Escuela de PostgradoUniversidad Nacional de Educación

Enrique Guzmán y Valle – La Cantuta

MASTER’S PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Major: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Name : Vilma Juarez Garibay

Code : 0020122638

Course : Analysis, Adaptation and Production of Materials for ELT

Course code : MELT 414

Title of work : “Criteria for analyzing text-book”

Professor : Mg. Miguel Oré de los Santos

NOVEMBER 2013-II

TEXTBOOK EVALUATION CRITERIA

Criteria Justification

I. STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

1. It includes and fosters the development of communicative situations and communicative interaction.

2. It takes into account the students’ different learning styles.

3. Unit closings provide activities that promote and encourage the teacher’s and students’ reflection (metacognition).

1. It is based on the Communicative Approach principles that state that language is a tool for communication and it gives students an opportunity to work on negotiating meaning (Larsen – Freeman, 1986).

The goal of language learning is to achieve communicative competence (D. Hymes, 1966).Instruction needs to point toward all its components: organizational, pragmatic, strategic, and psychomotor (Brown, 2007).

2. As explained by Kolb (1975), “different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style”.

Thanks to the book the students can work independently, discovering always some new to learn in response to their different rhythms, styles, capacities, possibilities and kinds of intelligence.

Not all students develop the same intelligence; they all have multiple intelligence (Gardner ,H. 1993).

3. Reflective teaching is related with intriguing pathways for long-term professional growth including the students’ perceptions to: (1) expand one’s understanding of the teaching-learning process; (2) expand one’s repertoire of strategic options as a language teacher, and(3) enhance the quality learning opportunities in

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4. It shows care for the affective component of the learning process.

5. It presents varied supplementary materials that complement the learning process.

classrooms” (Murphy,1992).Learners reinforce their knowledge that by making reflections about their own experiences, ways of learning and teaching, hence changing and improving some attitudes.

4. Input may not be processed if the affective filter is “up” (Krashen. 1976)

Language learning contexts are specially prone to anxiety arousal (Finch, quoted in Cardenas.2011)

Socio-affective principle (Brown, 2007).

The affective domain describes learning objectives that emphasize a feeling tone, an emotion, or a degree of acceptance or rejection (Krathwohl et al, 1964).Affection is the most important component in the learning process (Rogers, 1977).

Humanistic approach (A. Maslow, C Rogers)

5. As explained by Kolb (1975), “different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style”.

Thanks to the book the students can work independently, discovering always some new to learn in response to their different rhythms, styles, capacities, possibilities and kinds of intelligence.

Not all students develop the same

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II. CONTENTS6. The book contents are carefully

graded and sequenced.

7. The book contents respond to the students’ needs and interests.

8. All lessons depart from what the learners know.

intelligence; they all have multiple intelligence (Gardner, H.1993).

6. Following the learning hierarchy principle, contents should be presented in a simple-to-more-complex sequence (Gagne, 1956).Learning works in a holistic way, gradually, step-by-step. It is a cognitive, socio-cultural, affective process (cognitive, affective and humanistic theories).

7. It is necessary to depart from the needs and interests of the students and, overall, from their reality, because they are the reason of our educational action (DCN, 2008).Learning occurs when the topics deal with something the students need and want to know (Maslow and Rogers).Learning is a sociocultural process (Vygotsky, 1968).

Input hypothesis of Krashen´s theory of second language acquisition emphasizes that learners need understandable input they can comprehend if input is understood, and if there is enough of it.

8. “The students know” and this is a factor that influences decisively the learning process (Ausubel, 1968).Learning is bringing something new into our cognitive structure and

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9. The book provides activities and opportunities for transfer.

10. Language is presented in context.

attaching it to our existing background knowledge (Ausubel, 1968).

Schema theory suggests that cognitive knowledge is organized into related patterns. These are based on individual previous experiences regarding giving aspects of the experiential world (i.e. their first language) and allow them to hypothesize about future experiences (Nunan. 1999).

9. “Transfer of learning can be defined as the effective application by students of the knowledge and skills gained as a result of attending an educational program. This transferring of learning occurs when learning in one context or with one set of materials impacts on performance in another context or with other related materials”. (Thorndike, 1913; Cormier & Hagman, 1987).

“The learning got from book activities in school can be transferred to the students’ realia, context or situation of life (positive transfer). Nowadays MED promotes this way of learning with the name of “education for the life” (DCN, 2008)

10. Learning occurs in context, not by way of isolated words. Learning language in context is more useful and meaningful for the students (Holliday, 1994).Our memory organizes preexisting knowledge by way of chunks and schemas, not as isolated pieces of information. It then seems natural to depart from specific schemas, that is, from contextualized information, to generate meaningful experiences and hence foster learning.

