An Evaluation of English Textbooks Used in Iranian High Schools: Teachers’ and Learners’ Attitudes
Subject Areas : Research in English Language PedagogyFirouzeh Torki 1 , Azizeh Chalak 2
1 - MA in TEFL, Department of English, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of English, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Keywords: Iranian Teachers&rsquo, and Learners&rsquo, Attitude, learners&rsquo, needs, Textbook evaluation, CLT, communicative competence,
Abstract :
The quality of a textbook might have fundamental roles that it can determine the success or failure in teaching and learning course. The present study evaluated English textbooks used in Iranian high schools, which are claimed to have been published based on the components of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. The purpose of this study was to explore high school teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the Iranian high school English textbooks. To fulfill the objectives, a questionnaire consisting of 45 questions related to high school English textbooks was administered to 150 male and female high school students and their teachers in Isfahan, Iran. The participants were also interviewed in terms of their attitudes towards CLT and its implementation in Iranian high school English textbooks. The descriptive analysis of the data indicated that Iranian teachers and learners in Isfahan had a positive attitude towards the English textbooks based on the CLT principles. The majority of participants stated that 80 percent of CLT principles were currently practiced in Iranian high school English textbooks; however, some changes might improve the quality of these English textbooks.
Alavi Moghaddam, B., Khodaparastan, Sh., Kheirabadi, R., Anani Sarab, M., Foruzndeh, E., & Ghorbani, N., (2012). English for schools: Prospect 1. Tehran: Iran's School Book Publishers.
Celce-Murcia, M. (1989). Direct approaches in L2 instruction: A turning point in communicative language teaching? TESOL Quarterly, 31(1), 141-152.
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Oxford: Heinemann.
Fairclough, N. L. (1989). Language and power. Longman,UK.
Karavas-Doukas, E. (1996). Using attitude scales to investigate teachers' attitudes to the communicative approach. ELT Journal, 50(3), 187-98.
Lawrence, W. P. W. (2011). Textbook evaluation: A framework for evaluating the fitness of the Hong Kong new secondary school (NSS) curriculum (Doctoral dissertation, City University of Hong Kong).
Li, D. (1998). “It’s always more difficult than you plan and imagine”: Teachers’ perceived difficulties in introducing to communicative language approach in South Korea. TESOL Quarterly, 32(4), 677-703
Liao, X. (1997). A brief introduction to the communicative language teaching. 29p.
McGrath, I. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
Pourhassan Moghaddam, B. (2013). A critical evaluation of English textbooks currently in use in Iran private language schools. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Sadeghi, K., & Richards, J.C. (2014). The idea of English in Iran: An example from Urmia, World Englishes.
Sheldon, L. (1988). Evaluating ELT textbook and materials. ELT Journal, 42 (4), 237-246.
Tomlinson, B. (2008). English language learning materials: A critical review. London: Continuum
Vellenga, H. (2004). Learning pragmatics from ESL and EFL textbooks: How likely? TESL-EJ, 8(2). Retrieved from: http://www.teslej.org/wordpress/pastissues/ volume8/ej30/ej30a3/
Weiten, W., Deguara, D., Rehmke, E., & Sewell, L. (1999). University, community college, and high school students' evaluations of textbook pedagogical aids. Teaching of psychology, 26(1), 19-21.
Zohrabi, M. (2011). Course book development and evaluation for English for general purposes course. English Language Teaching, 4(2), 213-222. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v4n2p213