From Theory to Practice : A teacher 's View (2002

Since the 18th century effective grammar pedagogy has been seen as consisted of using the eight parts of speech as an organizational framework in analyzing written work . Later on focus on language learning shifted to the production of sound thus giving birth to subsystems referred to as phonology , morphology and syntax . This later on became known as the audio-lingual and direct approaches to language learning emerged . This is a reaction to the L2 learners who despite knowledgeable on grammar rules are not able to engage in a communication situation . Material preparation for this approach entails drills and repetitions . For accurate production of the target language Hinkel and Fotos , 2002

Another approach , the communicative approach was spearheaded by the British in the 1960s and focuses on the communicative needs of the learner (Johnson Marrow , 1981 . Thus , material preparation for this approach consists of communicative situations involving dialogues grammar structures , vocabulary and meaning-focused tasks (Hinkel and Fotos , 2002 . Skehan (1998 as cited in Hinkel 2002 ) that this approach is anchored on three Ps , namely presentation , practice and production This approach is a reaction to the structure-based syllabi which labels tasks from easy to difficult and approaches language learning as a linear progression (Long Crookes , 1992 as cited in Hinkel 2002 ) and focuses on the production of correct forms

In 1957 , Chomsky rejected the structuralist idea of language as a habit and instead viewed it as a generative process existing in the human brain and consisted of a surface structure , a form of an utterance and a deep structure whose mental concept underlies a semantic interpretation This gave rise to a Universal Grammar hypothesis underlying all languages (Hinkel and Fotos , 2002

Grammar instruction received renewed interest as the cognitive method of L2 learning was influenced by cognitive approaches to human physiology and transformational and generative grammar theories (Hinkel and Fotos , 2002

Notions on the effectivity of evaluating textbooks must consider the feedback of its direct users - the teachers and the L2 learners . Thus a look into what L2 learners look for in an EFL course should also be a top concern

In an article entitled What do Learners Really want from their EFL course ' Davies (2006 ) mentions that despite the central concern of choosing an appropriate material or textbook decisions made by teachers are mostly based on administrative convenience or teacher intuition (Spratt 1999 as cited in Davies 2006 ) rather than on a principled analysis of the needs

of the teaching /learning situation (Davies 2006 . Thus , material selection must not stem from an assumed understanding of the needs and preferences of L2 learners but should instead come from actual feedback

Davies contends that L2 learners must be involved in in-class materials so that this can serve as a basis for teachers to generate useful criteria to select materials and designs for the conduct of classes

Based on this Davies developed a task-based syllabus to allow L2 learners to draw from their own experiences in engaging in a communicative situation instead of relying on teacher led pre-determined language input . In addition focus on listening and vocabulary inputs were incorporated as a result for a clamor for such from L2 learners References

McGrath , I . Teachers ' and learners ' images for coursebooks . ELT Journal . Volume 60 /2 April 2006 doi :10 .1093 /elt /cci104 171 . Oxfor University Press

Johnson , K , Kim , M . et al . A step forward : investigating expertise in materials evaluation . ELT Journal doi :10 .1093 /elt /ccl021 Published by Oxford University Press

Hinkel , E . and Fotos , S . editors (2002 . From Theory to Practice :A Teacher 's View . Mahwah , NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Alun , D (2006 . What do learners really want from their EFL course ? ELT Journal . Volume 60 /1 January 2006 doi :10 .1093 /elt /cci076 3 . Oxford University Press ...