Developing criteria for textbook evaluation
Abstract
This article shows how criteria can be developed for evaluating English language textbooks. It presents a scheme for evaluation which can be used to draw up a checklist of items relevant to second (or foreign) language teaching. Instructions for using the checklist are given as a way of suggesting how teachers can evolve their own criteria for different situations.
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Williams (1983) proposed an evaluative scheme with four criteria.
“Williams (1983) proposed an evaluative scheme that consists of four criteria: up-to-date methodology, guidance for non-native teachers, meeting the learning goals oflanguage learners, and relevance to the socio-cultural environment.”
From Investigating Critical Thinking in ELT Textbooks: A Systematic Literature Review of Textbook Evaluation Studies (2024) · cites this paper as Williams, 1983
Cited by
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Materials development for language learning and teaching
Tomlinson, B. (2012) · Language Teaching · doi:10.1017/s0261444811000528 · Cited by 811 · see citing works
Developing an English Language Textbook Evaluative Checklist
An Assistant Professor at Al Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, C. O. L. A. T., & Mohamed, M. (2013) · IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSRJRME) · doi:10.9790/7388-0135570 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Developing a CLIL textbook evaluation checklist
LÓPEZ MEDINA, B. (2016) · Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning · doi:10.5294/laclil.2016.9.1.7 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“At the same time, there is a connection between teaching tied to textbook and shortage of teachers (Williams, 1983, p. 251).”
BackgroundSoe, T. (2024) · Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.31261/tapsla.13882 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
- Authors
- Williams, D.
- Corresponding author
- Williams, D.
- Venue
- ELT Journal
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1983-07-01
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 251-255
- ISSN
- 0951-0893 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-4526
- OpenAlex
- W2078696343
- Cited by
- 260
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 4.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- ELT Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › English Language Learning and Teaching
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Methods and Analysis
- Keywords
- textbook evaluation, evaluation criteria, English textbooks, second language teaching, foreign language teaching, evaluation checklist
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