Evaluating the quality of the new textbook tiếng anh 10 developed under the national 2020 project

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
****************

TRẦN THỊ MINH TRANG

EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THE NEW TEXTBOOK TIẾNG
ANH 10 DEVELOPED UNDER THE NATIONAL 2020 PROJECT
(Đánh giá chất lƣợng của bộ sách giáo khoa Tiếng Anh 10 mới biên soạn trong
khuôn khổ của Đề án Ngoại ngữ Quốc gia 2020)

MA. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS

Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code : 60140111

Hanoi - 2016


HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
****************

TRẦN THỊ MINH TRANG

EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THE NEW TEXTBOOK TIẾNG
ANH 10 DEVELOPED UNDER THE NATIONAL 2020 PROJECT
(Đánh giá chất lƣợng của bộ sách giáo khoa Tiếng Anh 10 mới biên soạn trong
khuôn khổ của Đề án Ngoại ngữ Quốc gia 2020)

MA. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS

Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code : 60140111
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van

Hanoi - 2016


DECLARATION
I, Trần Thị Minh Trang, hereby certify that this thesis is the result of
my own research and the substance of this thesis has not, wholly or in part,
been submitted for a degree to any other university or institution.
Hanoi, 2016
Signature

Trần Thị Minh Trang

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my special and sincere thanks to
my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van, who has given me great help with this
thesis. Without his experienced guidance, valuable suggestions and dutiful
supervision, my research would be far from finished.
I also wish to acknowledge my debt of gratitude to the staff members of the
Postgraduate Department and the lecturers at College of foreign Languages,
Vietnam National University for their valuable lectures, which provide me with

scientific knowledge that help to fulfill the study.
I am also thankful to many teachers of English and students at upper
secondary schools in Ha Nam, teachers of English in certain upper secondary
schools in Ha Nam Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Hai Duong, Vinh Phuc, Son La Provinces
for answering the questionnaires and interviews.
Last but not least, my thanks go to my family, especially my husband, who
has given me so much love, patience and encouragement.

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ABSTRACT
The basic goal of material evaluation is selecting teaching materials
which are appropriately relevant for a particular teaching context. The current study
aimed at evaluating the quality of the New Textbook Tiếng Anh 10 developed under
the National Foreign Language 2020 Project to get feedback from teachers teaching
it and students learning from it so as to establish its strengths and weaknesses and to
see if it is suited to the teachers and students. The study results showed that the New
Textbook Tiếng Anh 10 meets almost all criteria given and seemed to be highly
suitable for Upper Secondary Vietnamese teachers and students and also got
positive feedbacks from teachers and students. However, there is something that
needs to be done to improve the quality of the materials. The research consists of
four parts. The first part introduces the rationale, aims and objectives, research
questions, scope as well as the significance of the study.

The second part is

concerned with the literature review that the study mainly based on; the
methodology that the researcher used to carry out this study as well as the findings
and discussion.Basically, Tieng Anh 10 was written with the high quality, meeting

most of the criteria for a modern language textbook. In particular, it suits the
teachers teaching it and students learning from it. The last part provides a summary
of the strengths and weaknesses of the textbook as seen from the point of view of
the teachers and students‟ evaluation. It also and points out some limitations of the
research and make some suggestions and recommendation for further study.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
DOET

Department of Education and Training

CEFR

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

EFL

English as a Foreign Language

ESL

English as a Second Language

ELT

English Language Teaching

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education

MOET

Ministry of Education and Training

NFL

The National Foreign Language

TA 10

The New English Textbook, Tiếng Anh 10

LIST OF CHARTS
Chart 1

Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on Each
Category

Chart 2

The evaluation of the teachers on nine categories

Chart 3

The evaluation of the students on the seven categories

LIST OF THE APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1

Questionnaire for teachers of the New English Text Book, Tiếng
Anh 10

APPENDIX 2

Questionnaire for students of the New English Text Book, Tiếng
Anh 10

APPENDIX 13

Transcrips of the interviews for the teachers and students

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ........................................................................................................ i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... iv
LIST OF CHARTS ................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF THE APPENDICES .................................................................................. iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................v
PART A: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................1
1. Rationale for the Study............................................................................................1
2. Aim of the Study .....................................................................................................2

