Checklist for ESL Textbook Selection

Dawn Gardner (2002)

A. Program and Course

Does the textbook support the goals and curriculum of the program?

Is the textbook part of a series, and if so, would using the entire series be
appropriate?

Are a sufficient number of the course objectives addressed by the

textbook?

Was this textbook written for learners of this age group and background?

Does the textbook reflect learners preferences in terms of layout, design,

and organization?

Is the textbook sensitive to the cultural back-ground and interests of the

students?

B. Skills

Are the skills presented in the textbook appropriate-ate to the course?

Does the textbook provide learners with ad-equate guidance as they are
acquiring these skills?

Do the skills that are presented in the textbook include a wide range of
cognitive skills that will be challenging to learners?

C. Exercises and Activities

Do the exercises and activities in the textbook promote learners language

development?

Is there a balance between controlled and free exercises?

Do the exercises and activities reinforce what students have already

learned and represent a progression from simple to more complex?

Are the exercises and activities varied in format so that they will
continually motivate and challenge learners?

D. Practical Concerns

Is the textbook available?

Can the textbook be obtained in a timely manner?

Is the textbook cost-effective?

 Checklist for ESL Textbook Selection
Mohammad Reza Ghorbani (2011)

Criteria for EFL textbook evaluation Merit Score

A. Practical Considerations
1. Is it available locally?
2. Is it cost-effective?
3. Is the physical appearance interesting and attractive?
4. Is there an appropriate mix of graphics and text?
5. Is the layout clear and Well-organized?
6. Are the headings effectively used?
7. Is it appropriate for local situation?
8. Does it have an appropriate size, weight and title?
B. Skills
9. Are the skills presented in the textbook appropriate to the course?
10. Does the textbook provide learners with adequate guidance as they
are acquiring these skills?
11. Do the skills that are presented in the textbook include a wide
range of cognitive skills that will be challenging to learners?
12. Is the balance between listening, speaking, reading, and writing
skills development in the book appropriate to the particular
learners and learning situation?
13. Is the skills integration given sufficient attention?
14. Is the development of discourse and fluency skills given sufficient
attention?
C. Exercises and Activities
15. Do the exercises and activities in the textbook promote learners
language development?
16. Is there a balance between controlled and free exercises?
17. Do the exercises and activities reinforce what students have already
learned and represent a progression from simple to more
complex?
18. Are the exercises and activities varied in format so that they will
continually motivate and challenge learners?
19. Are there activities for communicative interaction and the
development of communicative strategies?
20. Are new structures presented systematically and in a meaningful
context?
21. Is the meaning of new vocabulary presented in context?
22. Is there sufficient work on recognition and production of
individual sounds for pronunciation practice?
23. Is there sufficient work on recognition and production of stress
patterns and intonation?
24. Is there a summary of new and reviewed grammar?
25. In general are the activities in the book neither too difficult nor too
easy for the learners?
D. Pedagogic Analysis
26. Is the book methodologically in line with current worldwide
theories and practices of language learning?
27. Does the book contain adequate formal learner achievement tests?
28. Is the book enabling learners to use English outside the classroom
situation?
29. Is the book sufficiently challenging to learners?
30. Are there mechanisms for giving regular feedback to learners?
31. Are new items reviewed and recycled throughout the book?
32. Does the book match the syllabus of the school to a sufficient
extent?
Is the time allowance indicated appropriate?
E. Appropriacy
33. Are the materials, instructions, language focus and activities in
general appropriate for the learners?
34. Will the textbook meet the long and short term goals specific to the
learners?
35. Does the material match learner objectives?
36. Does the material facilitate interactive learning?
37. Is the material socio-culturally appropriate?
38. Is the material up-to-date?
39. Are vocabulary and comprehensible input levels well-graded?
40. Is the material age-appropriate?
41. Is the material relevant to real life?
F. Supplementary Materials
42. Is a teachers book available and does it give useful and complete
guidance, along with alternative activities?
43. Is a workbook available and does it contain appropriate
supplementary activities?
44. Are audio-visual aids accompanied? And are they of good quality?
G. General Impression
45. Does it have clear objectives & instructions?
46. Does it include reasonable balance & range in skills and activities?
47. Does it motivate learners by pleasurable activities or arouse learner
interest?
48. Does it provide a variety of Communicative activities? Does it
promote the use of information/opinion gap?
49. Is the cultural tone of the book overall appropriate for use in the
setting?
50. Does the book encourage learners to assume responsibility for their
own learning?
 The Cultural Checklist
Nadia Abu Nuwar (2015)

Criteria for EFL textbook evaluation Score

43210
A. Rationale and Objectives

1. Does each unit in the Textbook have clearly stated goals?

2. Is the content of the Textbook consistent with the general objectives?
3. Does the cultural material increase the level of understanding regarding
the conventional behavior in various common situations in the target
culture(s)?
4. Does the cultural material present foreign cultural projects that involve
interacting and communicating with members of the local community
or using community resources?
5. Does the thematic content develop cultural awareness by understanding
the dynamic nature of the target culture(s)?

