TABLE OF CONTENT

Table of Content.................................................................................... 1

A. Selecting Coursebook........................................................................... 2
1. Definition Selecting Coursebook.............................................. 2
2. The Way How to select the Coursebook...................................... 2
3. Charachteristic a good Book between Cunningsworth and
Hutchinson & Waters................................................................ 5
B. Analysing coursebook and Evaluating Coursebook............................ 5
1. Analyzing Coursebook.............................................................. 5
2. Evaluating Coursebook.............................................................. 5
3. Guidelines for Evaluation.......................................................... 6
4. Types of Material Evaluation..................................................... 7
5. The Uses of Coursebook............................................................ 8

References..................................................................................... 11

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 A. SELECTING COURSEBOOK
1. Selecting Coursebook

There are too many books of English Language Teaching (ELT) which is
published in market recently, and it makes selecting the right coursebook
becomes a challenging task. As a good learner, we should be able to select the
best coursebooks which are appropriate to the material that we learn. Because
there are a number of coursebooks which have good and bad qualities, so it
will be better if we have informed and know how to choose coursebooks
before. As we know, according to the progressive of the eras, people begin to
be more curious when they have to choose coursebooks. It is influenced by the
technology such as on television program, computer games etc. which is more
concerned on visuals. Because of this influence, learners expect a high
standards of coursebooks to make them easier, enjoyable, and interesting to
learn the material.

2. The way how to select the Coursebook

Selection is the stage of the process and involves matching the features
identified during the previous stage against of the requirements of a particular
learning or teaching situation There are some factors that we have to know
when we want to select coursebook :

1. Approahes to evaluation
We are usually easier to evaluate a coursebook only by looking at
the possibilities of the strengths and the weaknesses in the first
impressions. We can decide soon the features of the coursebooks from
the quality, clear layout, the cover, the items which is included on its
etc. It is usually called as impressionistic overview. Impressionistic
overview is very useful for us, because it will give us a general
introduction and enough detail to the material on a coursebook.

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2. Deciding on a checklist
When we want to select the best coursebook for our teaching
material, we need to make some checklists that will help us to evaluate
and select the best one. The content of the checklist that must be taken
note, that is included the aims and approaches, design and
organization, language content, skills, topic, methodolgy, teachers’
books, practical consideration etc. We can use quick – references
checklist to make our selection easier and clearly.
3. Selecting the best available coursebook
Selecting coursebooks not only choose the material, but also
matches the material which is according to the context of its that is
going to be used. The aim of selecting coursebook is to find the best
coursebook. After we decide the aim of selecting coursebook, we also
need to analyse the learning or teaching situation in which the material
will be used, because it will give us a profile and some requirements of
teaching materials. So that’s why making a short checklist is very
important because by making a short checklist, we can choose about
three until five books of our coursebook. Then we can evaluate the
coursebooks which is matching to our of teaching materials by limit
the number of the criteria which may give affect of the succes or
failure of coursebooks when we are using them in our class.
Therefore, selecting the coursebook which most closely fits the
requirements and the context will be the best available
(Cunningsworth 1995:5).
4. Specifying aims and analysing the learning or teaching situation
Specifying aims and analysing the teaching situation is necessery,
because it will determine in which teaching are ging to do. This is
some comprehensive checklists that we can use it as the short checklist
for looking at the context in which teaching materials will be
evaluated. We need to specifying and analysing the aims and
objectives, the teaching or learning situation, the learners, and the

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 teachers, because those lists will make our aim in teaching English
become clearly.
5. The role of coursebooks
Coursebooks are the best resource which is used to achieve the
aims and the objectives which is already designed for learner needs.
according to (Cunningsworth 1995:7) coursebooks have some multiple
roles in ELT and can serve as below :

 A resource for presentation material (spoken and written).

 A source of activities for learner practice and
communicative interaction.
 A reference source for learner on grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation etc.
 A source of stimulation and ideas for classroom language
activities.
 Syllabus (where the students reflect learning objectives
which have already been determined).
 A resource for self-directed learning or self-access work.
 A support for less experienced teachers who have yet to
gain in confidence.

