The document provides information about a workshop on textbook selection and evaluation presented by Joshua Durey. It includes biographical information about Joshua, outlines some common considerations and criteria for textbook selection, and provides samples of task analysis sheets and checklists that were discussed in the workshop. The goal of the workshop was to provide a framework and tools for participants to systematically evaluate and select textbooks for their teaching contexts.

1. TESOL Philadelphia
A Framework for
Textbook Selection and
Evaluation
2012
Handout Packet and Workbook

2. Contact:
Your Presenter
Joshua Durey
Joshua Durey Contact
email: josh.durey@gmail.com
Skype: josh-durey
Twitter: JoshuaDurey
LinkedIn: http://kr.linkedin.com/pub/joshua-durey/44/966/a83
Website for TESOL Materials: http://www.wix.com/joshdurey/go
A BIT ABOUT ME:
Hi! I’m glad you chose to come to the workshop on textbook selection and evaluation.
I’ve spent the past few months putting it together and I hope you will take away
something useful.
The idea for this workshop came from a research paper I did for my MA TEFL at
the University of Birmingham. The assignment was to compare a series of textbooks
and to choose one. Pretty broad, right? In order to do that I did a lot of research
on what others have done in the way of textbook selection. What I noticed is that
there have been many checklists and methods designed over the years (I came across
nearly 50). So I sifted through all of these and found what I considered to be the most
manageable to work with. However these were not without their weaknesses, so I
started looking at ways to pick and choose what I needed for my particular situation.
What I came up with, hopefully, is a method that anyone can use regardless of their
teaching situation with little-to-no modification.
I’ve been working in Asia for the past nine years or so. I’ve lived in Japan and China,
but Korea is now my home. I live in a small city about 45 minutes outside of Seoul with
my lovely wife and beautiful daughter (who is nearly 2 years old now!). My interests
include keeping up to date on current events and reading about bilingualism. I also
study Korean when I have the time and enjoy watching movies at home. I am
currently working on my MA Dissertation (I believe this is called a “thesis” in the US),
which looks at the relationship between the TOEIC Speaking and the ACTFL Oral
Proficiency Interview. We plan to move back to the US in the near future, and my goal
is to work for an Intensive English Program in a university. Long term, I plan to pursue
my Doctorate in Second Language Acquisition.
Page 1

3. Common Considerations when choosing a textbook
Notes:
Page 2

4. Discussion 1 notes
1. Which books do you use in your program? Why?
2. What is the process for selecting a new book where you work?
3. Which criteria are essential when choosing a textbook? Which are nice to have, but not
necessary?
Page 3

5. Sheldon's checklist
Page 4

6. Cunningsworth's checklist
Page 5

7. Littlejohn’s checklist
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate
Scripted Response
Not required
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning
Meaning / system relationship
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning
Select Information
Hypothesize
Retrive from LTM
Repeat Identically
Apply General Knowledge
Research
Express own ideas/information
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class
Learners individually simultaneously
Learners in pairs or groups
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Written words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written extended discourse
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written words / phrases / sentences
Written extended discourse
B SOURCE
Materials
Teacher
Learner
C NATURE
Personal Opinion
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Personal Information
Metalinguistic Knowledge
Linguistic items
Page 6

8. Essential Criteria Checklist (Blank)
Page 7

9. Discussion 2: Essential Criteria
Essential
Criteria
Essential
Criteria
1. Are there any “Universal” essential criteria?
2. Which criteria are essential for the books you choose?
Page 8

10. Discussion 3: Task Analysis
Task
Task
Analysis
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate
Scripted Response
Not required
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning
Meaning / system relationship
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning
Select Information
Hypothesize
Retrieve from LTM
Repeat Identically
Apply General Knowledge
Research
Express own ideas/information
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class
Learners individually simultaneously
Learners in pairs or groups
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Written words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written extended discourse
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written words / phrases / sentences
Written extended discourse
B SOURCE
Materials
Teacher
Learner
C NATURE
Personal Opinion
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Personal Information
Metalinguistic Knowledge
Linguistic items
Page 9

11. Littlejohn's descriptors for task analysis
Page 10

12. Page 11

13. Page 12

14. Page 13

15. Essential Criteria Checklist
Page 14

16. Page 15

17. TASK WORK: Step 1
You will conduct task analysis and, based on the
results of that analysis, choose a book for the
following course:
1. EFL course for middle school students
2. Objectives are:
1. To improve reading skills
2. To gain a better understanding of grammar
3. To increase confidence in writing
Choose either “Book 1” or “Book 2.”
Page 16

18. Sample 1
X
X
Page 17

19. Task Analysis Sheet Sample 1 TOTALS
Task Number: 4 5 6 7
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate
Scripted Response
Not required
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning
Meaning / system relationship
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning
Select Information
Hypothesize
Retrive from LTM
Repeat Identically
Apply General Knowledge
Research
Express own ideas/information
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class
Learners individually simultaneously
Learners in pairs or groups
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Written words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written extended discourse
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written words / phrases / sentences
Written extended discourse
B SOURCE
Materials
Teacher
Learner
C NATURE
Personal Opinion
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Personal Information
Metalinguistic Knowledge
Linguistic items
Page 18

