Another reason is to identify particular strengths and weaknesses in course books. This study was an attempt to evaluate english preuniversity text book of karnataka state in india with respect to general criterion as well as vocabulary teaching. The material should match the aim of the course in order to cover what the students need. Just because something is in print does not mean that its a good, reliable, authoritative, appropriate source of information for your research.
Contemporary issues in education research june 2011. Harmer 2001 defines course book evaluation, on the other. According to these criteria, evaluators like teachers, researchers as well as students can rate the quality of the material. While qualitative checklists are capable of an indepth evaluation of textbooks, quantitative checklists are more reliable instruments and are more convenient to work with, especially when team evaluations are. Should take account of students needs as learners should facilitate learning processes without being rigid 4. An investigation into american english file series seyede zahra hashemi, ph. Four criteria for course book evaluation a course book 1. Evaluation of english teaching materials used at a.
The most important point is to find the best possible fit cunningsworth. A critical evaluation of selected teaching materials. A more detail internal evaluation would be needed to see whether the materials in accordance to what the publishers have been stated. Coursebook and materials evaluation english language essay.
Listed below are some important criteria to consider when evaluating a book. Role play you have been asked by your director of studies to choose between two course books for a given class. According to the greatest theorists in the field of elt textbook design and analysis such as williams 1983, sheldon 1988, brown 1995, cunningsworth 1995 and harmer 1996 all agree, that the evaluation checklists ought to have some criteria relating to the physical characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, and. The term evaluation has been used to define a variety of processes in the field of applied linguistics. The instrument to evaluate the couse book used alan cunningsworth s checklist taken from his book, evaluating and selecting efl teaching materials 1984 consisted of six majors evaluation criteria and one conclusion and overall evaluation. As sheldon 1988 declares, the selection of a coursebook signals an executive educational decision in which. Unit two talked about evaluating materials, specifically course books. Eight grade text book evaluation by cunningsworths theory. The course book aims are in line with the aims of the teaching program and the learners needs and fits into the teaching and learning situation. However, this common belief is rejected when textbooks, as sources of providing input, are seen to control the instruction to a large. Content, grammar, and skills are important to all students so cunningsworth s evaluation criteria have some validity i think. Use two books which are designed for either elementary or intermediate level. Part 1 selecting a course book is an important task for any english language teacher or evaluator. A successful course book requires a working balance between the three perspectives mentioned above.
Efl teachers perceptions towards textbook evaluation. Cunningsworth 1995 states that textbook evaluation helps teachers to acquire useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. This study was an attempt to set some textbook evaluation criteria. For determining the effectiveness of this book for the general english courses, which are being held at the university language center this evaluation, will be conducted on the basis of a set of prspecified criteria. Eight grade text book evaluation by cunningsworth s theory the objectives of this study are to. Course book evaluation methods effective evaluation relies on asking appropriate questions and interpreting the answers to them. Cunningsworth 1984 observes that few english language teachers do not depend on a course book. English textbook in ethiopia from teachers and students. Abstractresearch on coursebook selection and evaluation suggests that the. Reporting evaluation evaluation reports which has been published focusing on principles and procedures in conducting the evaluation mostly the effectiveness of course book evaluation reports which focus on course book tomlinson et al. Effective evaluation relies on asking appropriate questions and interpreting the answers to them. Pdf esl efl course book evaluation checklist alireza. Most well established checklists such as cunningsworth and kusel 1991 or skierso.
Evaluative criteria of an english language textbook evaluation checklist. Cunningsworth 1995 discusses the reasons for materials evaluation as follows. Cunningsworth 1984, in his book evaluating and selecting efl teaching materials also proposed a checklist of questions which summarizes the criteria for evaluation. In the questionnaire, the dominant type of questions is the likert. An investigation of the structure of group activities in elt course books. Evaluation of english teaching and learning materials in. An evaluation checklist is an instrument that provides the evaluator with a list of features of successful learningteaching materials. Also, evaluation of the merits and demerits of a coursebook will familiarize the teacher with its probable weaknesses and strengths. Thereafter, we apply the criteria to the assessment of two major english textbooks college english 1991 and experiencing english 2002 for teachers and book designers reference. Textbook evaluation cunningsworth 1995 proposes four criteria for evaluating textbooks, particularly course books. Business english course books why and how to evaluate them. Worldview series are a four level english course books for adults and adolescents, which. Reasons for material evaluation activities are many and varied.
