Adult Coursebooks

survey review
Adult coursebooks
Brian Tomlinson and Hitomi Masuhara
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Introduction In 2001 and 2008 we contributed reviews of adult courses to this
journal (Tomlinson, Dat, Masuhara, and Rubdy 2001; Masuhara,
Hann, Yi, and Tomlinson 2008). In the 2001 review we welcomed,
in particular, an ‘increase in attempts to personalize the learning
process by getting learners to relate topics and texts to their own
lives, views, and feelings’ (2001: 96). We also welcomed an increase
in the use of humour and fun and an increase in the realism of the
audio components of courses. We regretted, though, the increase in
attention given to explicit knowledge of grammar at the expense of
affective and cognitive engagement as well as the scarcity of narrative,
of extensive reading and listening, of intelligent adult content, of
achievable cognitive challenges, of ‘real tasks which have an intended
outcome other than the practice of forms’ (ibid.: 97), and of activities
which made full use of the resources of the learners’ minds. In other
words, we were disturbed by the apparent disregard of the findings of
second language acquisition (SLA) research. We were also disturbed
by what we perceived as an excessive increase in the number of course
components. In the 2008 review, we welcomed a further increase
in attempts to help learners to personalize their language learning
as well as an increase in the ‘reality’ of texts, of ‘global English’, of
intelligent adult content, of cognitive and affective challenge, and of
applications of the findings of corpus studies. However, we regretted
again the scarcity of ‘engaging and extensive reading and listening
texts’ (2008: 310), of ‘real tasks which have an intended outcome other
than the practice of forms’ (ibid.: 310), and of activities stimulating
multidimensional mental responses. We also regretted the continuing
predominance of analytical activities, the neglect of activities catering
for experiential (and especially kinaesthetic) learners, and the even
greater increase in the number of course components. We were
pleased that some acknowledgement had been made of the value
of some research findings, but disappointed that many of the main
findings of SLA research were still being ignored (for discussion of
how the main findings of SLA research can be applied to materials
development, see Harwood 2010; Tomlinson 2011, 2012, 2013a,b;
McDonough, Shaw, and Masuhara 2013).
In 2001, we used a list of 130 criteria, but in 2008 we reduced the list
to 104 criteria, which we considered to best reflect the principles of
ELT Journal Volume 67/2 April 2013; doi:10.1093/elt/cct007 233

© The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.

language acquisition and learning. In this review, we have focused on
the 15 criteria that we think will best predict the long-term effectiveness
of the six coursebooks that publishers submitted to us. We have chosen
these criteria also as they are likely to provide an indication of the
changes that have taken place in course development since 2008 and a
measure of the match between course materials and what we know from
research and observation about how languages are best acquired and
learnt. We have restricted ourselves to 15 criteria so that we can achieve
transparency by reporting our evaluations in detail within the review.
As in 2001 and 2008, we need to start by acknowledging the inevitable

subjectivity of our evaluation. We have attempted to be as systematic

and rigorous as possible in using pre-use evaluation criteria that
have been developed from our experience as learners, teachers,
materials developers, and researchers, and from our understanding
of the findings of current research and theory in classroom research
(Tomlinson 2013b) and SLA (Tomlinson 2013a). However, our criteria
and our use of them ultimately reflect our personal beliefs and
prejudices, and there is no doubt that other reviewers would have come
to different conclusions.
The courses we In this review, we have evaluated the following courses that were
have evaluated submitted by British publishers:
Name of the course Authors Publishers

The Big Picture Goldstein Richmond
global Clandfield/Benne/Jeffries Macmillan Education
English Unlimited Rea/Clementson/Tilbury/ Cambridge University Press
Hendra
New Headway (fourth Soars/Soars Oxford University Press
edition)
Speakout Clare/Wilson Pearson Education
Outcomes Dellar/Walkley Heinle Cengage Learning
The evaluation We agreed on 15 criteria and then one of us used them to evaluate
procedure Unit 5 of the intermediate (i.e. B1) level of each student coursebook.
The other used them to evaluate Unit 10 of the same coursebook.
Whilst evaluating each unit we made comments on the likely
effectiveness of the unit in relation to our criteria and scored
each criterion on a scale of 1 to 3 (with 1 indicating ‘unlikely to be
effective in facilitating long-term acquisition’, 2 indicating ‘likely
to be partially effective in facilitating long-term acquisition’, and 3
indicating ‘likely to be effective in facilitating long-term acquisition’).
We made sure that these two units in each book were representative
of the other units in the book and then we compared our comments
and scores before agreeing on the common response we are
presenting below.
234 Brian Tomlinson and Hitomi Masuhara

We have focused on the student coursebook as this is the only course
component used by many teachers around the world. We also need to
point out that we focused very much on the likely effectiveness of the
courses in relation to what we believe facilitates long-term acquisition
of an L2 (i.e. deep processing from engaged and meaningful interaction
with the target language). If we had focused on short-term learning
from shallow processing of input from linguistic decoding and
encoding (for example from controlled and guided practice activities)
then the scores would have been very different. See Ellis (2008) and
Tomlinson (2013a) for discussion of deep versus shallow processing.
Evaluation of the To what extent is the course likely to …
courses