3. Research questions ..................................................................................................2
4. Scope of the study ...................................................................................................2
5. Significance of the Study ........................................................................................2
PART B: DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................3
CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW .....................................................................3
1.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................3
1.2 Teaching and Learning English in Vietnam under the National Foreign
Language Project Entitled: “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020” ........................................................3
1.2.1 Teaching and Learning English at Upper Secondary Schools in Vietnam ........3
1.2.2 The National Foreign Language 2020 Project ...................................................4
1.2.3 The Pilot English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools ........5

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1.3 The New English Textbook, Tiếng Anh 10 ...........................................................6
1.4. Textbook Evaluation ............................................................................................9
1.4. 1 Textbooks ..........................................................................................................9
1.4.2. Roles of Textbook .............................................................................................9
1.4.3. The Needs for Textbook Evaluation ...............................................................11
1.4.4. Quality Standards for Textbook ......................................................................12
1.4.5. Textbook Evaluation Methods ........................................................................15
1.4.6. Related Studies on Evaluation of the Textbook ..............................................18
1.5 Summary .............................................................................................................19
CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................20
2.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................20
2.2 Research Method .................................................................................................20
2.2.1 Sites of the Research ........................................................................................20
2.2.2 The Subject of the Research:............................................................................20

2.2.3 The Participants ................................................................................................21
2.3. Research Instrument ...........................................................................................21
2.3.1 Questionnaire and Interview ............................................................................21
2.3.2. Survey Procedure ............................................................................................25
2.3.3. Methods of Data Analysis ...............................................................................25
2.4 Summary .............................................................................................................26
CHAPTER 3 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION........................................................27
3.1 Recapitulation .....................................................................................................27
3.2 Overall Rating .....................................................................................................27
3.3 Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on Each Category.............28
3.3.1. Teachers‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Objectives” Category..................28
3.3.2. Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Contents” Category .....................29

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3.3.3. Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Layout and Design”
Category ....................................................................................................................30
3.3.4. Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Topics” Category ..30
3.3.5. Teachers and students‟ evaluation of the textbook on “Language Skills”
Category ....................................................................................................................31
3.3.6. Teachers‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Methodology” Category .............32
3.3.7. Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Types of activities”
Category ....................................................................................................................32
3.3.8. The Teachers‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Teaching aids” Category .....32
3.3.9. Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Supplementary materials” Category
...................................................................................................................................33
3.3.10. Teachers‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Linkage” Category....................33
3.3.11. Teachers and Students‟ Evaluation of the Textbook on “Cultural values”
Category ....................................................................................................................34

3.4 Summary of the main findings ............................................................................36
3.4.1 Main findings for research question 1 ..............................................................36
3.4.2 Main findings for research question 2 ..............................................................38
3.4.3 Main findings for research question 3..............................................................39
3.5 Summary .............................................................................................................40
PART C: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................41
1. Recapitulation .......................................................................................................41
2. Conclusion.............................................................................................................41
3. Limitations ............................................................................................................42
4. Suggestions for Further Studies ............................................................................42
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................43
APPENDICES............................................................................................................. I

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the Study
English is one of the most common international languages in the world.
Learning English helps students form and develop their English communicative
ability by practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. English learning
is also a beginning step in forming and developing long-life studying skills,
working ability in the future and cultural-social activity participation at the same
time. Besides, English study gives students a chance to form their idea-expressing
ability confidently, independently and creatively.
With the thorough understanding of the importance of English, the quality of
English teaching and learning has attracted considerable interest from the society.
Such issues as the quality of teachers, facilities, and curriculum have been widely
discussed in the media. In order to have a quality curriculum, the quality of the
textbooks plays an extremely important role. Nevertheless, a countless number of

English textbooks are available on the market today. The eyes can easily be
deceived by colorful covers, a beautiful layout and attractive artwork. As an
inexperienced teacher it can be particularly difficult to know what to look for a
good textbook for use. Therefore, the selection of a course book is one of the most
important decisions a teacher will make to have a textbook that involves matching
the material against the context in which it is going to be used, following the aims
of the teaching program, as well as fitting the personal methodology of the teacher.
In 2008, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has implemented
its policy of radical and comprehensive reform, in which the quality of education,
teachers and textbooks has received a lot of special attention. When working on the
national project “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National
Education System, period 2008 - 2020”, at the end of 2012, MOET approved “Pilot
English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools” continuing the
Primary and Lower Secondary Pilot English Curriculum and assigned Vietnam
Education Publishing House to organize the writing of the set of textbooks,

