Unit 11:Material Evaluation

How to use the textbook

 Learning
Outcomes
 To show advantages and disadvantages of textbooks
 To use a material evaluation checklist to evaluate
materials.
 To explain how to adapt materials for students’ real
life needs and interests.
 Introduction to
English Textbooks
 English textbooks are developed for English
teaching and learning, and commercial purposes.
 For English teaching and learning purposes: they
are mostly well-written, grammatically well-
structured and well-presented form basic to more
complicated structures and vocabulary according
to students’ language fluency skill.
 Introduction to
English Textbooks
For commercial purposes: they are colorful
and attractive with a lot of authentic texts
and real photographs of people, places and
common real life activities of different
peoples and cultures around the world.
 Introduction to
English Textbooks
Although most English textbooks are well-
organized and well-written but they are still
unsatisfied because:
- All teachers and students have different
background, language knowledge, cultures,
learning styles, level of commitment, and
motivations.
 Introduction to
English Textbooks
- English teachers teach differently because
their pedagogical knowledge, teaching
experience, and teaching philosophies are
different.
As a result, different English teachers teach
the same English textbooks differently.
 Advantages
of Textbooks
• Textbooks are especially helpful for beginning
teachers. The material to be covered and the design
of each lesson are carefully spelled out in detail.
• Textbooks provide organized units of work. A
textbook gives you all the plans and lessons you need
to cover a topic in some detail.
• A textbook series provides you with a balanced,
chronological presentation of information.
 Advantages of
Textbooks
• Textbooks are a detailed sequence of teaching
procedures that tell you what to do and when to do
it. There are no surprises—everything is carefully
spelled out.
• Textbooks provide administrators and teachers
with a complete program. The series is typically
based on the latest research and teaching
strategies.
• Good textbooks are excellent teaching aids. They're
a resource for both teachers and students.
 Use Textbooks
Wisely
Weakness Student Difficulty Ways of Overcoming Problem

The textbook is Students only see one Provide students with lots of
designed as a the perspective on a concept information sources such as trade
sole source of or issue. books, CD-ROMS, websites,
information. encyclopedias, etc.

Textbook is old or Information shared with Use textbook sparingly or

outdated. students is not current or supplement with other materials.
relevant.
 Use Textbooks
Wisely
Textbook questions Students assume that Ask higher-level
tend to be low level learning is simply a questions and provide
or fact-based. collection of facts and creative thinking and
figures. problem-solving
activities.
Textbook doesn't Teacher does not tailor Discover what students
take students' lessons to the specific know about a topic
background attributes and prior to teaching.
knowledge into interests of students. Design the lesson based
account. on that knowledge.
 Use Textbooks
Wisely
Reading level of the Students cannot read Use lots of supplemental
textbook is too or understand materials such as library
difficult. important concepts. books, Internet, CD-
ROMs, etc.

The textbook has all Students tend to see Involve students in

the answer to all the learning as an problem-solving
questions. accumulation of activities, higher-level
correct answers. thinking questions, and
extending activities.
 Textbook Adaptation
Richards (2001) suggests several forms of adaptation.
Those include:
1. Modifying content: Content may need to be adjusted
to make it more suitable learners.
2. Adding or deleting content: The book may have too
much or little content in each unit or for the language
programs.
3. Reorganizing content: All or some of the units may
have to be reordered according to what a teacher thinks
is more suitable sequence.
 Textbook Adaptation

