Coursebook evaluation

Teaching a foreign language does not necessarily mean teaching from a coursebook.
However, using a coursebook is probably the most common way of teaching English today.
First of all, it is good to establish what the role of coursebooks in the learning/teching process is or,
better still, should be. Many institutions present the syllabus in terms of the main coursebook to be
used: by a certain date teachers are expected to have covered a certain number of units in the book.
Such an approach obviously underestimates the role of learners, not taking their needs and specific
characteristics into consideration.
It is very important to realize that a textbook is an aid, not a sacred text. Teachers should work
out the best ways to use their books but they should never let the book use them. Coursebooks
must be at the service of teacher and learners, not their masters.
Quite often teachers complain about coursebooks that need supplementing. The truth is: all
coursebooks need supplementing. The point is just to decide how much and what kind of
supplementing a coursebook requires, always according to the needs and characteristics of a
particular learner or a group of learners.
When we want to organize a syllabus in Polsich school, we have 3 choices:
1) We can take a syllabys that is aready made in coursebook- but it's problematic, because you
can n't change it
2) we can take the published syllabus and adapt it- but you have to make sure that core
curriculum is included
3) you can create your own syllabus- but you have to plan it for a 3 years
Obviously teachers will want to evaluate the whole coursebook package (or coursebook set), not
just the students book. The whole set usually consists of
-Students Book
-Teachers Book
-Workbook
-Activity Book
-Cassettes/ CD
-Tests
-Video + Activity Book + Teachers Book
-CALL materials (CALL refers to Computer Aided Language Learning)
-Internet support (available e.g. for coursebooks published by Macmillan or by OUP. Teachers who
register can get materials regularly on their e-mail.)
During in-depth evaluation the following items can be considered:
AIMS AND APPROACHES:
does the textbook cover the core curriculum
do the aims of the textbook meet sts needs
is it suitable for you to teach situations
is it a good resourse for the teacher and for the sts
is it flexible, does it allowed for different teaching and learning styles
is it part of a series
DESIGN AND ORGANIZATION
is the contents organized in terms of a) topics b) structures and/or functions c) skills
is the organization clear
is the grading and progression suitable for your sts
is there enough material for revision and recycling
is some of the material suitable for the individual study

 is the layout clear

are the pictures clear and relevant to the activities
are the instructions easy to follow
CONTENT
is there a variety of the activities
are the activities motivational
is the vocabulary a) appropriate for the lvl b) useful in terms of the sts needs
is there pronunciation material included
are the structure and functions contextualize
are the topics relevant for the sts ages and interests
is there inf about the culture
if it's book for younger learners, it'score curriculum form
SKILLS
is it practice given in all skills, is it balanced
ACTIVITIES
is there a balance between conrolled activities, less controlled activities and free activities
do the activities stimulate sts creativity
METHODOLOGY
is the approach the language learning suitable
is project work included
is there informations for the T clear and useful
is there advice about assessment
are self assesment activities included in the book