The role of the coursebook not only to be mastered by the

teachers and learners, but it is also showing that it gives the service
for the teachers and learners. Teachers and coursebook show the
important relationship, because both of teachers and coursebook
are integrated to achieve the goals in teaching.

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 3. Criteria of a good Book between Cunningsworth and
Hutchinson & Waters
According to Cunningsworth and Hutchinson & Waters a
good book should have a criteria. Here are some criterias which is
used to select the coursebook.

No. Hutchinson & Waters Cunningsworth

(1987:99-104) (1995:6)
1. Audience Aims and objectives

2. Aims The learning /

Teaching situation
3. Content The learners

4. Methodology The teachers

5. Price range (other criteria)

B. ANALYSING AND EVALUATING COURSEBOOK

1. Analysing Coursebook
Analysing coursebook is included as the way how to match
the goals of the teaching material which is going to be used to the
teaching situation. According to (Cunningsworth, 2015:9) Analysis
is more or less seeking information in a range of categories and
provides the necessary data for the second stage of the process.
This is the interpretation of the data obtained. Then, According to
(McGrath,2002:22) analysis is a process which leads to an
objective, verifiable description whereas evaluation involves the
making of judgements.
2. Evaluating Coursebook
Every year teachers choose coursebooks to use in their
courses and learners spend considerable amounts of money to

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 buying them, and the systematic approach to coursebook
evaluation can be based on the parts of curriculum design process
(John Macalister 2010:165). Afterward, The term ‘course book’
means, a text book of which the teacher and each student has a
copy and which is in principle to be followed systematically as the
basis for a language course ( Ur 1996:183). According to
(Cunningsworth 1995:9) evaluating coursebook involves value
judgements which it will inevitably be subjective to some extent
and reflect the views and priorities. The evaluation is based on
some factors such as learners and teachers expectations,
methodological preferences, the preceived needs of the learners
syllabus requirements and personal preferences.
In the other hand, according to (Hutchinson and Waters
1987:97) textbook evaluation is basically a straightforward,
analytical ‘matching process : matching needs to available
solutions’. McDonough and Shaw (2003) and McGrath (2002)
provide a two-level model for the comprehensive evaluation of
textbooks. The first level proposed by McDonough and Shaw
involves a brief external evaluation which includes criteria
concerning the organizational foundation of the textbook,„as stated
explicitlv by the author/publisher‟ through the cover, introduction
and table of contents, and the second is the internal evaluation
which is concerned on consistency and organization of examine the
materials. It shows that evaluation to find the coursebook in
teaching English is important because teacher should be considered
of his or her students needs.
3. Guidelines for Evaluation
Cunningsworth in his book of Choosing Your Coursebook
(1995: 15) divides the guidelines for evaluation into four
guidelines. These guidelines can be used in approaching any
materials evaluation exercise.

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a. Guidelines one, coursebooks should correspondent to learners’
needs. It means that the aims and objectives of language, learning
and teaching program are match to the learners’ needs.
b. Guidelines two, coursebooks should reflect the uses. It means that
the coursebooks for the students are reflect the language content,
language skills and patterns of language use that will be applied.
c. Guidelines three, coursebooks should take account of students’
needs as learners and should facilitate their learning processes. It
means that coursebooks are not only help the learners to learn, but
it is also add certain learning styles and strategies, and encourage
students motivation.
d. Guidelines Four, coursebooks should have a clear role as a
support for learning like teachers, they mediate between the target
language and the learner.it means that the coursebook should
support the students to achieve the level of proficiency and support
the teachers by provide materials, and also methodology.

Those are some guidelines which is Cunningsworth

mentions to evaluate a coursebook.

4. Types of Material Evaluation

Before the teachers use a coursebook it will be better if they
make an evaluation, during its use and after its use. It depends on
the situations and the purposes for which the evaluation is used.
According to (Cunningsworth 14:1995), there are some types of
material evaluation that the teachers can consider it, that is :
e. Pre – use evaluation is the most difficult kind of evaluation
because there is no actual experience of using the book for teachers
to draw on. In this case the teachers are looking at future or
potential performance of the coursebook.