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including Tiếng Anh 10, Tiếng Anh 11 and Tiếng Anh 12. This set of textbooks is
being piloted in some selected upper secondary schools nationwide. But there has
not been any research to evaluate its quality in a large scale. For this reason, in this
minor thesis, I will attempt to conduct a preliminary research to evaluate the set of
textbook The New English Textbook Tiếng Anh 10 compiled by Vietnamese
authors of Vietnam Education Publishing House in collaboration with English
native authors of Pearson Publishing House.
2. Aim of the Study
The aim of the study is:
To evaluate the quality of the New English Textbook Tiếng Anh 10, from the point
of views of its users (teachers and students) so as to find out its strengths and

weaknesses and to see if it is suited to the teachers and the students.
3. Research questions
1. To what extent does Tiếng Anh 10 suit the teachers who are teaching it?
2. To what extent does Tiếng Anh 10 suit the students who are learning from it?
3. What are the strong points and weak points of the new textbook Tiếng Anh 10?
4. Scope of the study
Given the aim and the research questions, the study is confined to the
evaluation of the new set of high school English textbook, Tiếng Anh 10. The study
will focus on establishing the criteria for the evaluating the new textbook Tiếng Anh
10 (including Student‟s Book, Teacher‟s Book and Workbook, Audio CD) to ask
teachers and students who are using the material to evaluate whether the teachers
can use it to teach and the students can learn from it.
5. Significance of the Study
This study can be significant in some ways. First, the study aims at getting
the evaluative feedback from teachers and students working with this material in
order to see how suitable it is for their teaching and learning context and to establish
its strengths and weaknesses. The more significant intention, the researcher has
expected that the study will be of some value to textbook writers and upper
secondary English teachers in Vietnam.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1 Introduction
This chapter will explore the literature to establish the evaluation criteria,
formulate a problem or research enquiry and will define the value of pursuing the
line of enquiry established. The first part of the literature review will be involved in
the teaching and learning of English in Viet Nam under the National Foreign

Language Project entitled “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020”, in which, teaching and learning
English at upper secondary schools and the pilot foreign English curriculum. The
second part of the literature review will look at issues related textbook evaluation
such as roles of textbook, the need, quality standard and method of textbook
evaluation. The last part of this chapter will present the related studies on evaluation
of the textbook.
1.2 Teaching and Learning English in Vietnam under the National Foreign
Language Project Entitled: “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020”
1.2.1 Teaching and Learning English at Upper Secondary Schools in Vietnam
Teaching and learning English at upper secondary level have attracted great
interest from schools, parents, managers and educational strategic planners as well.
According to Hoang Van Van (2010), English has been introduced into upper
secondary schools since the period before 1954. Although English made its presence
during that period, it did not become a foreign language to be learnt as widely as
French.
In the period from 1945 to 1954, English was the dominant foreign language
in upper secondary schools in the South while in the North Russian dominated the
first place in upper secondary schools. English was taught in only some classes in
those schools in towns and big cities as pilot subject.

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In the period from 1975 to 1986, when Russian dominated the scene both in
the North and in the South, English suffered a setback. It was taught in a limited
number of classes in upper secondary schools, particularly in towns and in big cities.
The period from 1986 up to the present can be seen with the rapid growth and
expansion of English in Viet Nam. This English boom was mainly because of the

initiation of an overall economic reform known as Đổi mới (Renovation). The reform
started at the Six National Congress held by Vietnamese Communist Party. In the
context of economic renovation and of the open door policy, English became foreign
language number 1 be taught in Viet Nam. At upper secondary education, it is one of
the six compulsory examinations that students have to pass if they want to get the
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).
1.2.2 The National Foreign Language 2020 Project
The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is currently
launching the Project entitled “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020” which was approved by the Prime
Minister on September 2008 (For more details, see Appendix 4). The National
Foreign Language (NFL) 2020 Project specifies the goals of teaching and learning
English within the national education system and identifies seven tasks at both macro
and micro level for implementing the project in three different phases (2008-2010,
2011-2015 and 2016-2020).
The main goals of the project include increasing the use of foreign languages,
mainly English in teaching and the foreign language competence amongst
Vietnamese young people: so that “… by 2020 most Vietnamese youth whoever
graduate from vocational schools, colleges and universities gain the capacity to use a
foreign language independently. This will enable them to be more confident
communication, further their chance to study and work in an integrated and
multicultural environment with variety of languages. This goal also makes language
an advantage for Vietnamese people, serving the cause of industrialization and
modernization for the country”.

