IndexWhy Do Teachers Use Textbooks?How Do Teachers Use Textbooks?Textbook Evaluation Methods Textbook selection is a daunting, sometimes overwhelming prospect for both program administrators and teachers who teach English as a second language. Quereshi (1981) suggests that for "the teacher the textbook is usually the most pervasive influence in a course" and O'Neill (1982) believes that "no other medium is as easy to use as a book" (p. 107) . However, it is a perspective that has a significant impact on students' ability to achieve their language goals, define their learning capacity and inevitably influence learning outcomes. All stakeholders in a program, from politicians and administrators to teachers and students, rely heavily on textbooks to accomplish prescribed goals and objectives. Therefore, it is important to make informed decisions and effectively align textbook selection with students' academic needs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In assignment 1 "General Certificate English" textbook will be examined for assessment. The contents of the textbook are based on the previous syllabuses and articles of the University of Cambridge and the University of London for 'O' level students who are preparing for the GCE English language examination in Pakistan. The assessment will cover an overview of the basic organization of the textbook and individual chapters; importance is given to the general approach and learning of the language [accuracy/structure/grammar/vocabulary and fluency/communicative learning/proficiency]. I will examine textbook teaching, its limitations, and the importance of cultural context in language learning. There will be a focus on the strengths and weaknesses of textbook teaching, keeping in mind the aims and objectives set pertinent to the analysis of student needs. Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997) believe that textbook evaluation helps teachers engage beyond impressionistic evaluations and enables them to gain systematic and contextual insights into the overall nature of a textbook's material. For Activity 4 “Literature Review” I want to focus on “Using Textbook Teaching in ESL Classes.” The literature review will address the importance of textbook teaching and its broader impact on language learning. Does textbook teaching provide social and contextual dimensions to language learning? How does textbook teaching conform to the social-constructivist approach to learning by contextualizing students' conceptual understanding? Educators and researchers agree that the availability of textbooks in schools in developing countries is associated with student achievement: students perform better on tests when there are textbooks in the classroom (Heyneman et al. (1978 ), Fuller (1987), and Clarke (1993). However, we know very little about how teachers actually use these textbooks to help students learn. Despite the fact that textbooks are a staple in almost all ESL courses, it is surprising that limited investigations have been conducted in terms of how and why materials are selected by teachers. One reason may be that in 21st century communicative teaching they may appear to be experts who support and giveadvice on using textbooks. out of step with socio-constructivist teaching methodologies. However, no matter how much emphasis is placed on the use of authentic materials, teachers often do not have the additional time, or administrative support, to adopt all the materials necessary for their work. classes. ELT materials (textbooks) play a crucial role in language classrooms; In recent years, there has been much debate throughout the ELT profession about the importance of using diverse teaching materials in English as a second/foreign language (TESL/TEFL) classrooms. Issues as a result in recent years include the design and practicality of textbooks with an open discussion on methodological validity. There is a key focus on the role of textbooks in innovation, the authenticity of the materials in terms of language representation, and the appropriateness of the representation of genre, subject matter and cultural components. Why do teachers use textbooks? When examining textbook selection, it is important to consider why teachers use textbooks and how have they become the central focus of so many classrooms? The use of textbooks in teaching English as a second language plays a crucial role in language teaching and learning and is considered to be the second most important factor in the second/foreign language classroom compared to the teacher. As Hutchinson and Torres (1994) suggest: The textbook is an almost universal element of [English language] teaching. Millions of copies are sold every year, and numerous aid projects have been initiated to produce them in [various] countries... No teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete until it has its relevant textbook (p .315).Haycroft ( 1998) indicates that there are many advantages to using textbooks in an ESL classroom; they are psychologically essential for students because their progress and achievements can be concretely measured against prescribed goals. O'Neill (1982) suggests that textbooks are sensitive to students' needs, even if they are not made specifically for them, are time and money efficient, and should allow for adaptation and improvisation. Another benefit highlighted by Cunningsworth (1995) is the potential for textbooks to play additional roles within the ELT curriculum. He claims they are a good source of independent learning, a convenient resource for presenting concepts and activities, and a good reference point for students. Hutchinson and Torres (1994) pointed out that textbooks play a key role in innovation. They conclude that textbooks support teachers by demonstrating new and untested methodologies to create a scaffold on which teachers can build their own creative activities using different teaching strategies. Sheldon (1988) identified three main reasons why he believes textbooks are so widely used. First, developing teaching materials from scratch is a daunting task for teachers. Second, evaluation and planning play a central role in the teaching process and are time-consuming, thus limiting the teacher's time to develop new materials. Third, external pressures limit many teachers. It is a realistic reflection of the tensions teachers feel, and using a textbook is one of the most efficient and readily available ways to combat these obstacles. On the one hand, the use of lesson preparation time from textbooks and on the other hand provides ready-made activities and concrete examples of progress in the classroomthrough which the management/administrators can be satisfied. However, there are other, less positive reasons for using textbooks. Often, instead of selecting textbooks that meet curriculum objectives, “an approved textbook can easily become the classroom curriculum” (Lamie, 1999). Every time a teacher allows this to happen it is unfortunate because the needs and desires of the students are defeated in favor of the limited perspectives of the text. As Cunningsworth states "English course materials should be viewed as the teacher's servant and not as his master" {p.15, 1984}, which leads to the question of how texts are or should be used in a classroom . How do teachers use textbooks? Experts advocate a variety of methods for how teachers should use textbooks. Many authors believe that textbooks are only a starting point from which teachers are stimulated and challenged to create lessons for their classes. Allwright (1990) sees texts as "resource books for ideas and activities rather than as instructional materials." This perspective is supported by Cunningsworth as he believes that the published material provides the initial framework to be adopted by each individual teacher to meet the needs of their students. While these views may represent the ideal model of how texts can simply improve teacher effectiveness, they likely do not reflect actual classroom practices. Skierso admits that "most teachers tend to follow the sequence, methodology, pace and vocabulary of the text to the letter" (p.432, 1991). This situation occurs for a variety of reasons: ease of organizing classes, to provide stability for students, or at the behest of program administrators to ensure that comparable instruction is presented in courses. While few experts would advocate such adherence to any text, O'Neill believes that textbooks can meet student needs even if they were not designed specifically for a particular group of students and therefore benefit both instructor and student (Kitao , 1999). While beliefs about using textbooks can be as dichotomous as never bringing them into the classroom to use every page every day, the middle ground between these two is the most practical and useful approach for teachers, and most reflective of that which mostly happens in ESL. in classrooms, however, due to the growth of the ESL publishing market, teachers must be increasingly knowledgeable and sophisticated about textbooks in order to sort through the mass of books available. Textbook Evaluation Methods Although many academics may believe that the most effective way in which to Judge textbooks is to examine the linguistic objectives within them; specialists have provided a variety of approaches that can be used. Very often a content analysis of the text is recommended, but beyond this broad topic, what should be included? Hartley identifies three content areas that need to be addressed and advises evaluators to raise the follow-up questions: First, will the book achieve their instructional goals? Second, is the textbook material thorough and broad? And finally, does it have the ability to be integrated? (Hartley,1994, page 163). This last question raises concerns with many experts who discourage teachers from using textbooks extensively in the classroom. For them, Hartley's application would not even be taken into consideration. However, when faced with the decision to design the curriculum and choose relevant text, teachers must.