A pedagogical Evaluation of textbooks used in Mexico’s National English Program in Basic Education.

The main objective of this investigation was to evaluate the pedagogical value of two textbooks used in the National English Program in Basic Education in Mexico (NEPBE). The evaluation was addressed in two main perspectives. The first one consisted of the analysis of the textbooks’ physical characteristics, language content, text-types, tasks and activities, approach used, competencies development and cultural content. All these elements were analyzed according to teaching English to children’s theoretical foundations. The second perspective consisted of the evaluation of how the textbooks fulfilled the national syllabus. In general terms, it was found that both textbooks had some elements that can be considered appropriate for children. Nevertheless, it was concluded that the negative attributes far out-weighed the positive characteristics. An example of a negative attribute was an overwhelming quantity of linguistic knowledge that was not aligned with the NEPBE. Also, the majority of the tasks and activities can be categorized as grammar-oriented. The development of communicative competencies established in the PNIEB was not observed. Resumen El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue evaluar pedagógicamente dos libros de texto de inglés utilizados en el Programa Nacional de Inglés en Educación Básica en México (PNIEB). La evaluación se realizó en dos dimensiones. La primera consistió en el análisis del aspecto físico de los libros, el contenido del lenguaje, los tipos de textos, las tareas y actividades, el enfoque utilizado, el desarrollo de competencias y el contenido cultural. Todos estos elementos fueron analizados de acuerdo con fundamentos teóricos sobre enseñanza de inglés a niños. En la segunda dimensión se evaluó la forma en que los libros de texto cumplían con el currículo nacional. En términos generales se concluyó que ambos libros contenían elementos valiosos para la enseñanza a niños. Sin embargo, los aspectos negativos sobresalieron. Por ejemplo, se encontró una gran cantidad de información relativa al conocimiento lingüístico que los niños debían aprender, la cual no estaba indicada en el PNIEB. Asimismo, se observó que las tareas y actividades respondían a una metodología enfocada en la gramática y no en el desarrollo de competencias comunicativas como lo indica el PNIEB. Background In 2009, the Programa Nacional de Inglés en Educación Básica, PNIEB (National English Program in Basic Education, or NEPBE) was released as a pilot program by the SEP. Although specific textbooks have not been recommended in the NEPBE, the Ministry of Education had authorized until 2011 twelve publishing companies to develop textbooks for children (Sayer, 2012). The state English coordinators, made their decisions on what books to use according to the publishing companies’ offers. For example, cost and availability, the additional materials included, and the teachers’ training courses offered, were among the things taken into consideration. Due to the important role that the textbooks played in this National English program, it was relevant to evaluate them carefully. This study was focused on identifying the pedagogical characteristics that the textbooks (chosen at random) English from Fernández Editores, and Do it! from University of Dayton Publishing had in relation to the curriculum guidelines. These textbooks were used as a support for the NEPBE during the school year 20102011. The 1 This is a refereed article. 2 [email protected] MEXTESOL Journal, Vol. 37, No. 3, 2013 2 2 textbooks were also evaluated in order to see how they contributed to the learning goals set by the Ministry of Education. The main reason of this evaluating both books was because a Mexican company produced the first one and an American company launched the second. This differentiation seemed appealing for the researcher as it was important to analyze how culture was being promoted in each textbook which could vary according to each publishing company’s nationality. Also it was relevant to take into account that most series of course books to teach children are designed in English speaking countries which can be a disadvantage because it could not be appropriate to the students’ needs nor to the Mexican culture. As Graves (2000) states, ‘‘the content or examples may not be relevant or appropriate to the group you are teaching’’ (p. 147). Problem Statement Interest in evaluating the textbooks arose from four main concerns. Firstly, it was noticed that the textbook was one of the most used teaching materials in elementary schools (in the study I conducted in 2009). Secondly, the prerogative role that the course books had in the teaching and learning practices was identified. Thirdly, the realization was had that evaluating textbooks for teaching English was a not common practice. Finally after having revised the NEPBE’s