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In implementing the Vietnamese Prime Minister‟s Decision 1400/QD-TTg on
the approval of the national project entitled “Teaching and learning a foreign

language in the national education system, Period 2008-2020”, three pilot English
curricula for Vietnamese schools were designed and promulgated by MOET Chương
trình tiếng Anh thí điểm tiểu học (Pilot English Curiculum for Vietnamese Primary
Schools), Chương trình giáo dục phổ thông môn tiếng Anh thí điểm cấp trung học cơ
sở (Pilot English Curiculum for Vietnamese Lower Secondary Schools), Chương
trình giáo dục phổ thông môn tiếng Anh thí điểm cấp trung học phổ thông (Pilot
English Curiculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools).
1.2.3 The Pilot English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools
Also according to Hoang Van Van (2015), the Pilot English Curriculum for
Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools is designed to implement the Prime Minister‟s
Decision (on the 23rd November, 2012,). The Minister of Education and Training
signed Decision 5209/QĐ-BGDĐT on the Approval of Chương trình giáo dục phổ
thông môn tiếng Anh thí điếm cấp trung học phổ thông (Pilot English Curriculum for
Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools). The curriculum is organized around two
main parts: (i) Curriculum Framework and (ii) Syllabus.
The Curriculum Framework provides general orientations such as principles of
curriculum design, objectives of the curriculum which includes general objectives,
specific objectives, and performance objectives, curriculum content which provides
four macro-themes, definition of communicative competences, linguistic knowledge
and skills, teaching methodology, assessment, and conditions for effective
curriculum implementation. It can be noted that this pilot curriculum among three
pilot curricula shows a high degree of continuity, coherence and integration. This can
be seen in the fact that the level of proficiency required for the higher level is
developed on the level of ability that students have gained at the lower level. Further,
in terms of performance objectives, there is a continuum running from primary to
lower secondary and to upper secondary level so that on finishing primary level
students will have reached the equivalent of CEFR level A1, on finishing lower
secondary level students will have reached the equivalent of CEFR level A2, and on

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finishing upper secondary level students will have reached the equivalent of CEFR
Level B1. The second thing to note is that in all three pilot English curricula,
performance objectives are consistently and coherently related to the four
communicative language areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing which, in a
continuum, cover all 10 grades of the three educational levels.
The Pilot English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools is
designed and developed with the total time frame of 315 periods, from grade 10 to
grade 12. In regard to principles of curriculum design and development, after
finishing the curriculum, students will be able to reach B1 level as specified in the
CEFR.
In order to reach these aims, the curriculum is specified based on the
performance objectives. They are built to help upper secondary students form and
develop English communicative competence through 4 skills: Grade 10 (Level 3.1),
Grade 11 (Level 3.2), Grade 12 (Level 3.3)
Students‟ study results are shown in 2 forms of assessments: formative and
summative forms. Basing on the facts of communicative competence students have
achieved in their learning process. The forms of testing also rely on teachers‟
observation and feedback during the school year. Forms of testing are various
comprising of both written test and oral test, and is a combination of 4 language
skills.
1.3 The New English Textbook, Tiếng Anh 10
Tiếng Anh 10 - is the first of the three-level English language set of textbooks
for the Vietnamese upper secondary school students learning English as a foreign
language (EFL). The teaching contents for each unit are summarized in a book map
which is provided on the first page of the textbook. It is accompanied with an audio
CD, student‟s workbook and teacher‟s book and is divided into two volumes: Tiếng
Anh 10, Volume 1 and Tiếng Anh 10, Volume 2.
The book follows a systematic, cyclical and theme-based curriculum,

approved by the Ministry of Education and Training on November, 2012. The aim of
this set of textbook is to develop students‟ communicative competence in listening,

