Selecting Coursebooks

GROUP 1:
ANDREA RIO HENDRAWAN
DEWANGGA ANDHIKA YUDA
INGGIT AGRINDA YUMANIKE
R. SETYA WIBAWA CHANDRA KIRANA
Selecting Coursebooks

Selecting the appropriate coursebooks needs a lot of consideration.

The user of the books, of course, affected by so many factors that make their
standard for the coursebooks. They want the coursebooks to fulfill their needs,
simpler, and help them to understand the materials easier.

So how to choose the most appropriate coursebooks?

 Approaches to Evaluation

Just looking through it and getting an overview of its

The Impressionistic possibilities and its strengths and weaknesses. Also, looking at
Approach the features of the course book such as the quality of the visuals,
the layout.

More penetrating in its approach and has its own agenda. We

The In-Depth need to examine how specific items are dealt with, the things
Evaluation that relate to students’ learning needs, syllabus requirement, etc.
 Deciding on a Checklist

Using a checklist can help us to choose the most appropriate coursebooks.

Here is some examples of the point to be involved in the checklist.

In Term of Aims and Design and The Language

Skills
Approaches Organization Content

Practical
Topic Methodology Teachers’ Books
Considerations

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 • The compability between the
coursebook's aims with the aims
of programme and the needs of
the learners
• The suitability between the
In Term of Aims coursebook and the learning
situation
and Approaches • The comprehensiveness and the
coverage of the coursebook
• The flexibility that it can support
the teacher to do a different
teaching styles

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 • The multeity components type
(workbooks, students books, cassetes)
• The way it is organized (structures,
function)
• The way it is sequenced (complexity,
learnability, usefulness, etc)

Design and • The suitability of the grading and

progression to students
Organization • The avaibilty of adequate recycling and
revision
• The avaibility of reference sections for
grammar and the suitabilty for
individual study
• The clarity of the layot and the
difficulty to find it
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 • The suitability of coverage of the
main grammar items to each level
• The adequacy of vocabulary in terms
of quantity and range, emphasis
placed on vocabulary development,
and the strategies for individual
learning
The Language • The availability of material for
pronounciation work (sounds, word
Content and sentence stress, intonation)
• The avaibility of the structuring and
conventions of language use above
sentence level (conversations,
extended writing, etc)
• The compability of language style
and the social situation Back
 • The coverage of four skills of english
• The avaibility of material for integrated skills
work
• The suitability of reading passages and
associated avtivities for the students' levels,
interests, and so on and the sufficiency of
reading materials.
• The appropriateness of listening material (the
Skills authencity, the avaibility of background
information, questions and activities which
help comprehension)
• The suitability of spoken english materials to
real-life interactions
• The suitability of writing activities in terms of
amount of guidance/control, degree of
accuracy, organization of longer piece and the
use of appropriate styles Back
 • The availability of sufficient material of
genuine interest to learners
• The variability and the broad range of topic
• The capability of the topics to help
expanding the students' awareness and
enrich their experience
• The sophistication of the topic in content
Topic and language level
• The capability of the coursebook to make
students to be able to relate to the social
and cultural context in the coursebook
• The depiction of gender equality
• The availability of the representation of the
other groups (ethnic, origin, occupation,
etc)
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 • The appropriateness of approaches to the
learning situation
• The compability of the level of active
learner expectations with the students'
learning styles and expectations
• The suitability of the techniques used
with the learners

Methodology • The way the different skills are taught

• The way communicative abilities
developed
• The avaibility of advice/help to students
on study skills and learning strategies
• The expectations for the students to take
a degree of responsibility for their own
learning Back
 • The avaibility of adequate guidance
for the teachers who will be using
the coursebook and its supporting
materials
• The teachers' book
comprehensiveness and
supportiveness
Teachers’ Books • The coverage of adequate teaching
techniques, language items and
culture-specific information.
• The avaibility of basic premises and
principles underlying the material
• The avaibilty of keys to the
execises
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 • The cost of the whole package
• The durability and the
Practical attractiveness of the book
• The obtainability of the books
Considerations • The requirement of equipment that
will be needed by parts of the
package

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Selecting the Best Available Coursebooks

These following steps are used to select the best available coursebook:

Identify the Analyze the learning

objective and situation (which
purpose of the materials is going to
teaching program be used)

Choose the book

based on the Draw up a list of
criteria that fulfill potential course-
specific needs and book
circumstances
Specifying Aims and Analyzing the
Learning/Teaching Situation

Teachers can make their goals more specific by using another checklist.
These are some points that can be reference:

The Learning/Teaching
Aims and Objectives
Situation

The Learners The Teachers

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 • The aims of the program (English
program )
• Note for specifying objectives, e.g.
Aims and in items of language items
functions, skills to be covered

Objectives • The details of syllabus, the context

and organize
• The measurement of achievement
in aims and objectives

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 • The status and role of English in
learners’ home countries

The Learning/ • The main reasons for learning

English

Teaching Situation • The time management of program

• The class size for learners
• The facility that are served

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 • The learners age, levels, and
expectation
• Learners experience in learning
The Learners language
• Learning styles that preferred
by learners
• Learners interests

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 • The role of teacher in
educational system
• Methodological approach that
teacher prefer to use
The Teachers • The level of initiative in
teaching
• Their ability to adapt or
supplement the standard
coursebook

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The Role of The Coursebooks

Course book has been seen as resource in achieving aims and objectives that has set in learners needs. The
relation between teacher and course book it is important because they’re partnership that share the same goals.
Course book roles in ELT and can serve as :
1. A resource for presentation material (spoken and written)
2. A sourse of activities for learners practice and communicative interaction
3. A reference source for learners on grammar, vocabulary, etc
4. A source of stimulation and ideas for classroom language activities
5. A syllabus
6. A resource for self-directed learning or self- access work
7. A support for less experienced teacher
Thank you!