Some critical points on ELT textbook choice

3. METHODS IN HISTORY Based on Brown, 2001

4. METHODS IN HISTORY Based on Brown, 2001
Search for methods Edward Anthony
Approach
Method
Technique

5. Methods in history Based on Brown, 2001
Grammar
Translation
Method
Series Method
Direct Method Audiolingual
The
Method (ALM) “Designer”
Methods
1.- Community Language Learning (CLL)
2.- Suggestopedia
3.- The Silent Way
4.- Total Physical Response (TPR)
5.- The Natural Approach

6. 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

7. 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT – BRIAN TOMLINSON
field of academic study practical
principles
undertaking
procedures
•Design •Production
Language
•Writing •Evaluation
•Implementation
Teaching •Adaptation
•Evaluation Materials •Delivery
Taken from Tomlinson in Carter and Nunan, (2005) The Cambridge Guide to TESOL CUP

8. FORM
In print
Live performance/
display
FORMAT
Cassette / CD
CD ROM
DVD
Internet
Instructional information
Experiential exposure
Elicitative stimulus
Exploratory discoveries

9. Materials development – Brian Tomlinson
Professional
Professional development
development
monitored experience of the Understanding
process of developing and application
materials of theories
Taken from Tomlinson in Carter and Nunan, (2005) The Cambridge Guide to TESOL CUP

11. Materials development – Brian Tomlinson
Do learners need a
coursebook?
most convenient form
Superficial and reductionist in:
consistency continuation
Coverage
sense of system
Experience
cohesion and progress
Imposes uniformity
helps Ts to prepare
Removes Ts power and initiative
helps Ss to revise
Taken from Tomlinson in Carter and Nunan, (2005) The Cambridge Guide to TESOL CUP

12. What do teachers believe
about textbook use and
textbook choice?
What sources
feed teachers’
beliefs on these
questions?

13. Model for Promotional
Activity in the Laboratory
promoters
Pharmaceutical Visitador influence
Industry médico professionals
Pharmacy Physician
Patient By prescribing
medicines,
By believeing in
prescriptions, patie professionals
nts buy as directed. influence purchase
decisions

14. Model for Promotional
Activity in the ELT
Fill in the
Publishing Industry
Publisher blanks…
Bookshop Teacher
Parent
Fill in the Fill in the
blanks… blanks…

15. Penny Ur
Importance Criterion
Objectives explicitly laid out in an introduction, and implemented in the material.
Approach educationally and socially acceptable to target community
Clear attractive layout; print easy to read.
Appropriate visual materials available
Interesting topics and tasks.
Varied topics and tasks, so as to provide for different learner levels, learning
styles, interests, etc.
Clear instructions
Systematic coverage of syllabus
Content clearly organized and graded (sequenced by difficulty).
Periodic review and test sections
Plenty of authentic language
Good pronunciation explanation and practice
Good vocabulary explanation and practice
Good grammar presentation and practice
Fluency practice in all four skills.
Encourages learners to develop own learning strategies and to become
independent in their learning
Adequate guidance for the teacher; not too heavy preparation load.
Audio cassettes/CDs
Readily available locally.
Ur, Penny (1991). A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. Pages 185 - 186

16. Penny Ur
Importance Criterion
Very important 
Fairly important 
Objectives explicitly laid out in an
Not sure ? introduction, and implemented in
the material.
Not important X
Totally
unimportant XX
Ur, Penny (1991). A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. Pages 185 - 18

17. Jeremy Harmer Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Essex, Addison Wesley Longman. Pages 1187 – 119
Area Questions to consider
How expensive is the textbook? Can the students afford it? Will they have to buy an
1 price accompanying workbook? Can they afford both? What about the teacher; can he or she pay
for the teacher's book and tapes?
Is the course available? Are all its components (students' book, teacher's book, workbook
2 availability etc.) in the shops now? What about the next level (for the next term/semester)? Has it been
published? Is it available? What about tapes, videos etc.?
Is the book attractive? Does the teacher feel comfortable with it?
3 layout and Do the students like it? How user-friendly is the design? Does it get in the way of
design what the book is trying to do or does it enhance it?
What kind of teaching and learning does the book promote? Can teachers and students build
4 methodology appropriate ESA sequences from it? Is there a good balance between Study and Activation?
Does the book cover the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) adequately? Is
there a decent balance between the skills? Are there opportunities for both Study and
5 skills Activation in the skills work? Is the language of the reading and listening texts appropriate?
Are the speaking and writing tasks likely to Engage the students' interest?
Is the syllabus of the book appropriate for your students? Does it cover the language points
6 syllabus you would expect? Are they in the right order? Do the reading and listening texts increase in
difficulty as the book progresses?
Does the book contain a variety of topics? Are they likely to engage the students' interest?
7 topic Does the teacher respond to them well? Are they culturally appropriate for the students? Are
they too adult or too childish?
Does the book represent people and situations in a fair and equal way? Are various
8 stereotyping categories of people treated equally? Is there stereotyping of certain nationalities? Does the
book display conscious or unconscious racism or sexism?
Is there a good teacher's guide? Is it easy to use? Does it have all the answers the teacher
9 teacher's might need? Does it offer alternatives to lesson procedures? Does it contain a statement of
guide intention which the teacher and students feel happy with?