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11. The topics proposed integrate all language skills.

12. The topics proposed are articulated with other school subjects.

Prior knowledge is store in memory by way of knowledge frameworks of schemata, and new information is understood and stored by calling up the appropriate schema and integrating the new information with it. Knowing how and when to access prior knowledge is a characteristic of effective learners (O’Malley, M. &Uhl, A, 1993)

11. Isolating language skills through the textbook activities does not guarantee the achievement of communicative competence.Students use the language a great deal through communicative activities such as games, role plays, writing, speaking, and problem solving tasks. (Larsen-Freeman, 1986)According to OTP(2010):“Cada una de las habilidades, de manera independiente no hacen posible que alguien sea competente al comunicarse; es necesario que se dé una relación interactiva entre ellas” (p,10)

12.The book contents must be articulated or have a relation with other school subjects by way of inter-curricular topics (DCN, 2008).

It is important to touch all curricular areas in the learning feel, with major reason it is necessary that students understand all those processes or phenomena and for that, it is necessary the community system, it means all teachers understand those process for the students significant learning and find the answers to the daily experiences that happened during their evolved development. (OTP, 2010: 20)

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13. The activities presented foster meaningful learning.

III. OVERALL DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS

14. Contents, illustrations, characters and values are related appropriately.

13. “To learn meaningfully, learners must relate new knowledge to relevant concepts they already know. New knowledge must interact with the learner’s knowledge structure” (DCN, 2008).Meaningful learning “subsumes” new information into existing structures and memory systems, and the resulting associate links create stronger retention (ibid, 2008).

If the book activities promote learning in practical situations related to the student’s life, they are then meaningful for them (Ausubel, 1968).

14. Authentic, life materials, as well as

graphic or visual sources are relevant

to support language learning.

(Communicative Active Approach)

The affective factor is the most important component in the learning process.’(Maslow).Teenagers present discipline problems and they are sensitive about their individual identity. Identity has to be forged amount classmates and friends. They do not want to lose their face in front of their peers, peers approval may be considered more important than other things (J. Harmer. 2005).

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15. Typesetting, illustrations and overall layout are motivating enough.

Hidden curricula: it makes reference to all that we learn and teach in an implicit way, without intention and it is ignored in the majority of time. (Lucini. 1994)The development of reasoning

15. ‘The most powerful rewards are those that are intrinsically motivated within the learner. Because the behavior stems from needs, wants or desires within oneself, the behavior itself is self-rewarding; therefore, no externally administered reward is necessary.’ (Gardner & Lambert, 1972).

According to Jeremy Harmer (1999: 03), motivation is some kind of internal drive that encourages somebody to pursue a course of action.

Motivation is an important part of the text, and it must contain pedagogical characteristics, which make up the curiosity for using it and learning with this. The art and the photos must be according to the age, the context and the characteristic of the students, the educational goals, and the didactic strategies.

The development of reasoning is mediated by sing and symbols, and therefore contingent on cultural practices and language as well as on universal cognitive processes. (Lev Vigotsky 1978).

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IV. GRAMMAR

16. The grammar approach responds to current trends.

16. “Communication is not grammar-based. Grammar is implicit in communication”.

It is not necessary to verbalize rules for communicating (Rutherford, 1982).Language is not only a set of rules.

Grammar and vocabulary are learnt through the use of functions in situational contexts. (Communicative Approach framework).The grammar and vocabulary that

students learn follow from the function,

situational context, and the roles of the

interlocutors. (Larsen-Freeman. 1986:130)

17  Goals proposed are achievable.

Communicative competence principle ( Bachman, 1990; Canale and Swain,1980)

“Communicative goals are best

achieved by giving due attention to

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language use, and not just usage, to

fluency and not just accuracy, to

authentic language and contexts, and to

students’ eventual need to apply

classroom learning to previously

unrehearsed contexts in the real world.”

The goals proposed must be real,

clear, appropriate, pertinent and one at

the time.

TEXTBOOK EVALUATION

Book evaluated: “English (student’ book) 4th Secondary”Publisher: S M. S.A.C. by: Frances Mara Bunker, Gonzalo Celorio Moraita, Lan Gardner, Patricia Penny.Year of publication:2012

CRITERIA GRADING1 2 3 4 5

1. The book includes and fosters the development of Communicative Situations.

x

2. It takes into account the students’ different learning styles.

x

3. Images reflect socio-cultural aspect of the students.

x

4. The contents are organized and presented carefully graded and sequenced.

x

5. All contents have to consider the students’ x

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need and interest.

