How are ELT Materials Chosen in High Schools? Some Suggestions

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amacı Türkiye’de lise düzeyinde İngilizce yabancı dil ders malzemelerinin nasıl seçildiklerini araştırmaktır. Veriler özel liselerde, devlet anadolu liselerinde ve düz devlet liselerinde görev yapan toplam 107 İngilizce öğretmeninin katılımı ile elde edilmiştir. Bulgular İngilizce yabancı dil ders malzemelerinin seçiminde bilimsel bir ölçütün kullanılmadığı ve İngilizce öğretmenlerinin malzeme seçiminde sınırlı bir rollerinin olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu olumsuz bulgular üzerine çözüm olarak, çalışmanın sonunda, yabancı dil malzemelerin nasıl değerlendirilebileceği konusunda bir sistem önerilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İngilizce ders malzemeleri, yabancı dil malzemesi değerlendirme, yabancı dil malzemesi değerlendirme sistemi

-

Öz

The aim of this paper is to investigate how English language teaching materials are chosen in Turkey. Thirty-seven schools were visited and observed for this study. The data were obtained from 107 English teachers from private high schools, state Anatolian high schools, and regular state high schools through a questionnaire and interview. The research indicated, rather than taking sound materials evaluation criteria into account, some non-academic factors are considered while choosing ELT materials. Furthermore, English teachers have limited role in the evaluation process. In addition to these findings, the method in which ELT materials should be chosen and what system should be used in the materials evaluation process are also discussed in this paper.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ELT materials, materials evaluation, materials evaluation criteria

Kaynakça

1. Barrios, M.L. and de Debat, V. (2006). Minding the needs of the Argentine learner: global textbooks and their adapted version for the local context. Folio, 10 (2), 14-16.
2. Breen, M. P. and Littlejohn, A. (Ed.) (2000). Classroom decision-making: negotiation and process syllabuses in practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language teaching and learning. White Plains, NY: Pearson and Longman.
4. Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum. Boston, Massachusetts: Newbury House.
5. Büyükduman, F.İ. (2005). The opinions of elementary school English teachers on the English curriculum for elementaryschools. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Egitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 28, 55-64.
6. Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Oxford, Heienemann.
7. Daloğlu, A. and Işık Taş, E. (2007). Assessing English language learners’ needs and lacks. Education and Science, 32(146), 64-79
8. Davies, A. (2006). What do learners really want from their EFL course? ELT Journal, 60(1), 3-12.

9. Dubin, F. and Olshtain, E. (1986). Course design. New York: Cambridge University Press.
10. Ehrman, M., Leaver, B. L., and Shekhtman, B. (2005). Achieving successin second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres.
11. Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
12. Ellis, R. (1997). The empirical evaluation of language teaching materials, ELT Journal, 51(1), 36–42.
13. Ellis, R. (2008). Principles of instructed second language acquisition. CAL. December. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/digest_pdfs/Instructed2ndLangFinalWeb.pdf.
14. Gass, S. M. and Selinger, L. (1994). Second language acquisition. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
15. Gebhard, J. G. (1999). Teaching English as a foreign or second language. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.
16. Graves; K. (1996). Teachers as course developers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17. Graves, K. (2000). Designing language courses. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
18. Graves, K. (2001) A framework of course development processes. In Hall, D.R. & Hewings, A. (eds.) Innovation in English language teaching. London: Routledge.
19. Grossman, P. and Thompson, C. (2008). Learning from curriculum materials: scaffolds for new teachers? Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 2014– 2026.
20. Harmer, J. (2003). The practice of English language teaching. Essex: Longman.
21. Hernandez, T. (2006). Integrative motivation as a predictor of success in the intermediate foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 39(4), 605-618.
22. Johnson, K., Kim, M., Ya-Fang, L., Nava, A., Perkins, D., Smith, A.M., Soler-Canela, O. and Lu, W. (2008). A step forward: investigating expertise in materials evaluation. ELT Journal, 62 (2), 157-163.
23. Kaewpet, C. (2009). A framework for investigating learner needs: needs analysis extended to curriculum development. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 6(2), 209–220.
24. Krashen, S. D. (2008). The din in the head hypothesis: comments on de Bot: Modern Language Journal, 92(39), 349.
25. Krashen, S. (2012). Academic proficiency (language and content) and the role of strategies. TESOL Journal, 2(4), 381-393. McDonough, J. and Shaw, C. (1996). Materials and methods in ELT. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
26. McGrath, I. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
27. McGrath, I. (2006). Teachers’ and learners’ images for coursebooks. ELT Journal, 60 (2), 171-180.
28. Mishan, F. (2005). Designing authenticity into language learning materials. Portland, OR, USA. : Intellect.
29. Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching and learning. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
30. Pardo, A.N. and Tellez, M.A. (2009). ELT Materials: The key to fostering effective teaching and learning settings. PROFILE, 11(2), 171-186.
31. Petter, W. (2000). A Coursebook evaluation. Birmingham: University of Birmingham Centre for English Language Studies. Purgoson, K. B. (1991). Planning lessons and units (Ed. Marianne Celce-Murcia) Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 419-431). Boston, Massachusetts: Heinle and Heinle.
32. Richard-Amato, P. (1988). Making it happen. New York. Longman.
33. Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
34. Jack C. Richards , J.C. (2006). Materials development and research—making the connection. RELC, 37(1), 5-26.
35. Santos, D. (2006). Framing the textbook in the classroom events. Folio, 11(1), 14-19.
36. Sheldon, L.E. (Ed.) (1987). ELT textbooks and materials: problems in evaluation and development. ELT documents 126. London: Modern English Publications/The British Council.
37. Skierso, A. (1991). Planning lessons and units. (Ed. Marianne Celce-Murcia) Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 432-453). Boston, Massachusetts: Heinle and Heinle.
38. Tomlinson, B. (2003). Developing materials for language learning. London: Continuum.
39. Willis, D. (2000). Syllabus and materials. Birmingham: The Center for English Language Studies.
40. Yuen, K. (2011). The representation of foreign cultures in English textbooks. ELT Journal, 65 (4), 458-466.