1 … provide extensive exposure to English in use?
Course Score Comments

The Big Picture 1 Very short texts, none of which seem to be authentic. Some
simulated accents and a few rather contrived attempts to include
such features of authentic spoken discourse as pauses, hesitations,
etc.
English Unlimited 2 Most of the texts are brief and seem to have been designed
to illustrate language teaching points, though there are
acknowledgements to various newspapers for ‘adapted’ articles.
There are attempts to include a variety of accents, for example
Scottish, North American, Indian, and Japanese. The telephone
conversation between customer service and a frustrated customer
in Unit 10 seems quite authentic though.
global 2 There are a number of extended texts that include elements of
authenticity as well as efforts to provide some authentic texts,
for example quotes, extracts from novels, recordings of users of
English as a lingua franca (ELF).
New Headway 1 Most of the exposure is to short texts devised to illustrate language
points (for example the Everyday English section on p. 85 in which
ELF users describe everyday objects using expressions such as ‘It’s
one of those things you …’; ‘It’s long and thin and …’; ‘It’s the stuff
you …’; etc.).
Speakout 1 A lot of short texts with potentially interesting content. However,
all seem to have been designed to illustrate language points. The
audio simulates some features of authentic spoken language, but it
sounds as though actors are reading the scripts.
Outcomes 2 There are some extended texts that simulate authenticity (for
example a passage about ‘What’s on in Buenos Aires?’ on p. 73),
but which also seem to be devised to illustrate teaching points.
However, many of the texts are very short and contrived (for
example the conversations in 5.2 and 5.3 in Unit 5).
Adult coursebooks 235

2 … engage the learners affectively?

The Big Picture 1 There is nothing to amuse, excite, disturb, or stimulate any kind of
affective engagement.
The topic of ‘Insights and innovation’ in Unit 10 is potentially
engaging, but most of the activities involve comprehension checks
and the focus is on explicit learning of language rather than
engagement.
English Unlimited 2 Many mundane topics and mechanical activities with little to excite,
enthuse, or amuse. However, the topics on ‘complaining’ and
‘resolving’ in Unit 10 could be affectively engaging and there are

a few potentially engaging activities (for example the pre-listening
personalized discussion in 1b on p. 82; the simulation of conflict
negotiation in Tasks 4 and 5 on p. 82).
global 2 Some of the texts in Unit 5 might encourage an affective response
(for example ‘I’m a teacher, get me out of here’, p. 59) and there are
some cartoons, which aim to amuse the learners in relation to the
topic of a text. There are also attempts in Unit 10 to provide affectively
engaging texts and activities (for example one or two sentences from
the beginning of novels; guessing and finding out about classmates’
reading habits, p. 115; the origin of birthday conventions, pp. 116–7).
New Headway 1 Some of the topics have potential for affective engagement (for
example Global Warming in Unit 5), but the focus on explicit
language learning and practice makes actual affective engagement
unlikely. For example, the text on p. 78 describes amazing facts about
microprocessors, which are part of everyday goods we rely on (for
example fridge, car, TV control). It could potentially arouse affective
responses, but the activities that precede and follow the texts do not
exploit this potential. The ‘Starter’ asks the learners to underline the
nouns and reflexive pronouns in decontextualized sentences. The next
activity is comprehension questions to be answered after reading the
text. What follows is sentence completion and gap filling practice of
articles.
Speakout 2 Some of the texts in Unit 5 have potentially engaging topics (for
example ‘Do you get angry with your computer?’ on p. 62), but their
short simple sentences are unlikely to actually facilitate engagement.
Being environmentally aware and ethical is one of the main topics
in Unit 10. This is important and worthy but might not be appealing
and relevant to learners who do not belong to the western, urban,
highly educated middle class. Food is another topic, but the unit
assumes the learners are international travellers who are looking
for good places to eat, as does the other topic ‘Do’s and don’t’s’ in
international travel.
Outcomes 1 Little potential in Unit 5 for affective engagement from texts and tasks
that are all related to jobs, except possibly a disgusted reaction to the
text on terrible jobs on p. 40. In Unit 10, the topics relate to people
who live in cities and have an interest in and access to the theatre,
the cinema, art galleries, concert halls, and good restaurants. None of
the texts, though, are likely to stimulate affective responses, even for
people with such a lifestyle.

3 … engage the learners cognitively?