6


speaking, reading and writing so that when finishing upper secondary school students
will achieve Level 3 (equivalent to CEFR B1) of Six Language Proficiency Level
Framework as developed in CEFR ( Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages).
Each Student‟s Book (Volume 1 and Volume 2) contains
 A book map which provides information about the sections of each unit
and the structure of the book.
 5 topic-based units, each comprising 5 sections taught in eight 45minute lessons.
 2 review units providing revision and further practice of the preceding
unit, taught in two 45-minute lessons.
 A Glossary section providing phonetic transcription of the new words
of the units and their Vietnamese equivalents.
The Teacher‟s Book gives full procedural notes for teaching different parts of
each unit and suggestions for the teaching techniques which teachers could use
depending on their teaching contexts. It also provides the answer keys to the
exercises in the Student‟s Book and the audio script.
The Workbook mirrors and reinforces the content of the Student‟s Book. It
offers further practice of the language skills taught in the class, and four additional
tests for students‟ self-assessment.
The CD includes the audio for the listening activities and recording of the
reading passages.
There are ten teaching units and four review units. Each teaching unit covers a
topic and is structured into different sections: section 1: Getting started, section 2:
Language, section 3: Skills, section 4: Communication and Culture, section 5:

Looking Back and Project. Ten units richly illustrated, cross-curricular and themebased units focus on offering pupils motivation, memorable lessons and a joyful
learning experience of English. Clear lessons follow a logical progression and
include a wide range of learning styles with activities that help pupils develop
coordination, critical thinking, pre-language skills as they learn to speak and
understand English.

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The Pilot English Curriculum for Vietnamese Upper Secondary Schools is
designed and developed with the whole time of 315 periods, from grade 10 to grade
12 in which the time for grade 10 is 105 periods.
The performance objectives of the textbook for 10 graders are designed based
on the 4 communicative skills as follows. After finishing grade 10, with the text
length between 200-220 words in listening skills, students can follow clearly
articulated speech in everyday conversation, though they sometimes have to ask for
repetition of particular words or phrases. They can understand the main points in
selected TV programmes on familiar topics when the delivery is slow and clear.
Moreover, they can understand the simple technical information, such as operating
instructions for everyday equipment.
In speaking skills, students can start, maintain and close simple face-to-face
conversations on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. They also can
express and respond to feeling such as surprise, happiness, sadness, interest and
difference and agree and disagree politely and give advice.
In reading skills, within the text length between 220-250 words, students can
understand the main points in short texts about current and familiar topics. They are
able to understand the most important information in short, simple everyday
brochures. In addition, they can understand simple messages and standard
communications (e.g. from club, social organizations and school authorities).
In writing skills, with the text length between 140-160 words, students can

write personal messages to friends or acquaintances asking for or giving them the
news and narrating events. They also can write simple text about experiences or
events (e.g. about a trip, for school newspaper or a club news letter). They are also
able to write a simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal
interest
The themes and topics of the New English Textbook, Tiếng Anh 10, is
embedded in a systematic, cyclical and theme-based curriculum, approved by the
Ministry of Education and Training on November, 2012. There are for main themes,
each main theme contains three topics: Our lives (Family Life, Healthy Lifestyle,
Entertainment), Our Environment (Cultural Diversity, Preserving the Natural

8


Environment, Eco-tourism), Our Society (Serving Our Communities, Inventions that
changed our lives, Gender and Equality) and Our Future (New ways to learn,
Colonizing other planets, Using the World Wide Web for learning).
1.4. Textbook Evaluation
1.4. 1 Textbooks
Textbooks are an important element in a language teaching curriculum. They
are necessary for both teachers and learners as they give them confidence. According
to Brown (2001: 136), “The most obvious and most common form of material
support for language instruction comes through textbooks.” Hutchinson and Torres
(1994: 232) defined the role of textbooks in educational system as “a vehicle for
teacher and learner training, as a support and relief, as providing as complete a
picture as possible of what the change will look like and as a psychological support
they give to teachers.” It can be argued that although there are role plays,
conversations, discussions, and chalkboard work, none of them fulfills the role of
textbooks which are unified instructional materials, moreover as supporting materials
they play a very important role in the classroom (Brown, 2001).