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f. In – use evaluation is the evaluation that the materials is in use
like when a newly introduced coursebook is being monitored or
assessed which it should be consider for replacement.
g. Post – use evaluation provide retrospective assessment of a
coursebook’s performance and it can be useful for identifying
strengths and weaknesses in a period of continuous use.
In the other hand, material evaluation is also has its
purposes. As we know, the activities of making material evaluation
are many. These activities are used because new coursebook is a
major and frequent reason for evaluation. According to
(Cunningsworth 1995:14) material evaluation is to identify
particular strengths and weaknesses in coursebooks already in use,
so that the optimum use can be made of their strong points by
substituting material from other books.
Coursebook analysis and avaluation is useful in teacher
development and it helps teachers to gain good insights into the
nature of the material. There are also term of evaluation in some
cases when teachers want to evaluate coursebooks in general, that
is, evaluating for potential and for suitability. Evaluation for
potential focus on evaluation without any predetermined use in
mind. However, evaluation for suitability is evaluation which
involves he coursebook against a specific requirement including
the learners’ objectives, learners’ background, the resource
available, etc. (Cunningsworth 1995:15)
5. The Uses of Coursebooks
The roles of coursebooks in learning and teaching process
are very considerably, according to the nature of the partnership
between the teachers and coursebooks. Such a syllabus is set
centrally, coursebook is also approved by official to prescribed for
use. According to (Cunningsworth 1995:10) there are several
disadvantages of the approach in uses coursebook.

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  A possible lack of variety in teaching procedures
 A reduced range of response to individual student needs
and problems.
 A possible lack of spontaneity.
 A sharply reduced level of creativity in teaching technique
and language use.

The balance between the teachers and coursebook are

looked from the teachers ability in select the material. The teachers
should be able to select the material where one bacis coursebook is
supported by a variety of supplementary materials. The approach
which is used such as these situation is also has a number of
advantages, as below (Cunningsworth 1995:10) :

 There is a common framework provided by the coursebook

 Less experienced teachers can use the coursebook as
heavily as they need.
 Using own material.
 There is scope for teachers to develop the alternative
materials.
 More variety of classroom activity and teaching technique
is possible.
 A more flexible response to individual students’ needs is
possible.

When the teachers have selected the coursebook, the using

of coursebook is also influenced by several factors. Teachers
cannot use the coursebook of any kind. There are some factors
which influence the degree of dependence or autonomy in using
coursebooks :

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  Type of educational system or environment.
 Syllabus or material constrains imposed by education
authorities.
 Culture and expectations of learners.
 Nature and amount of training for teachers.
 Teachers’ experience and confidence.
 Teachers’ command of English (non-native speakers)
 Availability of alternative coursebooks and resources for
materials production.

Cousebook is very considerably in their cover. This is the

way how to introduce their content of their coursebook to the
teachers and students. It is better for the teachers to evaluate the
coursebook which is match to the necessity of teaching material
first, not only focus on the outlook of the coursebook, because
coursebook which have the illustration in the cover, and give an
impression of the rich sometimes make the evaluation of the
coursebook become confusing the variety of approaches, content
and methods in ELT materials.

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 REFERENCES

- Cunningsworth, Alan. 1995. Choosing Your Textbook. Oxford : Macmillan

Education
- Hutchinson, Tom and Alan Waters. 1987. English for Spesific Purpose.
Britain : Cambridge University Press
- Sheldon, Leslie .E. Evaluating ELT Textbook and Materials. Oxford. ELT
Journal Vol.42, No.4, 1998
- Macalister, John and I.S.P Nation.2010. Language Curriculum Design.
New York : Routledge
- McDonough, J., & Shaw, C. 2003. Materials and methods in ELT: A
teacher's guide. Wiley-Blackwell
- Halliwell, Susan. 1992. Teaching English in The Primary Classroom.
Longman
(http://www.pearsonlongman.com/young_learners/PDFs/choosing-a-
coursebook.pdf) Retrieved 11-09-2015
- http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-
artslaw/cels/essays/sylabusandmaterials/AWhiteCOURSEBOOKEVALU
ATIONsyllmat.pdf Retrieved 11-09-2015
- Nemati, Azadeh. Evaluation of an ESL English Course Book : A step
towards Systematic Vocabulary EvaluationI.Department of Studies in
Linguistics, University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Journal of Social and
Science Vol.20, No.2, 2009

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