The Big Picture 1 None of the texts or activities in Unit 5 are likely to really challenge
the learners to think analytically, imaginatively, or creatively. Towards
the end of Unit 10, the authors ask cognitively challenging questions
for a pair of learners to think about and discuss (1b and 2 on p. 109).
However, most of the unit is devoted to intensive comprehension
checks and grammar exercises.
English Unlimited 2 There is no need or incentive in Unit 5 to be intelligent. However,
in Unit 10 the learners may find the topics on ‘complaining’ and
‘resolving’ cognitively engaging, as well as such activities as the pre-

listening personalized discussion in 1b on p. 82 and the simulation of
conflict negotiation in Tasks 4 and 5 on p. 82.
global 3 The texts (and some of the activities) aim to get the learners to think
of the issues they present, and not just the language they use to
express them (for example ‘Which statements can you infer are true?’,
p. 55). Also there are attempts to provide purposes, settings, and
targets for the learners to think about in some Speaking and Writing
activities. These activities are more real-life like and cognitively
engaging (for example Writing 1 and 2, p. 121).
New Headway 1 Some of the activities have potential for cognitive engagement (for
example using photos to predict the effects of climate change on
p. 38), but the focus on language learning and practice makes actual
cognitive engagement unlikely. For example, on p. 82, Activity 1 asks
open-ended questions about preferences for what the learners want to
see in airports and stations. Activity 2 asks them to look at a picture
of St. Pancras International Station and invites them to describe
it. These activities seem cognitively engaging. However, the two
following activities request facts and figures that can be scanned from
the text without really having to think about it.
Speakout 1 None of the texts are likely to really stimulate young adults to think.
There is a clear stance on environmental issues and there does not
seem to be any room for questioning or debate that may spark off
cognitive reactions. Most of the activities shift the learners’ attention
to vocabulary and syntax.
Outcomes 1 The learners do not really have to think about any of the texts or
the language used in them. Some of the texts (for example ‘Terrible
jobs …’ on p. 40) could have been used to stimulate thought and
discussion about issues, but they are only used as a basis for
comprehension questions and language work. Some of the activities
have potential for cognitive engagement, but the emphasis is on
practising language rather than on expression of ideas (for example
an activity on disappointments and failed promises on p. 75, which
tells learners to ‘Discuss the questions and explain your answers
using future forms in the past’).

4 … provide an achievable challenge?

The Big Picture 2 Most of the activities are linguistically and cognitively easy with
their main focus being on the mechanical side of language learning.
However, there are some activities in which the learners are invited
to come up with innovative ideas (for example for creative use of
everyday objects in Speaking 1 and 2 on p. 109).
English Unlimited 2 The tasks in Unit 5 seem to be very easy both in relation to the
language required and the cognitive challenge. However, simulation
activities with roles seem to provide an achievable challenge to use
English in 5a and 5b on p. 81, as do Tasks 4 and 5 on p. 82 and Task 6

on p. 84. Learners have been provided with a dialogue as an example,
alternative expressions, and preparation time.
global 2 There are many easy practice activities, but there are some activities
that provide both a linguistic and a cognitive challenge (for example
‘Write a series of rules for a domestic robot in your home’, p. 55).
There are a lot of tedious ‘completing sentences by matching the
beginning and ending’ and gap filling to check comprehension. But
there are also a few linguistically and mentally challenging activities,
for example writing thank-you letters and exchanging them to see the
effect of the letters (Writing 1 and 2 on p. 117).
New Headway 1 So much help is given to the learners that all the tasks seem to
become both linguistically and cognitively easy. The questions tend
to be superficial in a sense that answers can be found in the texts
without really having to think. It feels like many of the activities are like
easy quizzes.
Speakout 1 The questions on the texts seem more concerned with eliciting
target language than challenging the learners, and the production
tasks are made simple by the provision of prescriptions of content,
strategy, and (sometimes) language. Activity 10 on p. 121, rewriting
a short review (80–100 words) on a restaurant in town, sounds like
an achievable challenge, but only after they have practised headings
and linguistic connectors. So the task becomes easy practice. There
is no instruction on what to do with the review, so no outcome. Prior
exercises are intended to make the challenge achievable in terms of
stylistics and linguistic elements, but they may be killing the challenge
and opportunities for noticing.
Outcomes 1 All the tasks are made easy by giving answers to choose from, by
providing help with grammar references, by providing expressions to
use, and by prescribing content (for example Conversation Practice on
p. 71).
5 … help learners to personalize their learning?

The Big Picture 3 There are a lot of questions asking the learners to give their views
or opinions and to relate texts and activities to their own lives
(for example ‘Which of the trends in 1 do you think is the most
important?’, ‘Why?’, ‘Which affects you and your country most?’, p. 54;
‘Discuss what you think is the most interesting/worthwhile/important
invention …’, ‘Why?’, p. 107).