18. Jeremy Harmer
Area
1 price
2 availability 1. Analysis
3 layout and
design
2. Piloting
4 methodology 3. Consultation
5 skills
4. Gathering opinions
6 syllabus
7 topic
8 stereotyping
9 teacher's
guide
Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Essex, Addison Wesley Longman. Pages 1187 – 119

19. Douglas H. Brown Brown, Douglas H. (2001) Teaching by Principles. New York. Addison Wesley Longman. Page 142
Table 9.2. Textbook evaluation criteria (adapted from Robinett 1978: 249-51)
1. Goals of the course (Will this textbook help to accomplish your course goals?)
2. Background of the students (Does the book fit the students' background?)
a. age c. educational background
b. native language and culture d. motivation or purpose for learning English
3. Approach (Does the theoretical approach reflected in the book reflect a philosophy that you
and your institution and your students can easily identify with?)
a. theory of learning
b. theory of language
4. Language skills (Does the book intégrate the "four skills"? Is there a balanced approach toward
the skills? Does the textbook emphasize skills which the curriculum also emphasizes?)
a. listening c. reading
b. speaking d. writing
5. General content (Does the book reflect what is now known about language and language learning?)
a. validity—does the textbook accomplish what it purports to?
b. authenticity of language
c. appropriateness and currency of topics, situations, and contexts
d. proficiency level—is it pitched for the right level?
6. Quality of practice material
a. exercises—is there a variety from controlled to free?
b. clarity of directions—are they clear to both students and teacher?
c. active participation of students—is this encouraged effectively?
d. grammatical and other linguistic explanation—inductive or deductive?
e. review material—are there sufficient spiraling and review exercises?
7. Sequencing (How is the book sequenced?)
a. by grammatical structures c. by situations
b. by skills d. by some combination of the above
8. Vocabulary (Does the book pay sufficient attention to words and word study?)
a. relevance c. strategies for word analysis
b. frequency
9. General sociolinguistic factors
a. variety of English—American, British, dialects, or international varieties
b. cultural content—is there a cultural bias?
10. Format (Is the book attractive, usable, and durable?)
a. clarity of typesetting
b. use of special notation (phonetic symbols, stress/intonation marking, etc.)
c. quality and clarity of illustrations
d. general layout—is it comfortable and not too "busy"?
e. size of the book and binding
f. quality of editing
g. Index, table of contents, chapter headings
11. Accompanying materials (Are there useful supplementary materials?)
a. workbook c. posters, flash cards, etc.
b. tapes—audio and/or video d. a set of tests
12. Teacher's guide (Is it useful?)
a. methodological guidance c. suitability for nonnative speaking teacher
b. alternative and supplementary d. answer keys
exercises

20. Douglas H. Brown Brown, Douglas H. (2001) Teaching by Principles. New York. Addison Wesley Longman. Page 142
Table 9.2. Textbook evaluation criteria (adapted from Robinett 1978: 249-51)
1. Goals of the course (Will this textbook help to accomplish your course goals?)
2. Background of the students (Does the book fit the students' background?)
a. age c. educational background
b. native language and culture d. motivation or purpose for learning English
3. Approach (Does the theoretical approach reflected in the book reflect a philosophy that you
and your institution and your students can easily identify with?)
a. theory of learning
b. theory of language
4. Language skills (Does the book integrate the "four skills"? Is there a balanced approach toward
the skills? Does the textbook emphasize skills which the curriculum also emphasizes?)
a. listening c. reading
b. speaking d. writing
5. General content (Does the book reflect what is now known about language and language
learning?)
a. validity—does the textbook accomplish what it purports to?
b. authenticity of language
c. appropriateness and currency of topics, situations, and contexts
d. proficiency level—is it pitched for the right level?
6. Quality of practice material
a. exercises—is there a variety from controlled to free?
b. clarity of directions—are they clear to both students and teacher?
c. active participation of students—is this encouraged effectively?
d. grammatical and other linguistic explanation—inductive or deductive?
e. review material—are there sufficient spiraling and review exercises?