6. Present vocabulary in context. x

7. Any section of the book provides activities that promote and encourage teacher and student’s reflection (Critical pedagogy)

x

8. Provide activities and opportunities for transfer students’ cognitive development.

x

9. Relate contents, illustrations, characters and values appropriately.

x

10.The textbook promote the learning of different cultures departing from our own.

x

11.Grammar Approach used in the textbook respond to current trends

x

12.The topics proposed Integrate skills and articulated with other school subjects

x

13.Units end up provide some type of communicative and meta-cognitive activity.

x

14.Show care for the affective component of the learning process.

x

15.Lessons depart from what the learners know x16.Typesetting, drawing and photographs (art

and photos) and overall layout motivating enough.

x

17. It is related with syllabus. x18.Goals proposed are achievable x19.Activities presented promote students

confidence and autonomy.x

20.Activities presented foster meaningful learning.

x

Grading Scales1. Unsatisfactory…..02. Satisfactory……..13. Good………...…..24. Very good……….35. Excellent…………4

Conclusion: In this case the book is according to the DCN proposal

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because, t the best example of an English book, but tries to close to Communicative Approach departing from the reality of the Peruvian context, using the principle of context, promoting communicative situations, The problem in the book might be that it presents grammar in deductive way, so it continues being structural.

PARTS OF THE TEXT CRITERIA OF EVALUATIONI. STRUCTURE 1. The cover and the book design is

colorful, resistant and motivator.

2. The letters are appropriate for

reading and comprehension.

3. The units and lessons are

structured according to the

contents of book.

II. CONTENTS 1. The contents of the book

activated the previous knowledge

for its easy comprehension.

2. The contents are good

elaborated according to the

educational goals.

3. The contents of book promote

different learning styles and

make up different multiple

intelligences.

4. The contents of the book include

realistic communicative

situations.

5. The contents of book are

carefully sequenced.

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6. Some contents have enough

resources for making, verifying

and reflecting the knowledge

acquired.

7. The contents of the book

facilitate the learning process.

8. Some contents of text might

reflect socio-cultural aspect of

the students.

9. Some contents of the text bring

affection, confidence and

autonomy.

10.Grammar is presented

deductively.

11. The contents of the text

integrate skills and have a

relation with other school

subjects.

III. DESIGN AND ILUSTRATIONS

1. Some book illustrations balance

appropriate gender differences.

2. Any illustrations promote cultural

discrimination.

3. Some book illustrations reflect

socio-cultural aspect of the

students.

4. Some illustrations transmit

values.

5. The illustrations of book promote

communicative situations.

6. The majority of illustrations have

a relation with the needs and

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interest of the students.

7. The book illustrations:

typesetting, photographs,

drawings are motivating enough.

8. Some book illustrations show

vocabulary in contexts or

schemas.

9. The book illustrations activate

the previous knowledge of the

students.

Criteria to evaluation a text-book according to part of the text

Book evaluated: “English (student’ book) 4th Secondary”

Publisher: S M. S.A.C. by: Frances Mara Bunker, Gonzalo Celorio Moraita, Lan Gardner, Patricia Penny.

Year of publication:2012

PART OF THE TEXT

CRITERIA GRADINGAFFIRMATIVE(YES)

GRADINGNEGATIVE.(NO)

I. STRUCTURE

1. The cover and the book

design is colorful, resistant

and motivator.

2. The letters are

appropriate for reading

and comprehension.

3. The units and lessons are

structured according to the

contents of book.

Yes

Yes

yes

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I. CONTENTS

1. The contents of the book

activated the previous

knowledge for its easy

comprehension.

2. The contents are good

elaborated according to

the educational goals.

3. The contents of book

promote different styles of

learning.

4. The contents of book

include realistic

communicative situations.

5. The contents of book are

carefully sequenced.

6. The contents have

enough resources for

making, verifying and

reflecting the knowledge

acquired.

7. The contents of the book

facilitate the learning

process.

8. The contents of text reflect

socio-cultural aspect of the

students.

9. The contents of the text

bring affection, confidence

and autonomy.

10.Grammar is presented

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

yes

No

No

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inductively.

11.The contents of the text integrate skills and have a relation with other school subjects.

yes

12.DESIGN ILUSTRATIONS

1. The book illustrations

balance appropriate

gender differences.

2. Some illustrations promote

cultural discrimination.

3. The book illustrations

reflect socio-cultural

aspect of the students.

4. The illustrations transmit

values.

5. The illustrations of book

promote communicative

situations.

6. The illustrations have a

relation with the needs and

interest of the students.

7. The book illustrations:

typesetting, photographs,

drawings are motivating

enough.

8. The book illustrations

show vocabulary in

contexts or schemas.

9. The book illustrations

activate the previous

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

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knowledge of the students.

Conclusion: This book is appropriate for being used in an English class.

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