English Unlimited 3 The units start with personal questions (for example ‘Have you ever
done any of these things?’, p. 38) and most of the activities invite the
learners to make connections to their own experience.
global 3 There are many activities that involve the learners relating texts and
topics to their own environment and their own lives (for example ‘Is
there a lot of red tape in your country?, p. 56; for pair work, ‘In your
country, when do people usually …?’, p. 121).
New Headway 2 There are some activities in which the learners are invited to give
their own views and opinions, but there are pages that only ask the
students to learn and practise language items or answer questions
about people unconnected to their lives (for example pp. 44–5). On

p. 82, Activity 1 asks open-ended questions about what the learners
want to see in airports and stations. ‘What do you think?’ on
p. 83 offers personalized questions, such as ‘What’s your favourite
building?’ and ‘What building would you like to knock down?’, but
there is no guidance as to what the learners are supposed to do with
the questions. The rest seem to be mechanical test-like activities that
are difficult to personalize.
Speakout 2 Most of the texts are preceded by tasks inviting personal thoughts
and reflection, but are followed by questions that focus on the content
and language of the texts rather than the learners’ personal responses
to them. Page 119 (on food) starts with foreign food and people
reporting on food cities in the world. Listening, Section 3c, invites the
learners to talk about the cities that are good for food. What happens
if a student has never really travelled the world? Speaking, Section 7a
on p. 120, does have a personalized section on going to restaurants
and cooking, but again it assumes certain experience, cultures, and
values.
Outcomes 3 There are many activities inviting learners to express their views and
opinions (for example ‘Would you ever work for no money?’ on p. 37;
‘Ask each other the questions in Exercise C, but give your own answers
about things that are in your own town’ on p. 70).
6 … help the learners to make discoveries about how English is

typically used?

The Big Picture 2 There are a number of questions asking learners to identify types
of expressions, etc. (for example ‘Underline the expressions used
to introduce the speakers’ opinions’, p. 57). However, the learners
are not asked to articulate any discoveries they have made. The
procedures for vocabulary and grammar sections seem to firstly
provide opportunities for the learners to find features of language
taken from the text through doing exercises. If necessary, they are
instructed to refer to a brief explanation in the box nearby. The course
offers sections for further grammar references and practice separately
in a Grammar Reference section. Such procedures may be called an
attempt to include consciousness raising. The activities, however,
assume right answers; therefore the learners may just focus on finding
the answers. The Key Vocabulary and Grammar Box elements are
prominent, so learners may go there first rather than going through
the discovery activities.

English Unlimited 2 There are a few questions asking learners to make comments
about language use (for example ‘Which ones could you use in
these situations?’, p. 43), but no opportunities for learners to make
discoveries from authentic texts. In Unit 10, learners are invited to
think of other expressions in relation to giving a compliment or to
saying thanks than the ones given (Explore, Section 2, p. 83).
global 2 There are a few activities that invite the learners to make discoveries
for themselves from contrived examples (for example the questions
about phrasal verbs on p. 65; Vocabulary 1 on p. 120).
New Headway 1 There are questions testing what the learners already know (for
example about future forms on p. 39), but none inviting them to make

discoveries for themselves.
Speakout 2 There are a number of consciousness-raising activities requiring the
learners to ‘discover’ predetermined answers (for example the rules
for comparatives and superlatives on p. 57). In introducing reported
speech in Activity 4a on p. 117, there is an attempt to help the learners
to discover the procedures, but a box with Rules follows after that on
the same page.
Outcomes 2 Most of the activities are tests or practice activities, but there are
some activities asking learners to guess from evidence (for example
‘Use the extra information in Sentences 1–10 to guess the meaning of
the words in bold’, p. 36; ‘Decide if the words in the box are positive,
negative, or could be both’).
7 … provide opportunities to use the target language for

communication?

The Big Picture 2 Most of the speaking and writing activities involve answering
questions about texts or practising language items and structures
rather than communicating to achieve non-linguistic outcomes.
There are, however, some slightly more extended (though still
guided) speaking activities (for example a class debate on p. 57)
and one extended writing task in Unit 5 involving posting texts on
a hypothetical discussion board. Many pair-speaking activities are
personalized and localized (for example considering the values of the
products that tackle problems of energy, water, and shelter from the
perspectives of the learners’ countries in 5b on p. 107), but there is
no specification of audience or intended outcomes and therefore no
communication.
English Unlimited 2 The writing and speaking tasks are practice activities in which
learners are told what to say and (often) how to say it (for example
‘Respond using language from 2’, p. 44). Some simulation activities,
however, provide some opportunities to use the target language for
communication (for example 5a, 5b, and 8 on p. 81; Tasks 4 and 5 on
p. 82 and Task 6 on p. 84).
global 2 There are a number of communicative production activities (for
example writing email instructions to somebody who is going to
‘replace you in your workplace for a week’ on p. 65), but many
activities have no specified outcome and others prescribe both
content and expression.

New Headway 1 Nearly all the ‘production’ activities are actually practice activities, as
the learners are told what to say and how to say it.
Speakout 1 There are a lot of guided production activities, but the focus is on
correct output rather than effective outcomes.
Outcomes 1 The production activities focus on practising language just presented
(for example ‘Role-play a conversation. Use at least two “be/get used
to” comments’, p. 41) rather than on communication.
8 … help the learners to develop cultural awareness?1