21. Douglas H. Brown Brown, Douglas H. (2001) Teaching by Principles. New York. Addison Wesley Longman. Page 142
Table 9.2. Textbook evaluation criteria (adapted from Robinett 1978: 249-51)
7. Sequencing (How is the book sequenced?)
a. by grammatical structures c. by situations
b. by skills d. by some combination of the above
8. Vocabulary (Does the book pay sufficient attention to words and word study?)
a. relevance c. strategies for word analysis
b. frequency
9. General sociolinguistic factors
a. variety of English—American, British, dialects, or international varieties
b. cultural content—is there a cultural bias?
10. Format (Is the book attractive, usable, and durable?)
a. clarity of typesetting
b. use of special notation (phonetic symbols, stress/intonation marking, etc.)
c. quality and clarity of illustrations
d. general layout—is it comfortable and not too "busy"?
e. size of the book and binding
f. quality of editing
g. Index, table of contents, chapter headings
11. Accompanying materials (Are there useful supplementary materials?)
a. workbook c. posters, flash cards, etc.
b. tapes—audio and/or video d. a set of tests
12. Teacher's guide (Is it useful?)
a. methodological guidance c. suitability for nonnative speaking teacher
b. alternative and supplementary d. answer keys
exercises

22. Alan Cunningsworth Cunningsworth, A. (1995) Choosing your coursebook. Oxford. Heinemann.
1.- Approaches to evaluation
Impressionistic overview v/s In - depth evaluation
“Selecting coursebooks involves matching the material against the context
in which it is going to be used”
2.- Deciding on a checklist

23. Alan Cunningsworth Cunningsworth, A. (1995) Choosing your coursebook. Oxford. Heinemann.
Aims and approaches
- Do the aims of the coursebook correspond closely with the aims of the teaching programme and with the
needs of the learners?
- Is the coursebook suited to the learning/teaching situation?
- How comprehensive is the coursebook? Does it cover most or all of what is needed? Is it a good resource for
students and teachers?
- Is the coursebook flexible? Does it allow different teaching and learning styles?nization
- What components make up the total course package (eg students' books, teachers' books, workbooks,
cassettes, etc)?
- How is the content organized (eg according to structures, functions, topics, skills, etc)? Is the organization right
for learners and teachers?
- How is the content sequenced (eg on the basis of complexity, 'learnability', usefulness, etc)?
- Is the grading and progression suitable for the learners? Does it allow them to complete the work needed to
meet any external syllabus requirements?
- Is there adequate recycling and revision?
- Are there reference sections for grammar, etc? Is some of the material suitable for individual study?
- Is it easy to find your way around the coursebook? Is the layout clear?ntent
- Does the coursebook cover the main grammar items appropriate to each level, taking learners' needs into
account?
- Is material for vocabulary teaching adequate in terms of quantity and range of vocabulary, emphasis placed on
vocabulary development, strategies for individual learning?
- Does the coursebook include material for pronunciation work? If so what is covered: individual sounds, word
stress, sentence stress, intonation?
- Does the coursebook deal with the structuring and conventions of language use above sentence level, eg how
to take part in conversations, how to structure a piece of extended writing, how to identify the main points in a
reading passage? (More relevant at intermediate and advanced levels.)