1.4.2. Roles of Textbook
We are living in a multimedia age, although there are advantages of using a
computer to teach and learn a language, no matter how advanced technology is, it is
obvious that textbooks still play a key role in the education today.
According to Hoang Van Van (2012), textbooks are an important resource for
teachers in assisting students to learn. They are the foundation of school instruction
and the primary source of information for students and teachers. They serve as one of
the main instruments for shaping knowledge, attitudes and principles of our young
people. It is no exaggeration to say that “much of the language teaching that occurs
throughout the world today could not take place without the extensive use of
materials (textbooks)” (Richards, 2001). And in the opinions of many contemporary
scholars (e.g. Allwright, 1995; Cunningsworth, 1995; Gonzales, 1995; Tickoo, 1995;
O‟Neill, 1995; Hutchinson & Hutchinson, 1997; Richards, 2001; Ur, 2001; and
Harmer, 2005), textbooks are important to and useful for students, teachers,

9


education administrators, and, therefore, they are important to and useful for the
2020 Project as well. Here we only state the roles of textbook for students and
teachers.
For Students:
 Textbooks become the major source of contact students have with the
language apart from the input provided by the teacher.
 Textbooks make it possible for those students, who, for various reasons, have
missed lessons to catch up.
 Without textbooks, students think their learning is not taken seriously.
 A textbook is the cheapest way of providing learning material for each leaner,
alternatives, such as kits, sets of photocopied papers or computer software, are
likely to be more expensive relative to the amount of material provided.

 Students can use textbooks to learn new material, review and monitor
progress with some degree of autonomy.
 A textbook is a convenient package. It is bound, so that its components stick
together and stay in order, it is light and small enough to carry around easily;
it is of a shape that is easily packed and stacked; it does not depend on its use
on hardware or a supply of electricity textbook is a source of activities for
students to practice and communicate.
 A textbook is a reference source for students on grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation.
 A textbook is a source of stimulation and ideas for classroom activities.
 A textbook serves as the basis for much of the language input students receive
and the language practice that takes place in the classroom.
For Teachers:
 A textbook provides the foundation for the content of lessons, the balance of
the skills taught, as well as the kinds of language practice the students engage
in during class activities.
 For novice teachers, a textbook means security, guidance, and support, and a
form of teacher training. If teachers have limited teaching experience, a

10


textbook together with the teacher‟s guide can serve as a medium of initial
teacher training by providing ideas on how to plan and teach lessons as well
as formats that teachers can use.
 A textbook provides ready-made teaching texts and learning tasks.
 A textbook provides a clear framework: teacher and learner know where they
are going and what is coming next, so that there is a sense of structure and
progress.
 A textbook provides texts and learning tasks which are likely to be of an

appropriate level for most of the class. This saves time for the teacher who
would otherwise have to prepare his or her own materials.
 A textbook can provide effective language models and input. It can provide
support for non-native teachers who may not be able to generate accurate
language input on their own.
1.4.3. The Needs for Textbook Evaluation
The ever increasing number of textbooks on the market makes formulating the
right choice in textbooks difficult (Cunningsworth, 1995); (Green, 1926). Textbook
selection can have a massive impact on the teaching and learning process as teachers
would make references to the textbooks (Cunningsworth, 1995; Harmer, 1991) or
even design the entire EFL syllabus around it. In that sense, the quality of a textbook
might be so important that it can determine the success or failure of an ELT course
(Green, 1926). However, textbooks are often purchased without careful analyses
(Green, 1926). Frequently, a textbook selection is not based on its intrinsic
pedagogical value, but of the perceived prestige of the author and or the publisher
(Green, 1926), or skillful marketing by the publishers (McGrath, 2002). Preference is
given to books printed in attractive covers or that teaches would blindly use the bestselling textbooks which are used in many other places (Green, 1926; Tomlinson,
2010). A number of studies have suggested that most current global, local ELT
textbooks are developed for commercial purposes but are not based on principles of
language acquisitions and development recommended by scholars and educators
(Tomlinson, 2003; 2008). Financial success has become the primary goal of textbook