The Big Picture 1 The illustrations and some of the texts are located in countries
outside the United Kingdom, but there is no attempt to help learners
to develop greater awareness of the cultures of these countries or of
their own country. Some cultural knowledge is transmitted, but there
are no awareness-raising, skills development, or experiential activities,
and no discussion.
English Unlimited 2 Every other unit has an ‘Across cultures’ section in which language
use is compared between languages (for example ‘Saying no’, p. 45).
However, there is no real exploration of the cultural determiners of
these differences. The speakers on the listening CDs use a number
of different varieties of English and they often describe their cultural
experience. However, their anecdotes stay as someone else’s accounts
and are unlikely to lead to reflecting on and questioning the learners’
own cultural experiences, nor to raising awareness of the self and
others. The expressions provided for conflict resolution are all based
on British middle-class expectations. Are they culturally applicable to
other English-speaking cultures?
global 2 There is a text about the legal protection of languages in a number
of countries (p. 63) and a text comparing lunch in India and lunch in
Japan (p. 60), but there is no real attempt to get learners to become
more aware of the cultures of other countries. The speaking activities
in 4a and 4b (p. 116) provide opportunities for the learners to discuss
birthday customs or an important celebration in their countries. One
of the warm-up activities (Warm Up 2, p. 122) prompts the learners
to think of how they would say goodbye to different people. But
apart from that, the unit just provides information from European or
American sources.
New Headway 1 There is no representation of any culture other than British. The audio
recordings feature some rather stereotypical European accents (for
example Italian and German) but there is nothing to raise cultural
awareness.
Speakout 1 There is no representation of any culture other than the British and no
opportunities for the development of cultural awareness.
Outcomes 1 There is no real attempt to get learners to become more aware of the
cultures of other countries. There is a passage on going out in Buenos
Aires (p. 73), but no real opportunities to compare the culture of
Buenos Aires with other cultures, just a language practice activity and
a comparison of night life opportunities.

9 … help the learners to make use of the English environment outside
the classroom?

The Big Picture 1 Little attempt is made to encourage the learners to make use of English
in their actual or virtual environments outside the classroom. Task 6 on
p. 115 suggests the learners write an explanation for the How Stuff Works
website, but there are no instructions on what to do or where to go.
English Unlimited 1 No attempt is made to encourage learners to make use of English in their
actual or virtual environments outside the classroom. Simulation with
roles in conflict resolution may lead to actual use in real life, but the book
does not actually suggest developing such skills outside the classroom.

global 1 No attempt is made to encourage the learners to make use
of English in their actual or virtual environments outside the
classroom. Some writing and speaking activities use likely everyday
situations outside the classroom (for example role-play speaking
between a host family and a student saying goodbye on p. 122;
writing an email to the learner’s brother or sister after moving away
from home, p. 121). The book, however, does not actually suggest
developing such skills outside the classroom.
New Headway 1 No attempt is made to encourage the learners to make use of
English in their actual or virtual environments outside the classroom.
Speakout 1 No attempt is made to encourage the learners to make use of
English in their actual or virtual environments outside the classroom.
Outcomes 1 No attempt is made to encourage the learners to make use
of English in their actual or virtual environments outside the
classroom.
10 … cater for the needs of all the learners?2

The Big Picture 1 The assumption seems to be that all the users of the course have
access to and are interested in the internet, that they are frequent
international travellers, and that they live in cities.
English Unlimited 1 There is an assumption that learners are middle-class, well-
educated, much travelled, urban computer users. For example, the
expressions provided for conflict resolution are all based on British
middle-class expectations. Are they what the learners need in the
contexts in which they will use English?
global 1 All the topics and texts relate to the lives of well-educated, urban,
middle-class westerners.
New Headway 1 There is an assumption that the learners are middle class, urban,
and well educated. Also, there is very little consideration of learning
style preferences.
Speakout 1 There is an assumption that the learners are middle-class, urban,
well-educated users of modern technology. Also, the learners are
assumed to be world travellers, looking for good eating experiences
and being ecologically aware!
Outcomes 1 There is an assumption that the learners are middle class, urban,
cultured, well off, and well educated.

11 … provide the flexibility needed for effective localization?

The Big Picture 2 There are some questions that invite the learners to relate the
reading or listening texts to their own countries (for example
‘Which is the longest bridge or tunnel in your country?’, p. 52;
considering the values of the products that tackle problems of
energy, water, and shelter from the perspectives of the learners’
countries in 5b on p. 107), but most of the activities fix attention
on what is in the texts.
English Unlimited 2 There is little scope for learners to relate texts and tasks to their
own localities. There are some pre-listening activities though,

which ask the learners to remember their own experience (for
example annoying behaviours of other people in 1a on p. 80;
causes of dispute among the neighbours in 1a, p. 82; activity
for A Long Weekend 1, p. 84). The conflict resolution simulation
in Tasks 4 and 5 on p. 82 could easily be localized, but the
coursebook does not suggest how to do so.
global 2 Some of the activities do invite comparisons and connections
with the countries of the learners (for example ‘Is it common for
business people and children to have a packed lunch where you
live?’, p. 60). There is potential for localization in other activities
but it is not explicitly encouraged.
New Headway 1 There is little scope for the learners to relate texts and tasks to
their own localities. ‘What do you think?’ on p. 83 asks ‘What
buildings is your town or capital city famous for?’, ‘When were
they built?’, and ‘Why are they famous?’. But apart from this,
there are few opportunities for localization.
Speakout 1 There is little scope for the learners to relate texts and tasks to
their own localities, and the many exercises that are designed to
help the learners step by step make it difficult for the teacher to
make modifications that encourage localization.
Outcomes 2 There are a few activities that invite the learners to relate topics
to their own countries (for example ‘Are there any rules in your
country that people often break?’ on p. 39; ‘How do you think the
nightlife in your city/town compares to Buenos Aires?’ on p. 72).
12 … help the learners to continue to learn English after the course?

