CHECKLISTS

 Analysis: describing what is there in the textbooks, elements of the contents.  Evaluation: Making a judgment of the usefulness of the contents in relation to a specific group of learners with specific needs.  Matching the analysis with learners’ needs would lead to an evaluation: the textbook fits the learners’ needs, or it does not.

 What is there? Publication date: intended users : time: components: type of material/tasks: durability: price: layout/appearance: teachers’ guide: contents guide.  What is required? Kind of task: focus on form or meaning: classroom organization: learner centred/teacher centred: teacher and learner roles.

 Impressionistic: General impression, blurb, contents page, skimming through, organization, topics, layout, unit design language skills…...>>>analysis<<  Checklist: Systematic, objective, quantitative, looking for appropriate items and elements, to verify with teaching/learning needs.

 Borrow and Adapt: modifiying a published checklist to needs analysis.  Originate: brainstorming ideas related to learning context and needs.  Research: find out through questionnaires, interviews, observations>> what do teachers and learners want?

 The perfect textbook does not exist….  * What is needed is the best available book for teacher and for students. 1. The needs interests and abilities of the students. 2. The needs of the teacher. 3. Institutional needs. *Each of the above could be a category with up to 5 questions for a checklist.

 Does the book suit the students? Is it attractive?  Does the book suit the teacher? Is there a good teachers’ guide?  Does the book suit the school? Does it cover the syllabus sufficiently?

1.MEANING AND FORM 2.PURPOSE 3.AUTHENTICITY 4.MEANINGS 5.SPEAKING AND…….. Checklist criteria must be clear and specific.

 Enable an evaluation to be made.  Make few time demands.  Help select appropriate materials.  Contribute to teaching or learning.

 Central Course Book  CDs, DVDs,  Workbooks, Grammar Books  Internet website  Mini Dictionaries The course-book is the main point of contact between teacher and learners; must relate well to other package elements.

 Continuity: Recycling:  Development of learning:  Ways through the materials:  Reference and Index…..  Vocabulary List  Self Study  Availability and Price

 1. Developing Skills and Strategies  2. Presenting/ Recycling Vocabulary and Grammar.  3. Models for Writing  4. Interesting Information  5. Further work  6. Enjoyment

 CHECKLIST FOR READING.  Is the reading used for introducing new vocab/grammar items?  Is there a focus on reading skills and strategies?  Is the reading linked to other skills work?  Is there any focus on reading for pleasure or intellectual satisfactions?  How many, and how frequent are the reading texts?  How long are the texts, for intensive, extensive reading?  How authentic are the texts?  Is the subject matter appropriate? Interesting, challenging, topical, varied, culturally acceptable, unlikely to date?  What genres or text types are used, are they appropriate?  Are there pre-reading activities? Post reading activities?  Are comprehension questions literal// inference questions//processing questions//  Does the reading involve the learners knowledge or individual aspects? 

CHECKLIST CATEGORIES  Age Are the social settings, topics, vocabulary suitable for your learners’ age?  Interests Are they reflected in the textbook, to bring pleasure, not boredom.  Background Social and cultural, urban/rural/class. Ethnocentricity?  Class Size. Large, 30+? One to One? Textbooks written for smaller classes.  Level. Homogenous/mixed? Not too easy/difficult.  Impression. Does the book feel right?  Methodology. Which methodology is implicit in the book? Which is explicit?  Grammar. How well covered, or skated over?  Skills. Four skills covered? Do they relate to learners’ needs/targets?  Grading. Too steep? Organised or arbitrary?  Lay-out. Is it clear and attractive? Dense of open?  Presentation/Practice. Clear presentation, appropriate context, fluency practice.  Variety. Varied or monotonous and predictable.

 Illustrations. Pedagogic purpose? Decoration? Related to price?  Story-line. Backbone of units? Interesting/trivial/flagging.  Series. Is the book part of a series?  Sexism. Gender bias. Would women feel OK about using it?  Ease of Use. Easy to find way through it?  Culture Bias. Ethnocentricity, too British/American topics.  Extras. What extras exist to make up the package.  Pre-testing/piloting. Has the book been trialled? Check acknowledgements.  Availability. Available in local bookshops with its supplementary material. Website?  Price. Financial burden on students? Supplementary materials. 

 Cunningsworth, A Choosing Your Coursebook. Heinemann.  McGrath, Ian Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh University Press.  Skierso, Al Textbook Selection and Evaluation. In Celce-Murcia (ed.) 1991 Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Heinle & Heinle.

 Kim, Haedong The opinions, classroom interest, and motivational orientation of students on a general English Course at South Korean Universities with regard to materials used to teach them. Essex University PhD. (Main library, Spicer Library). [ Has good examples of checklists.]  Peacock, M Choosing the right book for your class. Essex Graduate Student Papers in Language and Linguistics. University of Essex. (Downloadable from Department website).  Gearing, K Helping Less Experienced Teachers of English to Evaluate Teachers’ Guides. ELT Journal. 53/2. pp