20. Sample 2
Page 19

21. Task Analysis Sheet Sample 2 TOTALS
Task Number: 1 2 3 4
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate
Scripted Response
Not required
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning
Meaning / system relationship
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning
Select Information
Hypothesize
Retrive from LTM
Repeat Identically
Apply General Knowledge
Research
Express own ideas/information
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class
Learners individually simultaneously
Learners in pairs or groups
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Written words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written extended discourse
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences
Oral extended discourse
Written words / phrases / sentences
Written extended discourse
B SOURCE
Materials
Teacher
Learner
C NATURE
Personal Opinion
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Personal Information
Metalinguistic Knowledge
Linguistic items
Page 20

22. Task Analysis Sheet Sample 1 TOTALS
Task Number: 4 5 6 7
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate X 25%
Scripted Response X X X 75%
Not required 0
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form) 0%
Meaning X X X X 100%
Meaning / system relationship 0%
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning X X X 75%
Select Information 0%
Hypothesize X 25%
Retrive from LTM X 25%
Repeat Identically 0%
Apply General Knowledge X 25%
Research 0%
Express own ideas/information X 25%
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class X X X 75%
Learners individually simultaneously X 25%
Learners in pairs or groups 0%
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic 0%
Oral words / phrases / sentences 0%
Written words / phrases / sentences X X X X 25%
Oral extended discourse 0%
Written extended discourse 0%
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences X X 50%
Oral extended discourse 0%
Written words / phrases / sentences X X 50%
Written extended discourse 0%
B SOURCE
Materials X X X X 100%
Teacher 0%
Learner 0%
C NATURE
Personal Opinion 0%
Non-Fiction X X 50%
Fiction X X 50%
Personal Information 0%
Metalinguistic Knowledge 0%
Linguistic items 0%
Page 21

23. Task Analysis Sheet Sample 2 TOTALS
Task Number: 1 2 3 4
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate X 25%
Scripted Response X X 50%
Not required X 25%
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning X X X X 100%
Meaning / system relationship 0%
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning X X X 75%
Select Information X X X 75%
Hypothesize X 25%
Retrive from LTM X 25%
Repeat Identically 0%
Apply General Knowledge X 25%
Research 0%
Express own ideas/information X 25%
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class X 25%
Learners individually simultaneously X X X 75%
Learners in pairs or groups 0%
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic 0%
Oral words / phrases / sentences X X 50%
Written words / phrases / sentences X X X 75%
Oral extended discourse 0%
Written extended discourse 0%
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences X X X 75%
Oral extended discourse 0%
Written words / phrases / sentences X 25%
Written extended discourse 0%
B SOURCE
Materials X X X 75%
Teacher 0%
Learner X 25%
C NATURE
Personal Opinion 0%
Non-Fiction X X X X 100%
Fiction 0%
Personal Information 0%
Metalinguistic Knowledge 0%
Linguistic items 0%
Page 22

24. Sample 1 Sample 2
Task Analysis Sheet
TOTALS TOTALS
Task Number:
I WHAT IS THE LEARNER EXPECTED TO DO?
A TURN-TAKE
Initiate 25% 25%
Scripted Response 75% 50%
Not required 0% 25%
B FOCUS ON
Language system (rules or form)
Meaning 100% 100%
Meaning / system relationship 0% 0%
C MENTAL OPERATION
Decode Semantic Meaning 75% 75%
Select Information 50% 75%
Hypothesize 25% 25%
Retrive from LTM 25% 25%
Repeat Identically 0% 0%
Apply General Knowledge 25% 25%
Research 0% 0%
Express own ideas/information 25% 25%
II WHO WITH?
Learner to class 25% 25%
Learners individually simultaneously 75% 75%
Learners in pairs or groups 0% 0%
III WITH WHAT CONTENT?
A FORM
a input to learners
Graphic 0% 0%
Oral words / phrases / sentences 0% 50%
Written words / phrases / sentences 100% 75%
Oral extended discourse 0% 0%
Written extended discourse 0% 0%
b expected output from learners
Oral words / phrases / sentences 50% 75%
Oral extended discourse 0% 0%
Written words / phrases / sentences 50% 25%
Written extended discourse 0% 0%
B SOURCE
Materials 100% 75%
Teacher 0% 0%
Learner 0% 25%
C NATURE
Personal Opinion 0% 0%
Non-Fiction 50% 100%
Fiction 50% 0%
Personal Information 0% 0%
Metalinguistic Knowledge 0% 0%
Linguistic items 0% 0%
Page 23

25. FURTHER READING
• Chambers, F. (1997) Seeking consensus in coursebook evaluation. ELT Journal. 51/1,
29-35.
• Cunningsworth, A. (1995), Choosing Your Coursebook. Oxford: Heinemann.
• Littlejohn, A. “The analysis of language teaching materials: inside the Trojan Horse.” In
Tomlinson, B. (ed.). (1998) Materials Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. pp. 190-216. Available at:
http://www.andrewlittlejohn.net/website/art/arthome.html
• McGrath, I. (2002) Materials Evaluation and design for Language Teaching.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
• Mukundan, J. 2004. A Composite Framework for ESL Textbook Evaluation.
Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang. Available at:
www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/download/3432/2978
• Sheldon, L. (1988) Evaluating ELT textbooks and materials. ELT Journal, 42/4, 237-
246.
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26. TESOL Philadelphia
HTTP://WWW.WIX.COM/JOSHDUREY/GO