11


publishing (Sheldon, 1988). “Textbooks, like any other book that publishers print,
are pieces of merchandise; the ultimate objective of their production is for
commercial success” (Dendrinos, 1992: 35). Instead of contributing positively to
student‟s development in the acquisition of the English language, many textbooks are
in fact leading to learner‟s failure in acquiring the language and in the worst case,

contain serious pedagogical flaws and practical shortcomings (Litz, 2005).
According to Tomlinson (2008), the cause of learning failure is twofold. The
first cause of failure is that possibly motivated by the need of commercial success,
publishers would have to produce according to the public demand. Textbook writing
as a result is molded according to the liking of teachers, parents and administrators
with a heavy focus on teaching of linguistic items instead of creating opportunities
for students to acquire the language (Tomlinson, 2008). Also, teachers tend to choose
textbooks that are designed to allow for minimal preparation for their classes
(Tomlinson, 2008). The second cause of failure is that instead of focusing on how
learners could actually benefit from using textbook, textbook writers relied on their
intuition and produce materials what they think would work best for their intended
learners (Tomlinson, 2008: 7). They are biased toward perceived rather than actual
need of learners. In view of the above, it is therefore very important for us to conduct
EFL textbook evaluation so as to ensure ELT textbooks can effectively facilitate the
attainment of our teaching objectives, and at the same time, be economically viable
to teachers and students. Wrong choice of textbooks would be likely to negatively
affect both teaching and learning. Financial resources would also be wasted
(Sheldon, 1988).
1.4.4. Quality Standards for Textbook
According to Ornstein (1990), a good textbook has many desirable
characteristics. They were all organized, relatively up to date, and accurate. A good
textbook must be well organized. Here, textbook must have a good composition of
instructional materials. The materials must be organized clearly and contain of all
English skills. A good textbook is relatively up to date. It means that the material of
the textbook must contain the newest things, so it will give some new news or

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information to the students. Besides, “up-to-date” here also means up-to-date

methodology. The ESL textbook should be consistent with the psychological and
linguistic principles underlying current and accepted methods of 2nd language
teaching. Ornstein also presumed that a reliable textbook should be guidance for nonnative teachers. It can provide appropriate guidance so that novice teachers have no
doubts on the procedures proposed by the textbook. A good textbook should be
accurate. In this case materials in the textbook should not present wrong information
or presented in error grammatical language and incorrect words. A good course
book, according to him, is also the need for the second language learners and the
relevance to the socio-cultural environment. Textbook must suit multilingual settings
and have the distinction between English as a subject and English as a medium of
instruction in order to meet the demand of the students. It should be relevant to the
socio cultural environment because the 2nd language problems in learning vocabulary
and syntax often arise from differences between cultures associated with the target
language and the mother tongue.
According to Murcia (2001), a textbook categorized good if it is viewed from
the whole aspects of the textbook. They are subject matter, vocabulary and structure,
exercises, illustration, and physical appearance. A textbook is good if: The subject
matter covers variety of topics which are suitable with the curriculum. The ordering
of materials is arranged in logical form; the content grade is appropriate with the
students‟ need; and the materials are accurate up to date. The vocabulary and
structure which is used is appropriate with the students‟ grade; The vocabulary items
are controlled from the simple to complex one; The new vocabularies are repeated in
the next chapter to make the students‟ memory stronger; The sentences length is
suitable with the students‟ level; the structures gradually increase in difficulty level
to suit the growing ability of the students; the words that are used are the daily
words, and the sentence structures follow normal word order; the sentence and
paragraph follow one another in logical sequence; and linguistic items are introduced
in meaningful situation. A textbook can be said good if the exercises develop
comprehension and test knowledge of main ideas; involve vocabulary, structures,
and language skills which build up the students‟ ability; Provide practice in different

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types of written work (like sentence completion, spelling and dictation, guided
composition, and others); cumulatively test new materials; and develop meaningful
communication by referring to realistic activities. The illustration of a good textbook
should create a favorable atmosphere by depicting realism and reaction; be clear,
simple, free, and interesting; and directly related to the content to help the learners in
understanding the text. The last aspect is physical appearance. The cover is durable
enough; the text is attractive; the picture on the cover can make the students are
interested; and the size is suitable with the students‟ handle.
In the book entitled “The Guide for the Good Textbook” Ivi‟c, Pesikan and
Anti‟c, (2008) attempt to define general quality standards for textbooks. In their
research work, quality standards for the following areas have been defined as:
Group A: Quality standards for textbook sets
Group B: Quality standards for textbook as books for student use
Group C: Quality standards for thematic units
Group D: Quality standards for textbook content
Group E: Quality standards for the didactic design of textbooks
Group F: Quality standards for the language of textbook
Group G: Quality standards for electronic textbook components and electronic
textbooks.
Mamood (2009) based on studying internationally available criteria for
textbook evaluation and Garvin‟s (1988) eight dimensional model of quality product,
and, later on finalized them with the following characteristics of a textbook.
i. Conformity to curriculum policy and scope
ii. Vocabulary and format
iii. Horizontal and vertical alignment of the text
iv. Acceptability
v. Text reliability

vi. Cognitive development and creative thinking
vii. Learning and Assessment
viii. Bias free: diverse background of students, gender equality