The Big Picture 1 No attempt is made to develop the skills, resources, or
enthusiasms that would help the learners to continue to learn
English after their course, and there is not much encouragement
for autonomy during the course.
English Unlimited 2 Little attempt is made to develop the skills, resources, or
enthusiasms that would help learners to continue to learn English
after their course. Some real-life skills and strategies may be
acquired through some of the activities, but the coursebook does
not make explicit use of autonomy outside the class or in the
future. The e-portfolio in the DVD-ROM is supposed to encourage
self-study and autonomy, but it is not clearly linked to the Student
Book.

global 1 No attempt is made to develop the skills, resources, or
English after their course. The course does advertise ‘interactive
digital components for use in class, out of class and even on
the move’ (blurb) but the Student Book does not mention such
resources.
New Headway 1 No attempt is made to develop the skills, resources, or
English after their course.
Speakout 2 Little attempt is made to develop the skills, resources, or

English after their course. Watching a BBC programme on DVD
about endangered polar bears and working on a presentation on
endangered places may have some real-life implications outside
and after the course, but the connections are not made explicit.
Outcomes 1 Despite claiming in the blurb that ‘Natural, real-world grammar
and vocabulary help students to succeed in social, professional
and academic settings’, little attempt is made to develop the
skills, resources, or enthusiasms that would help the learners to
continue to learn English after their course.
13 … help learners to use ELF?

The Big Picture 2 The focus in Unit 5 is exclusively on British English (for example
the spoken texts are all interactions between native speakers).
However, there are some attempts to include foreign accents in the
listening materials in Unit 10. The photos of foreign people make
them seem like exotic beings rather than, possibly, ELF users.
English Unlimited 2 There are some interactions between non-native speakers, but all
the ‘characters’ seem to speak and write with the same educated,
English, middle-class, native-speaker voices, although there are
acknowledgements to non-native speakers who took part in ‘the
authentic recording sessions’.
global 1 Many countries are referred to, but the emphasis is on native-
speaker English. There are some L2 students’ photos and their
authentic recordings, but their countries are Spain, France, the
United States, and Switzerland. The novels on p. 114 are all
English or American. Where are the great novels in English from
world literature? Is this book really ‘global’?
New Headway 1 The focus is on British English (for example most of the spoken
texts are interactions between native speakers). However, the
audio recordings do feature some rather stereotypical European
accents (for example Italian and German). Native speakers appear
in roles that help these users of English.
Speakout 1 The focus is exclusively on British English (for example the
spoken texts are all interactions between native speakers) and
the perspectives and values are based on educated, middle-class
British norms.
Outcomes 1 The focus is exclusively on British English (for example the spoken
texts are interactions between native speakers) and the language
‘taught’ is contemporary British, middle-class, standard English.

14 … help learners to become effective communicators in English?

The Big Picture 1 The focus is on accuracy of reception and of production rather than
on helping learners to use English to achieve effective outcomes.
The activities focus on outputs, not outcomes, and there are no
opportunities to raise awareness or discuss effects, repairs, or
strategies in communication.
English Unlimited 2 Most of the activities focus on accuracy, but some of those in
the ‘Across cultures’ sections focus on appropriacy and effect.
The simulation activities with roles may help learners to become
effective communicators in English (for example 5a, 5b, and 8 on

p. 81; Tasks 4 and 5 on p. 82; Task 6 on p. 84), and Task 5 on p. 82
asks about the outcome of the negotiation.
global 2 Some of the activities do focus on appropriacy and effectiveness (for
example the bureaucracy role plays on p. 57), but the main focus is
on accuracy of expression. However, Writing 1 and 2 on
p. 117 involve exchanging letters and seeing the effect on the
readers. But it does not go any further in terms of discussing how
to make the letters more effective. There is a similar exchange and
feedback activity in Writing 2 on p. 121, but the questions are all
about organization, appropriacy, and use of good expressions,
rather than on communicative effect.
New Headway 1 The focus is on accuracy of reception and of production rather than
on helping learners to use English to achieve effective outcomes.
Speakout 1 All the production activities are guided and the focus is on accuracy
of expression rather than effectiveness of communication. There is
no consideration of outcomes, just practice of output.
Outcomes 2 The focus of the production activities is on accuracy of expression
rather than effectiveness of communication, but there are some
attempts to help learners achieve communicative effectiveness (for
example ‘Developing conversations’ on p. 37 and p. 72).
15 … achieve its stated objectives?

