McClure Textbook Evaluation

Running head: ESL TEXTBOOK EVALUATION

ESL Textbook Evaluation Stephen McClure LING 583 Curriculum and Materials Design for TESOL Professor Xuehua Xiang University of Illinois at Chicago April 12, 2012

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ESL TEXTBOOK EVALUATION

2 Introduction

This paper is organized as follows. First, I describe the analytical framework I have used in this evaluation, and cite the various sources which I have adapted to develop a textbook summary sheet and an evaluation checklist. Then I briefly outline the institutional and pedagogic context for this evaluation. (These first two sections would typically not be included in an evaluation report for administrators.) I then proceed to the evaluation proper, which consists of two parts: a general overview of the textbook, couched in terms of the framework and the checklist, followed by a more detailed discussion of a representative unit. I conclude by summarizing my evaluation and making a recommendation. The textbook summary sheet and the completed evaluation checklist are provided in Appendix I and II, respectively. Analytical Framework Littlejohn (1998, p. 195) describes a general framework for analyzing teaching materials that consists of three levels. Level 1 ("What is there?") refers to the physical materials, level 2 ("What is required of users?") relates to the tasks learners are expected to perform, and level 3 ("What is implied?") involves deducing the underlying principles, teacher and learner roles, and demands on learners that are implicit in the materials. I will use these three broad


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categories to organize this evaluation, and add a fourth level ("How does it fit into our curriculum?") to analyze the textbook with respect to a specific context. The summary sheet describing the book (see Appendix I) is based on Littlejohn (1998, p.197), Sheldon (1988, p. 242) and Graves' framework for investigating a textbook (2000, p.177). The evaluation checklist (see Appendix II) is organized into the four broad categories mentioned above. The specific questions in each category come from various sources. Questions regarding the relationship of content and course objectives are adapted from Graves' framework, questions aimed at identifying gaps are taken from McGrath (2002, pp. 81-82), some questions come from Tucker (1975, p. 360-1), some from Grant (1987, p. 122-6), and some are of my own design, based on the following teaching context. Teaching Context The institution is a U.S. not-for-profit community-based organization required to follow national adult ESL teaching standards and to administer a standardized test, the CELSA (ACTT, 2012). The course is a beginning-level, open-enrollment adult "life skills" ESL course. The institutional teaching methodology is based on the interactionist model, and advocates a focus on learner autonomy, task-based instruction, and communicative and intercultural competence.


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Overall Evaluation The textbook under review, Future: English for Results 2 (Lynn & Long, 2010), is part of series published by Pearson Education, described by the editors as "a six-level, fourskills course for adults and young adults correlated to state and national standards" (p. xiv). Its target users are students with a "high beginning" proficiency level (which one can assume includes "false beginners"), and its primary organizing principle is life skills themes. As such, it seems a logical choice to evaluate for the above teaching context. The book is divided into one pre-unit and 12 theme-based units. Each unit contains a number of exercises (for linguistic knowledge) and activities (for communicative competence), focusing on vocabulary, grammar, life skills, the 4 macro-skills, and on goal-setting and study habits. Following the units, there are several sections with additional exercises and reference materials. For a one-page summary of the facts about the book and a list of available supporting materials, please refer to Appendix I. For a detailed overview of the book's content and sequencing, I refer the reader to the comprehensive table given in the introduction to the book (pp. vi-xi). In what follows, I will discuss my evaluation of Future 2 from four perspectives: (1) the book itself -- its design,


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format, etc., (2) the exercises, activities and tasks in which the students engage, (3) the underlying methods and pedagogical approaches inherent in the book, and finally (4) the degree of fit with the adult "life skills" ESL curriculum. This discussion parallels and refers to the evaluation topics, questions and ratings in the textbook evaluation checklist given in Appendix II. With respect to the physical design of the book itself, I give it top marks across the board. It is colorful and visually appealing, well organized, and uses graphics, images and text attributes well to enhance understanding. It is easy to use: it provides a visual tour of a typical unit, as well as an exercise to help students familiarize themselves with the book's organization. Finally, there are a number of additional activities, collaborative projects and reference materials at the rear, including audio transcripts of the included listening CD. As the checklist shows, I gave the book 24 out of 24 points for physical design. With respect to the types of exercises, activities and tasks provided for the students, I also give Future 2 a relatively high rating. The number and variety of activities is more than adequate to practice the content, and is often in a form that is transferrable outside of class. The balance between form-focused and communication-focused activities


