Task 4:
Based on Chapter 3
Textbook
analysis. Have teachers analyze the
textbooks for their classes. (Refer to pp. 44-46 in Snow)
When I’ve taught first time in
public schools of Pernambuco Government in August 2006 we didn’t have any
textbooks even a planning course for we work with students. In this moment in Brazil the basic education
had just eight years and we didn’t have yet the Integral Program only Regular
schools.
English teachers had to improvise,
more than it we had to create ourselves planning course and make our material
that in major of our schools were use the blackboard. If a student had to
change of school because s/he were moving to another city probably s/he will
find many problems for understanding and try to follow her/his new class.
In 2008 our
schools received the book Globetrekker by
Marcelo Baccarin Costa - Macmillan Press but just for High School. This
book was amazing but the majority of teachers didn’t like it because its level
was higher than students could learn. So it ‘provide
more material than we could teach in the expected amount of time’[1]
(SNOW:2007) we had to adapt the
material for classes we had for making it useful in our classrooms. Although all schools had the book, some
teachers refused to use it
using the argument I’ve mentioned,
that the level was incompatible
with the reality in their classrooms,
and the left side
during the three years that a textbook is used.
It’s important to say that this problem happened because the textbook was granted and the secretary
of education has not requested the
opinion of teachers.
Last year, 2011, it was the first
time teacher could choose their didactic material, the textbook they will used
in next three years. We had three options:
1. English For All[2]
– Saraiva Press
2. Upgrade[3]
– Richmond Press
3. Globetrekker – Macmillan Press
In school I’ve taught the
teachers preferred choose the option 2,
Upgrade – Richmond Press.
Textbook
Evaluation: Group Activity of Analyzing
an ESL textbook
Name of your textbook: Upgrade – Richmond Press
What level would you use this book? (beginner, intermediate, advanced)? Intermediate
For what age group would you use this book? Teenagers
Textbook Evaluation Checklist
|
Textbook Content
|
Excellent
|
Good
|
Average
|
Poor
|
Totally lacking
|
|
i. Does the book target all of the
language skills equally?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
ii. Does the content serve as a
window into learning about the target language culture (American, British,
ect.)?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
iii. Are the
reading selections authentic pieces of language?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
iv. Compared to texts for native
speakers, does the content contain real-life issues that challenge the reader
to think critically about his/her worldview?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Vocabulary & Grammar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
i. Are the grammar rules presented in
a logical manner and in increasing order of difficulty?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
ii. Are the new vocabulary words
presented at an appropriate rate so that the text is understandable and so
that students are able to retain new vocabulary?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
iii. Are the new vocabulary words
repeated in subsequent lessons to reinforce their meaning and use?
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
iv. Are the new vocabulary words
presented in a variety of ways (e.g.
glosses, multi-glosses, appositives)?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Exercises and Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Are there interactive and task-based
activities that require students to communicate?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Do the activities facilitate
students’ use of new vocabulary and grammar?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Are there a variety of different
exercises that target all the language skills?
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Do the exercises
promote critical thinking?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Attractiveness of the book
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is the cover of
the book appealing?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Is the visual
imagery of high aesthetic quality?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Are the illustrations simple enough
and close enough to the text that they add to its meaning rather than
detracting from it?
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Is the material current and
interesting for the target audience?
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
[1] SNOW, Don. From Language Laerner to Language Teacher – Na introduction to teaching
English as a foreign language. Page 44. TESOL, Inc. USA. 2007.
