TEXTBOOK EVALUATION CHECKLIST As a teacher or more specifically as a language teacher, it is very important to choose a textbook in a critical manner for

your learners. As Richard (2001) stated the importance of the textbook as the fundamental of the content of the lesson, the balance of skills taught and the kinds of language practice that the students take part. Hence, textbook serve as the primarily to supplement the teachers instruction. For students, textbook may provide the major source of contact they have with the language apart the input provided by the teacher. As the scenario of my school, I am the only resource that the students have to provide materials for them to enhance their language learning. It is vital for me to understand my students well to help them to have the correct materials for them to use in language learning. As suggested by Chitravelu, Sithamparam and Teh (2005), a profile learner will help you to know your students better with some elements take under consideration. Below is the profile learner of my students that I am targeting to develop a checklist to evaluate suitable textbooks for them to use in class:Elements 1. Location of the school Learner from SMK Bongkol ,Pitas Rural school in Sabah without water supply and the nearest town with a bank is 58 KM away which will take 2 hours to reach due to the road condition. Students have limited exposure to English especially in my school the electricity supply has been available in the village just recent year (2006). So, the television and radio are not available.

2.

Learning ability

At my school setting, the students are mixed ability to slow and average learners. Students need more times to complete task and individual attention to perform well.

3.

Mother tongue

Most of my students are local native called Rungus where most of them speak in Rungus with family and friend. Bahasa Malaysia or the national language is their second language .So, English is only exposing formally in class for the students. The L1 and L2 language are influencing their learning in English.

4.

Socioeconomic of the Most of the students are from lower income family where family parents work as farmer, fisherman and foreman. Most of the slow learners not motivated to learn because they dont realize the importance of English. Meanwhile the average learners are motivated to learn but they need guidance and motivation from the environment.

5.

Motivation level

Assumptions These are the assumptions of how learning and teaching of English should be accorded the learner profile of Form 2 students in SMK Bongkol,Pitas:1. I believe that learning and teaching of English should be relevant to the students context as English is considered as a foreign language for them. It is important materials that they

use to be relevant to their background to bring meaningful learning for them .This was further suggested by Howard and Major (2003), the material should be contextualised to the experiences, realities and their first language of the learners The awareness of the leaners context is relevant in the textbook will link explicitly to what the leaners already know the base from their first languages and cultures. 2. As my students have low proficiency in English, the textbook should be able to help my students feel at ease. When students able to feel at ease, they will be able to benefit the language learning compare when they feel anxious. Tomlinson (2003) has argued that the responsibility to help students to feel at ease is in the teachers shoulder more than the material can offer is not true. He strongly believes that material can help in many ways to be user friendly to the students. 3. With the students perceptions toward English, I believe that material that can make an impact to the students will get focus in the language classroom. As Tomlinson (2003) mentioned material with an impact will attract students curiosity, interest and attention. When students are paying attention to the class with the materials that been provided, it will be a better chance that students can learn something in class. 4. In a language learning classroom, materials with clear instructions will help teachers to use the materials efficiently .It is important that the instructional that use in the material will help targeted students to enhance their language learning. As mentioned by Howard and Major (2003),appropriate instructional will help the pedagogical realisation in the classroom which students will learn more.

Textbook Evaluation Checklist I. General Attributes A. The book in relation to syllabus and curriculum 1) It matches the specifications of the syllabus B. Methodology 2) Activities can work well with methodologies in ELT C. Suitability to learners 3) It is compatible to the age of the learners 4) It is compatible to the needs of students 5) It is compatible to the interests of the learners D. Physical and utilitarian attributes 6) Its layout is attractive 7) It indicates different efficient use of text and visuals 8) It is durable 9) It is cost-effective E. Efficient outlay of supplementary materials 10) The book is supported efficiently by essentials like audio materials II. Learning-teaching content A. General 1) The tasks in the book are interesting. 2) The tasks move from single to complex in every topic. 3) Task objectives are achievable. 4) The language in the textbook is easily understood. 5) Dialogues in the textbook are related to real life situation. B. Listening 6) The textbook has appropriate listening tasks. 7) Tasks are authentic and close to real life situations C. Speaking 8) Activities are developed to initiate meaningful communication 9) Activities are balanced between individual, pair and group work D. Reading 10) Texts are interesting such as stories or poetry 11) Texts use simple English for better understanding E. Writing 12) Tasks are interesting. 13) Tasks have achievable goals and take into consideration learner capabilities F. Vocabulary 14) Number of new words in each lesson are appropriate to the level. 15) Good distribution of vocabulary load across the chapters and the whole book. 16) Words are efficiently repeated and recycled across the book. G. Grammar

17) The spread of grammar is achievable 18) Grammar is contextualized 19) Examples are interesting 20) Grammar is introduced explicitly and reworked throughout the book H. Pronunciation 21) It is contextualized 22) It is learner friendly I. Exercises 23) They are learner friendly 24) They are adequate for all levels of proficiencies 25) They cater to the needs of students with intermediate and low proficiency level
(Adapted from Mukundan, J. Hajimohammadani, R. & Nimechisalem, Textbook Evaluation Checklist)

References: Howard, J., & Major, J. (2004, October). Guidelines for designing effective English language teaching materials. In 9th Conference of Pan Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics.

Mukundan, J. Hajimohammadani, R. & Nimechisalem, V. (2011). Developing an English Language Textbook Evaluation Checklist. Contemporary Issues in Education Research. 4(6). Miekley, J. (2005). ESL Textbook Evaluation Checklist. The Reading Matrix. 5(20). Richards, J. C. (2001). The role of textbooks in a language program. New Routes. So Paulo. Tomlinson, B. (Ed.). (2003). Developing materials for language teaching. Burns & Oates.