The Big Picture 1 The claims stress such words as ‘authentic’, ‘real-life contexts’,
‘fun’, and ‘stimulate’ and yet we found little that was authentic, real,
fun, or stimulating.
English Unlimited 2 We cannot find very much evidence of the ‘purposeful, real-life
objectives’, ‘the natural English of international speakers’ (apart
from exposure to some differing varieties of English), the inspiring
topics, the real-world communication, or the flexibility claimed in
the blurb. Nor can we see how the book prepares ‘learners to use
English independently for global communication’.
global 2 The book does help learners ‘to learn about English as an
international language’ and ‘to learn through using information-rich
…texts’, but we cannot see how it enables learners to ‘learn English
as it is used in our globalised world’.
New Headway 1 The course certainly provides ‘in-depth treatment of grammar’ but not
‘a perfectly balanced syllabus’ nor ‘integrated skills throughout’. And
we do not agree that it ‘challenges students to make real progress’.

Speakout 1 We cannot see much evidence of the course ‘using authentic
materials’, meeting the ‘diverse needs of learners in a variety of
teaching situations’, of ‘bridging the gap between the classroom
and the real world’, or of providing ‘meaningful speaking and
writing tasks’ (though, to be fair, we only reviewed the coursebook
and not the video podcasts).
Outcomes 1 Outcomes does not make outlandish claims, but we have doubts
about its claims for ‘natural real-world grammar and vocabulary’, ‘CEF
goals’ as ‘the focus of communication activities’, and ‘clear outcomes
in every lesson …’ providing ‘students with a sense of achievement’.

Averages ■■ The Big Picture (1.2 = unlikely to be effective in facilitating long-term
acquisition).
■■ English Unlimited (2.1 = likely to be partially effective in facilitating
long-term acquisition).
■■ global (1.9 = likely to be partially effective in facilitating long-term
acquisition).
■■ New Headway (1.1 = very unlikely to be effective in facilitating long-
term acquisition).
■■ Speakout (1.3 = unlikely to be effective in facilitating long-term
acquisition).
■■ Outcomes (1.4 = unlikely to be very effective in facilitating long-term
acquisition).
Summary With the exception of some of the results for global and English
Unlimited and all the results for the criterion of personalization, the
results are disappointing in relation to our criteria (but of course could
be very positive in relation to other people’s criteria). This is mainly
because the courses seem to give priority to criteria that are more
connected to face validity, to the achievement of instant ‘progress’, and
to preparation for examinations than to helping learners towards the
eventual achievement of communicative competence. Given the cost
of developing a course, this is inevitable. Why should publishers risk
prioritizing criteria that might be endorsed by SLA research and theory,
but which could lead to the development of a course that looks too
radically different to be profitable? One answer could be that there is
evidence that most teachers are still compelled to use coursebooks, but
are dissatisfied with the ones they use. A British Council survey (2008)
revealed that 65 per cent of the teachers they polled frequently used
a coursebook and that only 6 per cent never did. A survey conducted
at IATEFL, MICELT, and University of Hue conferences showed that
92 per cent of the respondents used a coursebook regularly (mainly
because they were required to), but that 78 per cent of them were
negative about the materials available to them (Tomlinson 2010).
We have done unpublished research for publishers that revealed that what
the majority of teachers and learners want most from coursebooks are
longer and more engaging texts. We have also done a survey of materials
used for teaching EFL in the United Kingdom (Tomlinson and Masuhara

2008), which showed that teachers were complaining about their
coursebooks because ‘there are too many dry and dull texts’, the ‘texts and
activities are not preparing students for real-life situations’, ‘the texts and
activities do not engage the interest of foreign students’, and ‘the formats
are repetitive’. These complaints were echoed in Tomlinson (2010) by
teachers in a survey conducted in Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and
Vietnam who criticized their coursebooks for being ‘not locally relevant’,
not ‘varied’ enough, not ‘authentic’ enough, and ‘boring’. On a recent visit
to observe classes in Turkish high schools, it was noticeable that students
in the 12 classes observed were eager and interactive when doing localized
and personalized communication activities designed by their teachers, but
much less so when doing activities from a global coursebook.

It could after all be worth a publisher risking the development of a
course that prioritizes affective and cognitive engagement, scope for
localization, and authentic communication.
General features Personalization

of the courses There is a high level of personalization in all the courses reviewed.
reviewed Learners are invited to think and talk about their own experiences and
Positive features to think, talk, and write about their views, opinions, and responses. This
connecting of new language experience to the minds of the learners is
likely to facilitate language acquisition and development.
Discovery
Most of the courses deviate slightly from their presentation, practice,
production (PPP) approach to encourage learners to discover things for
themselves about how English is used. However, most such activities
are restricted to helping learners to ‘discover’ predetermined correct
answers rather than the open-ended exploration of language use we
would personally welcome.
Communicative effect
The main focus of all the courses is still on linguistic accuracy, but
it is encouraging to see some courses (i.e. English Unlimited, global,
and Outcomes) giving attention also to helping their learners achieve
appropriacy and effectiveness of communication.
Use of illustrations
Although none of our criteria focused on the use of illustrations, we
did notice that most courses used engaging illustrations (usually colour
photographs) as texts to trigger activities rather than just as decorations
to appeal to the eyes.
Negative features Unfortunately, many of the negative features we reported in 2001 and
2008 are still conspicuous. In our view, there is still too much attention
given to explicit knowledge of grammar at the expense of affective
and cognitive engagement, not enough activities for the experientially
and kinaesthetically inclined, not enough use of narrative, not enough
extensive reading and listening, not enough challenging content or
tasks, and hardly any real tasks that have an intended outcome other
than the practice of language. Also, there is very little use made of