24. Alan Cunningsworth Cunningsworth, A. (1995) Choosing your coursebook. Oxford. Heinemann.
- Are all four skills adequately covered, bearing in mind your course aims and syllabus requirements?
- Is there material for integrated skills work?
-Are reading passages and associated activities suitable for your students' levels, interests, etc? Is there sufficient
reading material?
- Is listening material well recorded, as authentic as possible, accompanied by background information, questions and
activities which help comprehension?
- Is material for spoken English (dialogues, roleplays, etc) well designed to equip learners for real-life interactions?
- Are writing activities suitable in terms of amount of guidance/control, degree of accuracy, organization of longer pieces
of writing (eg paragraphing) and use of appropriate styles?
- Is there sufficient material of genuine interest to learners?
- Is there enough variety and range of topic?
- Will the topics help expand students' awareness and enrich their experience?
- Are the topics sophisticated enough in content, yet within the learners' language level?
- Will your students be able to relate to the social and cultural contexts presented in the coursebook?
- Are women portrayed and represented equally with men?
- Are other groups represented, with reference to ethnic origin, occupation, disability, etc?
- What approach/approaches to language learning are taken by the coursebook? Is this appropriate to the
learning/teaching situation?
- What level of active learner involvement can be expected? Does this match your students' learning styles and
expectations?
- What techniques are used for presenting/practising new language items? Are they suitable for your learners?
- How are the different skills taught?
- How are communicative abilities developed?
- Does the material include any advice/help to students on study skills and learning strategies?
- Are students expected to take a degree of responsibility for their own learning (eg by setting their own individual
learning targets)?

25. Alan Cunningsworth Cunningsworth, A. (1995) Choosing your coursebook. Oxford. Heinemann.
Teachers' books
- Is there adequate guidance for the teachers who will be using the coursebook and its supporting
materials?
- Are the teachers' books comprehensive and supportive?
- Do they adequately cover teaching techniques, language items such as grammar rules and culture-
specific information?
- Do the writers set out and justify the basic premises and principles underlying the material?
- Are keys to exercises given?
Practical Considerations
- What does the whole package cost? Does this represent good value for money?
- Are the books strong and long-lasting? Are they attractive in appearance?
- Are they easy to obtain? Can further supplies be obtained at short notice?
- Do any parts of the package require particular equipment, such as a language laboratory, listening centre
or video player? If so, do you have the equipment available for use and is it reliable?

26. Harmer Brown Cunningsworth
1. Price 1. Goals 1. Aims and approaches
2. Availability 2. Background of the students2. Design and organization
3. Layout and design 3. Approach 3. Language content
4. Methodology 4. Language skills 4. Skills
5. Skills 5. General content 5. Topic
6. Syllabus 6. Quality of practice material 6. Methodology
7. Topic 7. Sequencing 7. Teacher’s book
8. Stereotyping 8. Vocabulary 8. Practical considerations
9. Teacher’s guide 9. General sociolinguistic factors
10. Format
11. Accompanying material
12. Teacher’s guide

27. Penny Ur
Importance Criterion
Objectives explicitly laid out in an introduction, and implemented in the
material.

Approach educationally and socially acceptable to target community 
Clear attractive layout; print easy to read. 
Appropriate visual materials available 
Interesting topics and tasks. 
Varied topics and tasks, so as to provide for different learner levels, learning 
styles, interests, etc.
Clear instructions 
Systematic coverage of syllabus 
Content clearly organized and graded (sequenced by difficulty). 
Periodic review and test sections 
Plenty of authentic language x
Good pronunciation explanation and practice ?
Good vocabulary explanation and practice 
Good grammar presentation and practice 
Fluency practice in all four skills. 
Encourages learners to develop own learning strategies and to become 
independent in their learning
Adequate guidance for the teacher; not too heavy preparation load. 
Audio cassettes/CDs 
Readily available locally. 

28. Textbook choice: criteria
Intrinsic factors
Status
 Performance
 Description
Continuity
 Length
 Progression
 Transition
Articulation
 Achievement
 Appropriateness
 Coherence

29. Textbook choice: criteria
Intrinsic factors
Status
 Performance
IV
 Description III
II
I
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Beginner Elementary Pre – Int. Intermediate Upper – Int. Advanced

30. Textbook choice: criteria
Intrinsic factors
Status
 Performance
IV
 Description III
Continuity II
Length
I

8
 Progression 7
 Transition 6
5
4
3
2
1
Beginner Elementary Pre – Int. Intermediate Upper – Int. Advanced

31. Textbook choice: criteria
Intrinsic factors
Status
 Performance
2013 2014 20135 2016 2017 2018
 Description 1
Continuity 2
Length
3

4
 Progression 5
 Transition 6
7
Articulation 8
 Achievement I
 Appropriateness II
 Coherence III
IV

32. Intrinsic factors
Status IV
 Performance III
II
 Description 8
I
Continuity 7
6
5
Length
4
 3
2
 Progression 1
Beginner Elementary Pre – Int. Intermediate Upper – Int. Advanced
 Transition 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
1
Articulation 2
3
Achievement
4
 5
6
 Appropriateness 7
8
 Coherence I
II
III
IV