The relevance of using textbooks wisely

There are some good reasons to use prudently a coursebook  to teach English as a foreign language. A textbook is a tool that helps not only the students but also the teacher to organize their teaching learning process. Using an appropriate book helps the teacher to save time to do other activities to support what they are studying on the textbook.  Of course teachers should not rely only on the textbook they bought for a specific course; instead, the facilitator should adapt, and obviously, create more activities to complement the selected book to easily address the students’ realities and needs. A well selected textbook attracts student’s attention, produces spaces for authentic communication, and provides tools to reflect on the teaching learning process.

To use textbook, teachers must start thinking on the students first, and then analyze carefully the selection of the best suitable option of the textbook. In order to scrutinize the appropriateness of using a coursebook, there are some recommendations that facilitators should follow: first, create a textbook evaluation form that fits students, curriculum and teachers’ expectations. Page layout is very important but it is not all. There must be a scale to evaluate the extension activities, table of contents, the proficiency level of the textbook, the teacher and students role, if the book is affordable, easy to understand, if it includes the five skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture. In addition, the images must be clear and without cultural biases. A good updated book embraces glossary, pronunciation, web pages to have extra practice or to consult on.

Motivating students is not something new but it is an effective strategy to wisely use the textbook.  Combining the textbook with interesting videos, songs, boardgames and other practices raises the fact that the course becomes interesting and appealing to students. Next time dear teacher you choose a book to teach personalize the lessons to adapt and design good activities to maintain students’  curiosity and desires to learn and practice what are learning. As Cunningsworth states the relevance of using the textbooks appropriately:

No coursebook will be totally suited to a particular teaching situation. The teacher will have to find his own way of using it and adapting it if necessary. So we should not be looking for the perfect coursebook, which meets all our requirement, but rather for the best possible fit between what the coursebook offers and what we as teachers and students need. (89)

Cunningsworth, A. Evaluating and Selecting EFL Teaching   Materials.

Heinemann Educational Books. 1984.

The Challenge of Material Evaluation

Material is a relevant part of the English teaching-learning process. Designing material is a more current practice that also needs to be assessed to avoid possible constraints. The same occurs when professors adapt or adopt materials because there is always the need to contextualize learning, to establish the outcomes, and to analyze content.

      Material evaluation is a fundamental underpinning in the process of teaching English. In the last years research has proved that evaluating material is a healthy and indispensable practice that every teacher should scrutinize to effectively address students. For selecting or designing appropriate material to students, first, professors need to think on the target population. That is evaluating the students’ needs, ages, curriculum, educational environment, and other pertinent aspects. Second, assessing material assumes the idea of having a great variety of interactive activities that really promote the use of the language. Third, the call for incorporating real language for students to have authentic and challenging input; hence, selecting the material is not too simple or too complex. Fourth, the material should appeal and catch students’ interest, so it is crucial that material looks attractive. Fifth, the material should be clear and unambiguous; the images and the instructions need to be understandable and simple. Sixth, material should also have something related to culture, and how to sensitize students to understand others. 

      In any case, creating, adapting, or adopting materials there is always the need to make evident how effective and appropriate the material is for your specific teaching situation. The new trends of teaching are giving more emphases to the learners. In other words, teachers must know the students to successfully select or make the most suitable material for them. For instance, looking for appropriate songs with a message or videos related to studied topics are examples of materials that are attractive and in which there can be developed an endless list of activities such as commenting the message, agreeing or disagreeing, acting out, filling the blanks, asking and answering information questions, reacting to the song/ video, and so on.

Pedagogical material

           

        The most updated learning theories show that foreign language learning should be Student- centered. This approach suggests educators to take care of how learners work, what they need and what their interests are.  When teaching English as a foreign language, materials and other pedagogical tools must be developed according to  the specific group of learners’ needs in order to address students appropriately and effectively. Teachers must focus on their specific teaching situation.

 

          There has been a need to adapt, create, and adopt different materials to support the lessons. Nowadays, there is an endless list of materials that helps students engage in their learning, and it is the instructor’s task to evaluate it to benefit students directly. In addition, selecting materials is not an easy job; it has become a real challenge. The idea of designing the best materials lies upon how well teachers know their students and having clear goals, objectives and principles.

     The most updated learning theories show that foreign language learning should be Student- centered. This approach suggests educators to take care of how learners work, what they need and what their interests are.  When teaching English as a foreign language, materials and other pedagogical tools must be developed according to  the specific group of learners’ needs in order to address students appropriately and effectively. Teachers must focus on their specific teaching situation.

     This task becomes more interesting with the use of complementary materials. When materials are used properly, they become a trigger of opportunities for learners. Materials should be authentic and must invite students to use the foreign language to succeed in real-life situations and in their classroom environment. However, I cannot teach a course based on a textbook only. I need to understand that textbooks are massive material; they are not designed for our specific teaching situation. On the other hand, textbooks do have many other advantages. When selecting a textbook, I usually pay attention or just think about the main objectives of the course, the learners’ level, age, motivation, cultural clues, publishing date, and practicality to modify activities according to a student’s specific situation, content, and syllabus. In addition, if the textbook has interactive activities, flexibility to add or change particular aspects, an affordable price, a clear layout, illustrations and clear language usage I would take the advantages of using it. In selecting materials teachers need training, or at least taking a look at Tomlinson’s principles of materials development.

    
     Pedagogical materials do have a great positive impact on students' language skills. I hope teachers motivate themselves to create or adapt their own material to really meet learners' needs.