objectives there was concern with the actual congruency among both of books. In this sense, authors such as Weir and Roberts (1994) support the evaluation of teaching materials by stating two main reasons. Firstly, the evaluation of the textbook “can inform theoretical disputes about directions to be followed in language teaching or in teacher education” (p.11). Second, it is a tool to indicate the suitability of particular approaches or techniques with the contexts in which they are being used. The evaluation of the textbooks can also be considered an educational necessity because: it can reveal how they are supporting the national curriculum to achieve the learning goals, it can show how they can be improved or serve as a justification to change them. Finally, by evaluating the books used at primary education, there can be an opportunity not only for revising their pedagogical value, the cultural component and their relation to the established curriculum but also for making proposals that recommend better materials that improve the teaching of English to children. Objectives of the study The main objective of the current research was to evaluate the overall pedagogical value of two textbooks used at the National English Program in Basic Education and their suitability towards it. Specifically, the textbooks used in 1st and 2nd grade, whose names were English, and Do it! The Specific Objectives were the following: 1. To evaluate the textbooks’ physical characteristics. 2. To contrast the textbooks’ language content with the CEFR’s specifications. 3. To evaluate the included textbooks’ text-types. 4. To analyze the contexts in which the tasks and activities of the chosen books are developed. 3 The study ‘Recursos Educativos en las Aulas Didácticas de Inglés en las Primarias Públicas de México’ was made from data that a group of researchers from Baja California Norte, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Sonora and Quintana Roo had collected as part of a national project called ‘La enseñanza del Inglés en las primarias Públicas de México’ coordinated by Dr. José Luis Ramirez Romero. MEXTESOL Journal, Vol. 37, No. 3, 2013 3 3 5. To determine to which extent the textbooks are aligned with the Social Practices Approach. 6. To evaluate how the textbooks’ content contribute to the development of specific competencies. 7. To analyze how culture is included in the course books. Research Questions The evaluation of the chosen books comprises seven categories: Appearance and organization, Language content, Text-types, Tasks and activities, Approach, Competencies development, and Cultural content. All of these categories aimed to answer the following general question: Are the textbooks used in 1 and 2 grades in the National English Program in Basic Education pedagogically appropriate for children, according to the syllabus guidelines and theoretical foundations? The specific research questions were: 1. Are the physical features, such as appearance and organization, of the textbooks used at the NEPBE appropriate for children of 1st, and 2nd grade? 2. What language content is included in the textbooks? 3. Are the text-types included in the textbooks coherent with the literary and ludic environment guidelines suggested in the NEPBE? 4. Are the tasks and activities offered by the textbooks developed in familiar, community, academic and educational environments as the NEPBE establishes? 5. Are the textbooks aligned with the Social Practices Approach suggested in the NEPBE? 6. Do the textbooks contribute to the development of the ‘specific competencies’, related to the doing with, knowing about, and being through the language? If so, how? 7. How do the textbooks incorporate the knowledge of other cultures and languages? Theoretical framework For children’s Foreign Language teaching, Cameron (2003) suggests an ordered sequence. It goes as follows: literacy (reading and writing) is separated from the rest since they represent more formal instruction. Oral-aural skills are introduced first because spoken language is the medium though which the new language is encountered, understood, practiced and learnt. Vocabulary will be introduced after (vocabulary is referred to as the words, their meaning and links between them). Just then, discourse skills or interaction, referring to conversations and extended talks, will be introduced. Finally, grammar will not be explicitly introduced but it will emerge from the space between words and discourse skills. The reasons why the teach should be focused on listening and speaking is because the youngest children ‘have not developed their writing ability in their mother tongue… teaching them the English writing may confuse them’ (House, 1997). Another reason is because teaching oral-aural abilities at early years can develop positive attitudes towards the language which in the future could contribute to the success of the rest of the communicative abilities (Burillo, et al, 2006).