Some teachers books are no more than student editions with an inserted answer key. Practical guidelines for the evaluation of purpose. Sheldon 1988 provides two main reasons justifying the need to evaluate textbooks. As cunningsworth 1995 states, one major benefit of using checklists is that they provide a very economic and systematic way to ensure that all relevant items are considered for evaluation. Essay about new headway course book evaluation 727 words. The intention to adopt new course books is a major and frequent reason for evaluation. Local evaluation criteria for global textbooks academy publication. Therefore, this paper will discuss briefly the result of textbook evaluation, precisely commercial textbook. Since the external evaluation displays a positive image of the book, therefore, an internal evaluation needs to be executed further. We were introduced to a range of checklists that could be used for evaluating a course book, and discussed the pros and cons of each. Cunningsworth s checklist for evaluation and selection contains 45 questions, covering criteria. Using the guidelines given for the presession tasks, write a short evaluation of the course book you chose about 500 words. Textbooks evaluation by urs theory semantic scholar.
Perhaps more importantly, course rationales, for instance in regard to the introduction and recycling of new lexis, or the grading and. Download citation evaluation of english teaching materials used at a vocational high school based on cunningsworth s checklist english teaching material is really important, that is why a. Is the textbook appropriate for the students who will be using it. This paper, which highlights the relevance of criteria based postuse evaluation of english textbooks, discusses in general the role of materials in language learning, the principles of materials evaluation, and includes the checklist designed by the researcher to evaluate the kerala scert upper primary english course books. To this end two types of evaluation were performed. A course book also plays an important role in teaching.
First a questionnaire was made with reference to some critical features extracted from different material evaluation checklists in addition to, a part related to. A suggested eclectic checklist for elt coursebook evaluation. Lynch 1996 defined evaluation as the systematic attempt to gather information in order to make judgment or decisions p. Course book evaluation the process of language education involves many elements, often learners considered as the center. The following discussion is going to evaluate the book internally with particular reference to the units 8 and 9.
Cunningsworth offers a principled and thorough approach to coursebook evaluation and practical evaluation criteria, with specific reference to elt coursebooks. Textbooks in the efl esl classroom english language essay. Below is the detailed checklist for evaluation and selection of course books proposed by cunningsworth. Application of the criteria in materials evaluation.
Developing an english language textbook evaluation. Im currently studying a module in materials development through nile online. For this reason, the selection of materials probably represents the single most important decision that the language teacher has to make hutchinson, 1987, p. Should reflect uses present or future should equip learners to use the language effectively for their own purposes 3. The report write a compare and contrast report for the director, outlining your reasons for choosing one book rather than the other. Make notes for each book using the course book evaluation criteria. Evaluation of a elt coursebook based on criteria designed by. They should match the aims and objectives of the language learning program. Matthews 1985 specification of the teaching situation, cunningsworth 1995 criteria to the target learners and byrd 2001 conection between textbook and the curriculum, students and teachers. For instance, cunningsworth 1995 introduces a checklist. Efl teachers perceptions towards textbook evaluation azam ahmadi english language department, islamic azad university, science and research branch, shahrood, iran ali derakhshan english language and literature department, golestan university, gorgan, iran abstracttextbook evaluation helps the teachers find appropriate course books and let. Dissertation on evaluation of two course books english. This is one the first checklists that gives a broad analysis tomlinson 2003.
These are the sources and citations used to research dissertation on evaluation of two course books. Cunningsworth 1995 developed a checklist which is widely used for evaluation of textbooks. In indonesians educational system, textbooks are considered as the main components of the curriculum. Material development for language learning and teaching.
This material was designed as supplementary material to support the course book used. A comparative evaluation and analysis of two general. The creation of extensive evaluation checklists by leading experts provides criteria for detailed coursebook analysis. To evaluate the book part i selected which is followed by an evaluation from external and internal perspectives as well as a micro analysis. Choosing materials tesol international association. The results reflect the trend in the domain of college english materials development in china. According to the greatest theorists in the field of elt textbook design and analysis such as williams 1983, sheldon 1988, brown 1995, cunningsworth 1995 and harmer 1996 all agree, that the evaluation checklists ought to have some criteria relating to the physical characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, and logistical characteristics. Pdf evaluative criteria of an english language textbook. Developing an english language textbook evaluation checklist.
Various writers suggested some criteria more or less containing similar criteria that can be applied by teachers and even learners for optimum use of the existing materials. Cunningsworth has introduced a lot of criteria and different checklist either to be used as they are, or to choosing your coursebook is a good book for teachers and course designers because it contains a lot of information about the steps of textbook selection, analysis, and evaluation. Cunningsworth s checklist for evaluation and selection contains 45 questions, covering criteria such as. Pdf esl efl course book evaluation checklist alireza rizvi. This bibliography was generated on cite this for me on monday, january 19, 2015. Cunningsworth 1995, as cited in richards, 2001 proposes the following four criteria for evaluation of course books.
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