FUNDACIN UNIVERSITARIA IBEROAMERICANA Universidad de Jan

American MORE! An EFL book; is the content of this textbook suitable with the curriculum used by the Secretary of Public Education for seventh graders in Guadalajara Mexico? A pre-use Evaluation

Proyecto Final de Mster presentado por Rodolfo Sodora Barba para la obtencin del Ttulo de Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Tutor: Mara Moreno 12 de abril de 2012 Guadalajara, Jalisco. Mxico

Table of Contents

1.

INTRODUCTION(3) 1.1 Choosing an ELT textbook.....(3) 1.2 Difference between Evaluation and Analysis............................(6) 1.3 Secondary School Curriculum in Mexico..(7) 1.4 Description of Secondary Education in Mexico...(7) 1.5 Purposes of Teaching EFL in secondary states schools...(8)

2.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND...(9)

2.1

Textbooks, course books and

materials.(9)

2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3. 4. 4.1 5.

Curriculum vs. Textbook Features of

Syllabus..(10) Evaluation(11) Textbooks....(17) Teaching English in secondary schools...(22) Role of materials in secondary state schools... ..(22) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE....................................(23) METHODOLOGY....(25) The checklist........(26) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION...........................(27)

5.1 5.2

Description of American

MORE!...........................................................................(27) Description of the units of American MORE(30)

5.3 5.4 5.5

Approaching the EFL in secondary SEP... ..(33) Description of the SEP curriculum/syllabus... .(34) Description of the five units of SEP... ...(35)

5.6 5.7 6. 7. 8.

Answers from the

checklist....(36) Compatibility with the SEP curriculum.....(43) CONCLUSIONS..(46) REFERENCES....(48) APPENDIX...(51)

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the content of an ELT textbook called American MORE by Cambridge University Press to determine whether or not such content is suitable to the curriculum implemented by the SEP (Mexican Secretary of Education) for students who attend the first year of secondary state schools in Guadalajara Mexico. Specific criteria were used to evaluate the textbook mentioned above. The curriculum used by the SEP is also described in detailed.

The aspects that were taken into account to evaluate the book were the content, topics grammar, the vocabulary and the integration of the four skills to see if these features were suitable to the curriculum of the Secretary of Education. There were practical aspect taken into consideration, such as the number of hours that the textbook provides, and the components that accompany it. The content of the textbook and the curriculum implemented by the Secretary of Education were compared to determine how adequate and appropriate the textbook is for that particular learning environment.

I will commence by talking about the importance of material evaluation and choosing a textbook in the ELT setting. Then, I will elaborate more on what motivated me to select the topic of pre-use evaluation for this project. I will also describe secondary education in Mexico and the objectives of teaching English as a foreign language in secondary state schools.

1.1 Choosing an ELT textbook

Cunningsworth mentions how difficult choosing an appropriate textbook can be. He says that since they are a great variety of published materials for English language teaching available on the market, it becomes a challenging task to make the right choice of textbooks. Textbooks are the means that is used the most when it comes to teaching and learning materials. For teachers, it provides a framework and a structure that help them reach their aims and goals. For students it provides them a way to be active and participate in activities during the learning process.

Harmer (1993) suggests nine main areas teachers might want to consider and accompany them with supplemental questions:

Price How expensive is the book? Can students afford it? Availability Is the course available? Are all its components (i.e. workbook, CDs) in the shop?

Layout and design Is the book attractive? Methodology Is there a good balance between Study and Activation? Skills Does the book cover the four skills (reading, speaking, listening and writing)?

Syllabus Is the syllabus appropriate for the students? Topic Does the book contain a variety of topics? Stereotyping Does the book represent people and situations in a fair and equal way?

Teachers guide Is there a good and easy to use teachers guide?

The field of TEFL is becoming of great importance worldwide. According to Richards (1998), the most commonly found elements in second and foreign language classrooms around the world are teachers, learners and textbooks. The author claims that the roles of teachers and learners have been widely discussed but much less attention has been given to textbooks. He also states that textbooks and other commercially produced materials are in many instances the hidden curriculum of many language courses. There has been a big boom in English Language Teaching in Mexico in the last twenty years. ELT textbooks all widely used in Mexico and around the world due to the fact that the textbooks are not only the everyday tools teachers employ but also they serve as the outcomes and aims of specific teaching and learning-situation. There are a lot of books on the market and millions of them are sold and used around the world. There are all kinds of textbooks, everything from general English language teaching, bilingual education, business English to preparation for a proficiency exam or a certification. A textbook has a great deal of resources that accompany it, such as CD ROMS, dictionaries, readers, workbooks, teachers books, photocopied materials, flashcards, websites and audio CDs among others. Sheldon (1988) has offered several other reasons for textbook evaluation. He suggests that the selection of an ELT textbook often signals an important administrative and educational decision in which there is considerable professional, financial, or even political investment. A thorough evaluation, therefore, would enable the managerial and teaching staff of a specific institution or organization to discriminate between all of the