4.Addressing omission: The unit may not have things or

activities that a teacher may consider as important for the
students.
5. Modifying tasks: Some practice activities may need to be
changed or adjusted to give a better focus or more
productivity.
6. Extending tasks: The textbook may contain insufficient
practice activities and some of them may need to be added
to enable the students to practice speaking or writing
English more productivity.
 CATALYST Criteria for
Material Evaluation
CATALYST stands for:
 Communicative? Is the book communicative? Will the
students be able to use the language to communicate
as a result of using a book?
 Aims? Does it fit in with your teaching aims and
objectives? With your school’s aims and syllabus?
 Teachable? Does the course seem teachable? Does it
seem reasonably easy to use, well organized, and easy
to find your way around?
 CATALYST Criteria for
Material Evaluation
 Available Add-ons? Add-ons are tapes,
workbooks, teacher’s books, ect. Are they
available locally? Are they expensive?
 Level? Does the level seem about right? Is it too
high or low for your students?
 Your impression? What is your general
impression of the course book?
 CATALYST Criteria for
Material Evaluation
 Students interest? Are your students likely to
find the book interesting?
 Tried and tested? Has the course book been
tried and tested in real class? Where? By
Whom? What were the results? How do you
know?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Practical Considerations
1. Is there a teacher’s book, a cassette, or
CD or DVD, and a workbook?
2. Can the students borrow them in a
school library?
3. Can the students afford them?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Layout and Design
4. Are these activities suitable for our
students?
5. Is there language appropriate for students?
6. Is there real nature English?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
7. Is it easy for the teacher to find
the grammar points?
8. Is there a grammar index?
9. Are there interesting pictures?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Activities
10. Is there enough pair work/ group work?
11. Is there too much class work?
12. Is there an equal amount of controlled and free practice
activities.
13. Can the activities be easily used with mixed ability classes?
14. Are there a variety of techniques and activities like
“interview, questionnaire,” etc.
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Skills
15. Are the skills practical in an integrated way?
16. Is there a balance between all the four
macro- skills?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Vocabulary
17. Is the vocabulary introduced in an appropriate way
with realistic and meaningful contexts?
18. Is the vocabulary reviewed and practiced?
19. Are the lexical sets interesting and useful for
students?
20. Are there enough activities for guessing the
meaning of the words?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Structures and functions
21. Is the target language up to date?
22. Is it realistic English?
23. Is it the correct level?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
24. Are the language functions practical in an
appropriate register?
25. Is the target language constantly reviewed?
26. Is the target language introduced and
practiced in meaningful and interesting
contexts?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Topics
27. Are these subjects suitable for students?
28. Are the topics interesting for students’
needs?
29. Are the topics suitable for young teenagers?
30. Are the characters and the situations
realistic?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Appropriateness
31. Is the book suitable for the students’
needs?
32. Is the level correct? Does the course go at
the right speed?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Guidance
33. Is the teacher’s book easy for untrained teachers to
use?
34. Does the teacher’s book include the student’s
book?
35. Is the teacher’s book easy to self-study with clear
explanation and examples?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
36. Is there a key in the workbook?
37. Is pronunciation systematically practiced in
both recognition and reproduction activities?
38. Do the students get to talk and write about
their own experience?
39. Are there revision unit?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Use
40. Have you tried it in the classroom?
41. Does it work well? Why? Why not?
 Material Evaluation
Checklist
⁕ Syllabus
42. Does the textbook match the policy of the
Ministry of Education, your school curriculum and
international standard.
 Tips for Using
Textbooks
⁕ Use the textbook as a resource for students, but not
the only resource.
⁕ Use a textbook as a guide, not a mandate, for
instruction.
⁕ Be free to modify, change, eliminate, or add to the
material in the textbook.
 Tips for Using
Textbooks
⁕ Supplement the textbook with lots of outside readings.
⁕ Supplement teacher information in the textbook with
teacher resource books; attendance at local, regional, or
national conferences; articles in professional
periodicals; and conversations with experienced
teachers.
 References

• The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer

(Fourth Edition).
• Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (3rd ed). Cambridge
University Press.
• Baker, A. (1981). Ship or Sheep. Cambridge University Press.
• Kelly, G. (2000).How to Teach Pronunciation. Person Education
Limited.
• Killen, R (2003). Effective Teaching Strategies. Lesson from
Research and practice (3rd ed.) Social Science Press.
 References

• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport-CAMSET Project (2000). Pre

service Training Course for Secondary English Teachers. Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport- Effective Training Strategies for
Lower Secondary School Teachers of English in Cambodia (2017).
• Practical Methodology in TESOL by Keo Sophal (2019).
• Techer Knowledge Test (TKT) by Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness and
Melanin Willam (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press.