humour or fun now compared to 2001 and 2008, there is even less
use made of literature, there are even more and more expensive course
components, and there seems to be an assumption that all the learners
are aspirational, urban, middle-class, well-educated, westernized
computer users (see Gray op.cit. for a critique of such assumptions).
For a different evaluation of current global coursebooks against
criteria based also on commonly agreed findings of SLA research and
classroom research, see Tomlinson (2013a).
Conclusion Our criterion-referenced prediction is that most of the courses we
have reviewed, whilst being very appealing to the eye and to those
users favouring discrete focus on and practice of language items,

are unlikely to be very effective in facilitating language acquisition
and development. Of course, our predictions could be wrong and we
would be delighted if systematic post-use evaluations of the courses
demonstrated both their short-term and long-term effectiveness. Such
evaluations would be demanding and expensive but would go a long
way to informing us about what learners really need in order to become
effective communicators in a second or foreign language.
Notes Tomlinson, B. 2011. ‘Introduction: principles

1 For a discussion of ways of using language and procedures of materials development’ in
learning materials to help learners to develop B. Tomlinson (ed.). Materials Development in
intercultural competence, see Byram and Language Teaching (second edition). Cambridge:
Masuhara (2013). Cambridge University Press.
2 For a critique of the way that global coursebooks Tomlinson, B. 2012. ‘Materials development
tend to promote a materialistic, urban, for language learning and teaching’. Language
aspirational lifestyle, see Gray (2010). Teaching: Surveys and Studies 45/2: 143–79.
Tomlinson, B. (ed.). 2013. Applied Linguistics and
Materials Development. London: Bloomsbury.
References Tomlinson, B. 2013a. ‘Second language acquisition’
British Council. 2008. Teaching English: in B. Tomlinson (ed.).
Coursebooks. London: British Council. Tomlinson, B. 2013b. ‘Classroom research’ in
Byram, M. and H. Masuhara. 2013. ‘Intercultural B. Tomlinson (ed.).
competence’ in B. Tomlinson (ed.). Tomlinson, B., B. Dat, H. Masuhara, and R. Rubdy.
Ellis, R. 2008. The Study of Second Language 2001. ‘ELT courses for adults’. ELT Journal 55/1:
Acquisition (second edition). Oxford: Oxford 80–101.
University Press. Tomlinson, B. and H. Masuhara. 2008. ‘Materials
Gray, J. 2010. The Construction of English: Culture, in the UK’ in B. Tomlinson (ed.). English Language
Consumerism and Promotion in the ELT Global Learning Materials. London: Continuum.
Coursebook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Harwood, N. (ed.). 2010. English Language The reviewers
Teaching Materials: Theory and Practice. Brian Tomlinson is a Visiting Professor at Leeds
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Metropolitan University and a TESOL Professor at
Masuhara, H., N. Hann, Y. Yi, and B. Tomlinson. Anaheim University. He has worked as a teacher,
2008. ‘Adult EFL courses’. ELT Journal 62/3: teacher trainer, curriculum developer, university
294–312. academic, and football coach in Indonesia, Japan,
McDonough, J., C. Shaw, and H. Masuhara. 2013. Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, the United Kingdom,
Materials and Methods in ELT: A Teacher’s Guide Vanuatu, and Zambia and has given presentations
(third edition). New York, NY: Wiley. in 60 countries. He is Founder and President of
Tomlinson, B. 2010. ‘What do teachers think about MATSDA (the Materials Development Association),
EFL coursebooks?’ Modern English Teacher 19/4: 5–9. he has been involved in 12 coursebooks, and he

has many other publications (for example he has in Japan, Oman, Singapore, and the United
just completed Applied Linguistics and Materials Kingdom and has presented at conferences all
Development for Bloomsbury and Blended Learning over the world. Her publications include many
in ELT: Course Design and Implementation (with journal articles, book chapters, and books (for
Claire Whittaker) for the British Council). example Materials and Methods in ELT with Jo
Email: brianjohntomlinson@gmail.com McDonough and Christopher Shaw; Research for
Materials Development in Language Learning and
Hitomi Masuhara is Deputy Director of the MA Developing Language Course Materials both with
in TESOL and the MA in Applied Linguistics Brian Tomlinson). She has also been involved in
at the University of Liverpool and Secretary of the writing of eight coursebooks.
MATSDA. She has worked at other universities Email: hitomi.masuhara@gmail.com

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