B. Social and Cultural Topics

6. Are the topics rich with different social aspects?

7. Do these social aspects fit the students' age?

C. Cultural Materials

8. Does the Textbook promote student's awareness of intercultural

understanding?
9. Does the Textbook promote active student participation to communicate
different values (i.e. punctuality, neat, working hard, mannerism, and
courtesy)?
10. Does the cultural content include generalization about the target
culture(s)?
11. Does the thematic material increase students' awareness and
appreciation of his/her own culture, as well as the target culture(s)?
D. Language Features and Language Skills
12. Are new vocabularies repeated in subsequent units for reinforcing the
meaning of the cultural content?
13. Does the Textbook develop the students' four language skills with the
themes of cultural content?

E. Class Activities and Cultural Activities

14. Does the content perform intercultural understanding and cross-

cultural communication in both cultures (i.e. knowing the meaning of
those words fitting the words into recognized patterns of class
activities?
15. Do they provide practice in oral skills to communicate the meaning of
different forms rather than learning about them, as well as to develop
students' productive skills (i.e. speaking and writing skills)?
16. Do the cultural activities provide students with opportunities to
participate in games, songs, celebrations, sports, or entertainment
representative of the foreign culture?

F. Exercises/ or Home Assignments

17. Are students given opportunities to use their interim language system
to communicate the meaning of cultural themes in meaningful
situations, as well as to express themselves again meaningfully?

G. Teaching Aids: Illustrations

18. Do the characters represent different nationalities, countries, and the

local society?
19. What do Illustrations tell us about the values of the social groups who
adopt them?
20. How are the people in the image dressed, and does the stereotype refer
always to the same group?

H. Teaching Aids: Teacher's Book and the Tape Scripts of the Audio
Cassettes.

21. Does the Manual Book help the teacher understand the rationale
objectives and methodology of the Textbooks as well as understand
how social values can be taught?
22. Do the audio cassettes promote students to have actual memorization
of dialogs, songs, poems, etc?
 ELT Course book Evaluation Checklist

Demir& Erta (2014)

Does the content serve as a window into learning about the target
language culture (American,British etc.)?
Are the subject and content of the course book interesting?
Subjects & Content

Is the content of the course book challenging enough to foster new

learnings?
Are the subject and content of the course book motivating?
Is the thematic content understandable for students?
Is there sufficient variety in the subject and content of the course
book?
Is the thematic content culturally appropriate?
Are the topics and texts free from any kind of discrimination (gender,
race etc.)?
Is there a relationship between the content of the course book and
real-life situations (society)?
Do the topics and texts in the course book include elements from both
local and target culture?
Reading Are there adequate and appropriate exercises and
tasks for improving reading comprehension?
Is there is a wide range of different reading texts
with different subject content?
Are the reading selections authentic pieces of
language?
Listening Does the course book have appropriate listening
tasks with well-defined goals?
Is the listening material well recorded, as authentic as
possible?
Is the listening material accompanied by background
information, questions and activities which help
Skills

comprehension?
Speaking Does the course book include speech situations
relevant to students background?
Are the activities developed to initiate meaningful
communication?
Does the course book include adequate individual
and group speaking activities?
Writing Are models provided for different genres?
Do the tasks have achievable goals and take into
consideration learner capabilities?
Is practice provided in controlled and guided
composition in the early stages?
Sub-skills Vocabulary Does the vocabulary load(i.e. the number of new
words introduced every lesson) seem to be
reasonable for the students of that level?
 Is there is a good distribution (simple to complex) of
vocabulary load across chapters and the whole book?
Do the vocabulary exercises promote internalization
of previously and newly introduced items?
Are the new vocabulary words repeated in
subsequent lessons to reinforce their meaning and
use?
Is the new vocabulary integrated in varying contexts
and situations?
Grammar Are the grammar points presented with brief and
easy examples and explanations?
Is the primary function of new structures for
interaction and communication?
Do the structures gradually increase in complexity to
suit the growing reading ability of students?
Are the new structures presented systematically and
in a meaningful context?
Pronunciation Is there sufficient work on recognition and
production of stress patterns, intonation and
individual sounds?
Are the pronunciation points repeated and reinforced
in subsequent lessons?
Does the course book cover other sub-skills like note-
taking, skimming, scanning, inferring meaning,
listening for gist, etc.?
Languag Is the printing quality high?
e and Does the course book look interesting and fun?
Does the course book include a detailed overview of
physical
the functions and structures that will be taught in
make-up each unit?
Does the course book reflect learners preferences in
terms of layout, design, and organization?
Does the course book contain enough pictures,
diagrams, tables etc. helping students understand the
printed text?
Are the illustrations informative and functional?
Do the size and weight of the course book seem
convenient for students to handle?
 Is the course book up-to-date(e.g. published within
the past 10 years)?
Is the course book easily accessible?
Is the course book affordable?
Practical Does the course book have supplementary
Consider materials(tapes, visuals etc.)?
ation Does the course book have supporting online
materials/tests and e-format?
Does the book address different learning styles and
strategies? Do the activities and exercises introduce
the main principles of CLT?
Does the course book include self-assessment parts?
Can the activities be exploited fully and embrace
various methodologies in ELT?
Is / are the type/s of syllabus design used in the
book appropriate for learners?
Can the course book easily be integrated into
technology, thereby allowing for individual study
outside the school?
Does the course book fit curriculum/goals?
Are the objectives specified explicitly in the course
book?
Is the course book designed by taking into account
the learners socially and historically English-free
status?