what do i really want in a coursebook by juan carlos figueroa venegas

7/27/2019 What Do I Really Want in a Coursebook by Juan Carlos Figueroa Venegas

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Diseo y evaluacin de recursos Professor Jennie Popp

What do I really want in a coursebook

By Juan Carlos Figueroa Venegas

Magister en enseanza del ingls como lengua extranjera, first year student

A coursebook is a manual, a guidance for teachers, which it helps by providing a clearly thought

out programme which is appropriately sequenced and structured to include progressive

revision1, it also offers to learners: a sense of purpose, progression and progress. !eeds and

wants for an "nglish coursebook are going to be analysed in three ways, teachers view, students

view and administrators view. A course book is seen as the always the nice girl in the prom,

everybody talk about her and she is ok to somebody, for different reasons, for good and bad ones.

#eachers need and want perfect decisions to make: $oursebooks are manuals to do it, because it

guides us to teach what is teachable, to build students mind from the very beginning until the

highest level of any ta%onomy known. A coursebook which is able for change is perfect to us,

able to break the routine with new activities according to students& needs and conte%t, activities

suggested by the same coursebook are perfectly elected and clearly e%plained, preparing us to

make choices to face what could happen in the classroom.

A coursebook should offer: real use of language' a communicative spirit' to teach through

functions' to develop social abilities through pair work, group work and team pro(ects which also

involve increasing of the communicative skills' to teach grammar (ust like a grammar spot' to

prepare in balance our students skills through activities and techniques clearly defined based on

instructional to constructivist methodology' to encourage deductive and inductive thinking' good

timing' well)structured and sequenced units' to integrate other sub(ects' well)chosen teachable

contents' to turn the role of the teacher from teacher at the very beginning, until a facilitator

role' to provide practical ideas' ambiguity.

A complete coursebook should have additional materials like flash cards, games, posters,

*uppets, videos, standard tests, e)learning webpages. Also in these days, a coursebook should be

created in different formats, such as digital formats which are very important, to provide more

access to them, because a coursebook on paper print vs. electronic has different ways and places

1Halliwell, Susan: Teaching English in he pri!ary school" Harlow, #ong!an hand$oo%s, 1&&'"

'Halliwell, Susan: Teaching English in he pri!ary school" Harlow, #ong!an hand$oo%s, 1&&'"


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to use it, #he actual form of the material +e.g. durable vs. consumable, worksheet vs.

boundbook, paper print vs electronic-, all of which may have direct implications for the

classroom methodology, thus we can cover needs and wants related to format, very important

on these days. Access is a very important issue, through internet, electronic format, audios in

mp, on line tests to check their progress, e%tending the learning process at home, giving support

to parents and students.

/ur students en(oy coursebooks which are: colourful and full of photographs' based on real life

situation' easy to follow and work with it, at school and at home' well structured, clear and

sequenced instructions' according to their levels from the very beginning until the highest "nglish

level, developing in them skills in a communicative way' usable and significant for the learning

process, almost instantly, in their communicative process with classmates' motivational, full of

information about their favourite topics and contemporary famous people, given in different ways

from grammar e%ercises to classroom drama pro(ects, thus looking interesting to students'

compounded with open)ended tasks, large tasks, and pri0es like downloadable pictures.

or them a coursebook must have real and clear readings and audios, easy for students who can&t

read yet, such as beginners, providing lots of activities to do and giving security when they use it.

About integrated students and their special needs, a coursebook must give us guidance to work

with them, approaching topics of every unit to their abilities and capacities.

A coursebook for ours administrators suppose to reflect the national plan and syllabus needs,

these needs and wants could be political)ideological, religious, promoting an educational state

policy even a touristic culture. Also a coursebook choice is made by the school following a bunch

of pedagogical reasons with a blend of the school ideology, and sometimes it is the best offer

from the local bookstore dealer, which decision smell like economic spirit.

An "nglish coursebook must be chosen, even made, based on wants and needs of 2tudents,

teachers and Administrators.

(#ile)ohn, *ndrew:+aerials develop!en in English eaching second ediion, edied $y ryan To!linson"

-a!$ridge, '.11"


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An "nglish coursebook must follow clear methodology and techniques, along the learning

process.

An "nglish coursebook must become a series of coursebook, keeping the methodology and style

of it, through the different levels.

3t&s clear for us that to choose a coursebook is not an easy decision to make, we have treated too

many points on this essay that we have to care about them.

A course book is a guide and a manual but it isn&t the centre in our teaching, it must be fle%ible to

motivate our students, if you follow this course you can guarantee the optimum level or

boredom +/45- in your classroom 6

A coursebook must cover every format possible, to improve access to it, access related to

technology.

2tudents will en(oy a coursebook in relation of their interest, so the coursebook has to be updated

according to the information it will use to develop the students learning.

#he election or production of a coursebook must be based on questions of what and how the

coursebook covers students, teachers and administrators& needs and wants.

2ometimes, (ust watching news, you can noticed that coursebooks are not chosen based on the

methodology needed or in what teachers need, this choice is made looking for economic benefit,

this decision smell like economic spirit.

/Prodo!ou, #u%e" 0How o $e a $oring eacher aricle" English eaching professional !aga2ine, issue

Twelve" July 1&&&"

what do i really want in a coursebook by juan carlos figueroa venegas

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