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With various standards for a quality textbook, the writer selects the most
common quality standards to evaluate the textbook in terms of Objectives, Layout
and Design, Topics, Language Skills, Methodology, Types of Activities, Teaching
Aids, Linkage and Cultural Values. These quality standards cover almost all the
aspects that are necessary for evaluating a certain textbook.
1.4.5. Textbook Evaluation Methods
Impressionistic and In-depth Method
A famous ELT textbook evaluative researcher, Cunningsworth (1995) has
suggested that it would be best for textbook evaluation schemes to adopt a “leveled”
approach in evaluation in which a first level overview “impressionistic” evaluation
should be conducted followed by an in-depth evaluation.
Impressionistic evaluation is conducted by quickly looking through the
textbook cover to cover to try and get an overview of the strengths and weaknesses
of the book. An in-depth evaluation will be undertaken subsequently to provide a
detailed evaluation of specific items in each textbook on areas such as how the
exercises can cater for the syllabus and learners‟ needs (Cunningsworth, 1995;
McDonough & Shaw, 1993).
Pre-use Evaluation Method
Pre-use evaluation proposed by McGrath (2002) and Tomlinson (2003)
involves making decisions about the potential value of materials for their users.
In-use Evaluation Method
In-use (McGrath, 2002) or whilst-use evaluation (Tomlinson, 2003) involves
measuring the value of materials while using them or observing them as being used.

Post-use Evaluation Method
Post-use evaluation (McGrath, 2002; Tomlinson, 2003) measures the actual
effect of the materials on the users. As Tomlinson (2003: 25) states, post-use
evaluation can measure the actual outcome of the use of the materials and thus
provide the data on which reliable decisions about the use, adaptation or replacement
of materials can be made.

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Checklist Method
A checklist is an instrument that provides the evaluator with a list of features
of successful learning-teaching materials. As Tomlinson (2003) suggests, checklists
are categorized separately into quantitative, qualitative, or outline format.
Quantitative checklists are those that utilize rating scales with or without
accompanying questions. Qualitative checklists are those that use close/openended questions without rating scales and outline format checklists are those
without any rating scale and questions of any kind.
Harmer (1998) states that there are nine main areas which teachers should
consider in the books they evaluate: Price (5 items), Availability (6 items), Layout
and Design (5 items), Methodology (3 items), Skills (5 items), Syllabus (4 items),
Topics (5 items), Stereotyping (4 items), and the Teacher‟s guide (5 items). The
weighting in this checklist is based on the descriptive answers provided by the users.
In this study we exploited certain categories as Layout and Design, Skills, Topics to
design our questionnaire.
Rivers (1968) presents a set of criteria for textbook evaluation which is based
on seven major areas: Appropriateness for local situation (including 6 evaluative
items), Appropriateness for teachers and students (10 items), Language and
Ideational content (6 items), Linguistic coverage and Organization (9 items), Types
of activities (6 items), Practical consideration (7 items), and Enjoyment index (1
item). Each of these evaluating items also includes several questions that aim at

evaluating some features. The rating system in River (1968; 477-483)‟s checklist is
based on a 5-point scale: Excellent (1), Suitable (2), Will do (3), Not very suitable
(4), and Useless (5). We also used Language and Ideational and Types of activities
categories in Rivers‟ checklist to establish our own evaluative criteria.
Daoud and Celce-Murcia (1979) cited in Celce-Murcia, (2001) introduced a
broad evaluative checklist. They consider five major components for the textbook in
their checklist: Subject matter (including 4 evaluative items), Vocabulary and
Structures (9 items), Exercises (5 items), Illustrations (3 items), and Physical makeup (4 items). Also there is a section for teacher‟s manual which includes four major
parts: General features (including 5 evaluative items), Type and amount of

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