The article that I read states a very realistic fact about a number of programs that are still available were written many years ago (1960s) and do not reflect the importance of communication and language acquisition we need today.
We need to search for materials that are helpful according to our students environment and reality.
When age appropiate materials appear, the best of them will have more in common with thematic, integrated materials for the elementary school than with the traditional high school textbook.
Even when a satisfactory text is available, it represents only a starting point for the curriculum. Supplementary materials and activities chosen or devised by the teacher respond to the interests and needs of children , and they constitute the most dynamic part of elementary school foreign language instruction.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING TEXTBOOKS
As teachers of a foreign language, the following are some questions to remember in order to evaluate materials:
- Do the materials reflect authentic use of the language?
- Are the goals of the program or authors clear?
- Does communication rather than grammar serve as the organizing principle?
- Is the material oriented to activity and experience rather than to exercise and drill?
- Is culture presented from a global perspective rather than focusing on a single country or region?
- Are the materials adaptable to different program models adn time allocations?
- Do the materials provide options for variety of students learning styles?
- Is there a teacher's manual with abundant suggestions for the teacher?
- Are the materials affordable?
Materials are very necessary in our daily lessons, but we careful and selective in order to reach the goals and have better performance of the language.
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