A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST

This study aims to suggest a checklist for teachers and researchers to analyze English as a second or foreign language textbooks from a sociolinguistic perspective. In the literature there is not a checklist or framework by which English textbooks can be evaluated considering the sociolinguistics is...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cihat Atar, Cahit Erdem
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Preschool Teacher Training College "Mihailo Palov" 2020-12-01
Series:Istraživanja u Pedagogiji
Subjects:
Online Access:http://research.rs/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2217-7337_v10_n02_p398.pdf
_version_ 1818611892700053504
author Cihat Atar
Cahit Erdem
author_facet Cihat Atar
Cahit Erdem
author_sort Cihat Atar
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to suggest a checklist for teachers and researchers to analyze English as a second or foreign language textbooks from a sociolinguistic perspective. In the literature there is not a checklist or framework by which English textbooks can be evaluated considering the sociolinguistics issues raised in this study. After obtaining expert opinion and a piloting on 8 textbooks used in state schools in Turkey, a checklist consisting 6 criteria was suggested. Then, the check list was applied on the 9th grade English book ReLearn (Karamil & Birincioglu Kaldar, 2019) used in state schools in Turkey to demonstrate how the checklist can be utilized. The findings suggest that from a sociolinguistic perspective, the book in focus occasionally conforms to the sociolinguistic concerns while it needs some qualitative improvements. Improvements in providing genuine speakers of non-native and non-standard accents of English rather than using standard accent vocalizations for the speakers that are depicted as non-natives can be a primary suggestion and at the same time, the textbook should focus on different ways of life and perspectives instead of mostly providing intercultural knowledge such as cities or historic places. Finally, the textbook should pay more attention to the linguistic ecology in Turkey and adjust its contents so as to compensate for the foreign language status of English in Turkey. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature by providing a checklist to evaluate textbooks systematically with regard to essential sociolinguistic issues and it demonstrates the application of the checklist.
first_indexed 2024-12-16T15:37:33Z
format Article
id doaj.art-975e8b99223147dc8e64d7ec54ee426b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2217-7337
2406-2006
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-16T15:37:33Z
publishDate 2020-12-01
publisher Preschool Teacher Training College "Mihailo Palov"
record_format Article
series Istraživanja u Pedagogiji
spelling doaj.art-975e8b99223147dc8e64d7ec54ee426b2022-12-21T22:26:08ZengPreschool Teacher Training College "Mihailo Palov"Istraživanja u Pedagogiji2217-73372406-20062020-12-0110239841610.5937/IstrPed2002398AA SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLISTCihat AtarCahit ErdemThis study aims to suggest a checklist for teachers and researchers to analyze English as a second or foreign language textbooks from a sociolinguistic perspective. In the literature there is not a checklist or framework by which English textbooks can be evaluated considering the sociolinguistics issues raised in this study. After obtaining expert opinion and a piloting on 8 textbooks used in state schools in Turkey, a checklist consisting 6 criteria was suggested. Then, the check list was applied on the 9th grade English book ReLearn (Karamil & Birincioglu Kaldar, 2019) used in state schools in Turkey to demonstrate how the checklist can be utilized. The findings suggest that from a sociolinguistic perspective, the book in focus occasionally conforms to the sociolinguistic concerns while it needs some qualitative improvements. Improvements in providing genuine speakers of non-native and non-standard accents of English rather than using standard accent vocalizations for the speakers that are depicted as non-natives can be a primary suggestion and at the same time, the textbook should focus on different ways of life and perspectives instead of mostly providing intercultural knowledge such as cities or historic places. Finally, the textbook should pay more attention to the linguistic ecology in Turkey and adjust its contents so as to compensate for the foreign language status of English in Turkey. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature by providing a checklist to evaluate textbooks systematically with regard to essential sociolinguistic issues and it demonstrates the application of the checklist.http://research.rs/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2217-7337_v10_n02_p398.pdfsociolinguistic textbook evaluationenglish textbooksintercultural communicative competenceenglish language teachingturkey
spellingShingle Cihat Atar
Cahit Erdem
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
Istraživanja u Pedagogiji
sociolinguistic textbook evaluation
english textbooks
intercultural communicative competence
english language teaching
turkey
title A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
title_full A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
title_fullStr A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
title_full_unstemmed A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
title_short A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: DEVELOPMENT OF A CHECKLIST
title_sort sociolinguistic perspective in the analysis of english textbooks development of a checklist
topic sociolinguistic textbook evaluation
english textbooks
intercultural communicative competence
english language teaching
turkey
url http://research.rs/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2217-7337_v10_n02_p398.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT cihatatar asociolinguisticperspectiveintheanalysisofenglishtextbooksdevelopmentofachecklist
AT cahiterdem asociolinguisticperspectiveintheanalysisofenglishtextbooksdevelopmentofachecklist
AT cihatatar sociolinguisticperspectiveintheanalysisofenglishtextbooksdevelopmentofachecklist
AT cahiterdem sociolinguisticperspectiveintheanalysisofenglishtextbooksdevelopmentofachecklist