available textbooks on the market. Cunningsworth (1995) argues that textbooks are an effective resource for self directed learning, an effective source for presentational material, a source of ideas and activities, reference source for students, a syllabus where they reflect pre-determined learning objectives, and support for less experienced teachers who are yet to gain confidence. Richards (1998) states that in many parts of the world, much of the teaching happens outside the state school sector, that is, in private language schools where teacher may be native speakers but they usually have little or no formal training so their textbook and teachers manual become their primary source for teaching. Acording to Sheldon (1988), we need to evaluate textbooks for two reasons. First, the evaluation will help the teacher or program developer in making decisions on selecting the appropriate textbook. Furthermore, evaluation of the merits and demerits of a textbook will familiarize the teacher with its probable weaknesses and strengths.

Weir and Roberts (1994) state two main reasons for evaluating teaching materials. First, it provides evidence which 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 under given conditions and whether they meet the claims made for them. A lot of times English teachers in Mexico do not get to choose their textbook themselves. In other words, by the time they get a job as English teachers there is already a book for them to use. Most of the time, not only are they given the students book but also other components such as the workbook or activity book and the teachers book and they take it from there. So the book becomes basically their syllabus and their guide for the entire school year. It is imperative that as teachers we evaluate, select and adapt any form of teaching materials to accomplish and reach our students learning needs. Choosing a text should not be something we take for granted. Having a good textbook can be a joy in the classroom but having a bad one can be an agony. Cunningsworth states the fact that we should also ensure "that careful selection is made, and that the materials selected

closely reflect [the needs of the learners and] the aims, methods, and values of the teaching program."

1.2 The difference between Evaluation and Analysis The term Evaluation comes from the verb to evaluate which means an assessment of value: the act of considering or examining something in order to judge its value, quality, important, extent, or condition. Tomlinson (1998) defines materials evaluation as the systematic appraisal of the value of materials in relation to their objectives and to the objectives of the learners using them. Another term that is worth mentioning and differentiating is analysis. According to McGrath (2002) Analysis is a process that leads to an objective, verifiable description. Evaluation as the word suggests, involves the making of judgments. Analysis seeks to discover what is there, whereas evaluation is more concerned to discover whether what ones is looking for is there, and if it is, to put a value on it.

1.3 Secondary School Curriculum in Mexico Since 1992, the secondary school curriculum in Mexico has been divided into separate content areas. In grades 7-8, mathematics is integrated to include topics in geometry and algebra each year. In grade 9, all students take trigonometry. Students are required to study a foreign language (English) each year (5 hours/week) in grades 7-9. The curriculum at this level stresses the need for students to sharpen their Spanish language oral and written abilities. At the same time, mathematics is also given great attention. Secondary students spend an average of five hours per week in language-instruction.

Only secondary education (grades 7 to 9) is compulsory in Mexico. A great effort is being made by the Secretary of Education to include English since first grade. As I mention before, in most of the scenarios nation wide, English as subject is introduced in seventh grade. Mexico has a very peculiar situation with the United States in terms of

economy and geography because we are neighbors. We are the only country in Latin America that shares a border this country.

1.4 Description of Secondary Education in Mexico Lower-secondary education (3 years) is considered part of basic education in Mexico and is compulsory. For entry, students are required to have successfully completed six years of primary education. The next stage, Upper-Secondary Education or Preparatory School ("Preparatoria") is non-compulsory and has three pathways: General upper-secondary, Technical professional education, and Technological upper-secondary, as it has been called "Bachillerato" (For the full Secondary education 6 years). The terms "Junior High School" or "Middle School" usually correspond to secundaria in Mexico it comprises grades 7-9, when the student's age is 12 to 15 years old. It is part of the basic compulsory education system; it follows primary school, and comes before proper "high school" (preparatoria). At this level, more specialized subjects may be taught such as English, Physics and Chemistry, and World History.

1.5 Purposes of Teaching EFL in secondary state schools in Mexico Secondary education in Mexico was established in 1925. It was geared to increase and improve the education of the adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years old. According to the Secretary of Public Education in Mexico, this is the purpose of teaching English as a foreign language in the public sector: The purpose of studying a foreign language (English) in secondary education is for students to participate in certain social practices of language, both oral and written, in their own or in a foreign country in contact with native and non-native speakers of English. In other words, through the production and interpretation of a variety of spoken and written texts of a quotidian, academic and literary nature, students will be able to satisfy basic communication needs in a range of familiar situations.