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leans a bit toward the form-focused. Sometimes exercises labeled "PAIRS" in the text do not require learners to exchange information, and would probably not stimulate interaction. The activities are relatively easy to adapt, and can be supplemented by materials from the back of the book, or by the teacher. In this area, I rated the book a 21 out of 24. Regarding the underlying principles that can be deduced from Future 2, it is clear that it is firmly rooted in contemporary interactionist SLA and TBLT theory. Each unit progressively builds up to interactive tasks and problemsolving, and there is one team-building collaborative task per unit. There could be more such collaborative tasks, or pair and group activities that are strong "jigsaw" type tasks in the sense of Pica et al. (2009). There is some relatively authentic input, such as message board posts, want ads, etc., but also not enough in my view. On the other hand, there are numerous cultural topics threaded through the units (see items in red in the comprehensive table referenced above), providing students opportunities to develop their intercultural competence. Furthermore, the "persistence" activities in every unit serve to help students set goals and develop learning strategies, enhancing learner autonomy. However, there are few activities in the book which give students much input or choice in defining their work. It would be up to the teacher


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to inject more such autonomy into the syllabus. Still, I gave Future 2 21 out of 24 on the topic of underlying principles. Now to the degree of fit between Future 2 and an adult ESL life skills curriculum. The fit is actually fairly close. As the editors state, the book is correlated to several standards: the CASAS and LAUSD competencies and the Florida adult ESOL standards. The specifics of which standards are covered by which unit are laid out in another table in the introduction (pp. xii-xiii). Yet this does not mean the text is unbalanced. Thanks to its thematic organization, it does seem to achieve a good balance between adhering to standards and providing for the everyday needs of students. Will it match perfectly with a given adult ESL curriculum? Of course not: this would only be the case if the curriculum designers had written the text. Will there be adjustments required in sequencing and scheduling? Certainly. But on the whole, the text is closely aligned with the pedagogic goals of a typical adult ESL curriculum. I rated the book 21 out of 24 in this area. In order to further illustrate the organization, content, strengths and weaknesses of the textbook, I now examine a specific unit in a bit more detail. Representative Unit Evaluation Unit 3, "Lots to Do" (pp. 45-64), on the theme of shopping, begins, as all units do, with a photograph depicting


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the theme and a series of learning goals. This allows the teacher to do a level-set to see how much vocabulary students already know, and to discuss the goals with the class. The first lesson focuses on the vocabulary for clothing items and materials. (It does not present colors, nor were color terms covered in previous units, but it is a safe assumption that most high beginners will know basic color terms.) Next, learners listen to interviews and conversations on the topic, write and then repeat responses, and then move into conversation practice, first with a scaffolded dialog and then in free-form pair work. While this vocabulary practice is in the familiar P-P-P (present, practice, produce) pattern, it nevertheless results in an open-ended two-way interaction. The next lesson presents the first grammar topic, want/need + infinitive, and moves through gap-fill and short answer exercises to open-ended group discussion. The exercises are varied, colorfully illustrated, and the language is transferrable outside the classroom. The next lesson is a life skills segment that covers paying for purchases, calculating change, and reading ads and sales receipts. Several of the exercises are labeled "PAIRS" but have no requirement for interaction, and so run the risk of having a dominant learner do all the talking. These exercises could be easily replaced or modified by the teacher.


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The unit continues in this vein, alternating skillsfocused lessons (Listening and Speaking: "Talking about shopping plans," Reading: "Read about ways to pay for things"), with related grammar introductions (be going to, adverbs of degree: very, too). In each lesson, we encounter the P-P-P pattern, in some (but not all) cases building up to more interactive activities such as role-plays. In a final review lesson ("show what you know") there is a goal-setting exercise, and there are two truly interactive activities, a role pay and a collaborative team project (making a neighborhood shopping guide). In sum, the unit is fairly reflective of the text as a whole. The material itself is interestingly formatted, colorful and engaging. The exercises and activities are varied and easily adaptable. This early in the book, the balance is understandably tilted slightly away from interaction, but the balance can be easily shifted by the teacher. The theme conveys information about American culture. Appropriate language and behavior is modeled for various shopping settings. The content is useful for everyday life, and thus meets the primary goal of an adult life skills ESL curriculum. Conclusion As is evident from the scores I have assigned to Future: English for Results 2 (a total of 87 out of a possible 96), I


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believe it to be an excellent textbook for the adult life skills ESL context. It is an attractively designed book, well organized and easy to use; it provides a wealth and variety of exercises, activities and tasks; it is based on and supports the implementation of interactionist teaching methods, and its content fits well within a typical adult life skills ESL curriculum. I would have no reservations recommending this book for such a context.


11 References

Association of Classroom Teacher Testers (ACTT) (2012, February 15). General format. Retrieved from http:/ /www.assessment-testing.com/celsa.htm Grant, N. (1987). Making the most of your textbook. Harlow, Essex, UK: Longman. Graves, K. (2000). Designing language courses: A guide for teachers. Boston, MA: Heinle. McGrath, I. (2002). Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Littlejohn, A. (1998). The analysis of language teaching materials: Inside the Trojan horse. In: B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials development in language teaching (pp. 190-216). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Lynn, S., & Long, W. P. (2010). Future: English for results 2. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education. Pica, T., Kanagy, R., & Falodun, J. (2009). Choosing and using communication tasks in second language instruction. In: K. Van den Braden, M. Bygate & J. M. Norris (Eds.), TaskBased Language Teaching. Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Sheldon, L. (1988). Evaluating ELT textbooks and materials. ELT Journal, 42(4), 237-246. Tucker, C. A. (1975). Evaluating beginning textbooks. English Teaching Forum, 13¾ Special Issue, 355-361.


12 Appendix I

Textbook Summary Sheet Title: Author(s): Publisher & Date: Pages:

Future: English for Results 2 Sarah Lynn and Wendy Pratt Long Pearson Education, 2010 xiii + 314

Price:

US$ 30 (Amazon.com)

ISBN:

978-0-13-240876-4

Level:

High Beginning

Target Skills: Included:

4 Macro-Skills, Grammar, and Life Skills Audio CD Book Content and Organization

Pre-Unit: Units 1-12: Activities: Team Projects: Reference:

Getting started unit - dual-purpose, some needs assessment Theme (life skill) based units with lessons focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and the 4 macro-skills Extra information gap, persistence, life skills writing, and writing activities One for each unit, suitable for weekend homework Grammar, Word List, Audio Script, Index, and Maps of the US and Canada Unit Organization

Opener: Lessons:

Team Project:

Introduces theme and vocabulary Activities focusing on: Vocabulary Grammar Reading Listening and Speaking Persistence Activities: Classroom Community Building Student Goal Setting Developing Good Study Skills and Habits Collaborative project integrating unit themes and language Other Available Components Teacher's Edition Teacher Training DVD Practice Plus CD/ROM Test and Test Prep Booklet Multilevel Communications Activities Book Transparencies and Reproducible Vocabulary Cards


13 Appendix II

Textbook Evaluation Checklist Textbook Title: Future: English for Results 2 Rating Levels:

1 = Not at All

2 = Somewhat

3 = Acceptably

4 = Exceptionally

Part 1: Physical Design of the Book and Materials Is it attractive, so students will enjoy using it (e.g. layout, graphics)?

4

Are graphic and graphological cues used to enhance comprehension and presentation?

4

Is it clearly organized, with repetitive patterns?

4

Is is easy to use?

4

Does it provide reference sections (glossary, grammar charts, index)?

4

Does it provide appropriate audio materials on CD?

4 Part 1 Total:

24/24

Part 2: Types of Exercises, Activities, and Tasks Does it provide enough activities to adequately practice the content?

4

Are the in-class activities relatable and transferrable to the outside world?

4

Does it provide enough variety of activities & exercises?

3

Does it provide a balance between exercises (for linguistic knowledge) and activities (for communicative competence)?

3

Are the techniques and approaches easily adaptable?

3

Does it provide plenty of supplementary materials?

4 Part 2 Total:

21/24

Part 3: Underlying Principles, Roles, and Demands on Learners Are the book's methods and approaches suitable for our teaching methodology?

4

Does it provide enough authentic input?

3

Does it provide enough communicative tasks?

3

Is is culturally acceptable?

4

Does it provide opportunities to develop intercultural competence?

4

Does it provide for learner autonomy?

3 Part 3 Total:

21/24

Part 4: Degree of Fit with Adult ESL Curriculum Is it based on curriculum standards that will prepare students for the CELSA exam?

4

Is there a good balance between what the exam requires and what the students need?

4

Does it provide everything the curriculum requires?

3

Is the sequencing of themes and language compatible with the curriculum?

3

Is it adaptable to the class schedule? Is it about the right length?

3

Can the content help achieve the course objectives?

4 Part 4 Total:

21/24

Grand Total:

87/96

McClure Textbook Evaluation

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