The Secretary of Public Education also states the purposes of English as a foreign language for first grade of secondary education. (7th grade) in a total of 12 years of education before university and the claim that at the end of the school year, students will be able to: Acquire basic vocabulary and fixed expressions in order to communicate in English in the foreign language classroom. Become familiar with a variety of oral and written texts (quotidian, academic and literary) and use them for limited purposes. Acquire confidence in using a limited range of structures and vocabulary in the foreign language so as to speak and/or write about them. Develop and rely on some basic strategies, especially of a non-verbal kind, in order to compensate for a lack of command of the language. Recognize similarities and differences regarding form and social use between their mother tongue and the foreign language

2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK In this chapter I developed a framework for this research by discussing previous work on materials and textbook evaluation. I defined what a textbook, course book and material are. Then, I explain the difference between curriculum and syllabus because that is essential for this paper. In the next section, I describe what experts in the field say about textbook evaluation and the features of textbooks. The final part is describing the context of teaching English as a foreign language in secondary state school and the roles of material in Mexico.

2.1 Textbooks, course books and materials

Let us start by defining the concepts of textbook, course book and materials. According to Dictionary.com, a textbook is defined as a book used for students as a standard work for a particular branch of study. Alan Cunningsworth (1995) defines a textbook as an effective resource for self-directed learning, an effective source of presentation of materials, a source of ideas and activities, and a reference source for students, a syllabus where they reflect predetermined language objectives, and support for less experienced teachers who have yet to gain confidence. According to Macmillan Online Dictionary a course book is a book that is designed to be used in class by students taking a particular course of study. Materials in the general sense are defined by Tomlinson (1998) as anything which is used to help to teach language learners. It can be in the form of a textbook, a workbook, a cassette, a CD-Rom, a video, a photocopied handout, a newspaper, a paragraph written on a white board: anything that presents or informs about the language being learned. A typical ESL student book may contain these major components: Introduction -- notes to the teacher and/or learner Scope and sequence -- a table of contents listing the topics, vocabulary, skills, outcomes and standards covered in each unit Units -- each unit may include a presentation of new language (vocabulary, content, structures), practice activities, application activities, and an evaluation or end of unit performance assessment Tape scripts Answer keys Grammar appendices Index

A typical ESL teacher book or guide may contain these major components. Notes to the teacher Scope and sequence Objectives for each unit Lists of vocabulary, structures, or skills covered in each unit Correlations of textbook levels and standardized assessment levels used in adult education programs

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Lists of needed materials Step-by-step instructions for each lesson in a unit Suggestions for supplemental or extension exercises Reproducible illustrations, worksheets, quizzes etc. Suggestions for multi-level instruction

2.2 Curriculum vs. Syllabus The use of the terms curriculum and syllabus are oftentimes ambiguous so it is worth discussing the difference between them. A syllabus prescribes the content to be covered in a given course and it comprises only a small part of the school program. Curriculum is amore general concept. It refers to all the activities in which students get engaged, what they learn and how the learn it. "Curriculum" as defined by Allen (1984) is a very general concept. It involves consideration of philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an educational program. "Syllabus" then refers to that subpart of a curriculum which is concerned with the specification of what units will be taught.In defining a language "syllabus", Noss and Rodgers (1976) refer to it as "a set of justifiable, educational objectives specified in terms of linguistic content". Here the specification of objectives must have something to do with language form or substance, with language-using situations, or with language as a means of communication. 2.3 Textbook Evaluation In his book Beyond Training Jack Richards states that the most common elements in a second or foreign language classroom around the world are teachers, learners and textbooks. It is indeed true that in many schools textbooks are used as the main curriculum. In other words, the syllabus, objectives, approaches to learning and content often times come directly from a textbook. Another important aspect that Richards points out is the widespread use of textbooks in terms of time and cost benefits. He claims that if teacher did not have textbooks, they would need additional training in the preparation of materials. Schools would have to prepare for that training. He also elaborate more on this idea by saying that commercial materials offer teachers a considerable variety of

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resources to choose from and since they do not represent a personal investment from the teacher. They can be easily replaced if a more interesting comes along.

Richards states in his book Beyond Training that a study of the content of language textbooks is a useful activity in courses on curriculum design, methodology and material development. A wide variety of content issues can be examined, including cultural content, linguistic content, and pedagogical content of textbooks. Another important factor that the author discusses in his book aforementioned is developing criteria for evaluating textbooks.

Cunningsworth mentions that we should make sure "that careful selection is made, and that the materials selected closely reflect [the needs of the learners and] the aims, methods, and values of the teaching program. Learning how to evaluate a textbook can give language teacher a useful tool that can be beneficial for both teachers and learners. Learning how to analyze and evaluate a textbook can be a great tool for English teachers. There is little research done in Mexico about this topic. As I mentioned before, analyzing the content of textbook for secondary education in Mexico is of vital importance. If teachers are exposed with the necessary criteria for evaluating a textbook, they will be able to make better decision when selecting a book, especially for secondary level where many students are being introduced to English as a foreign language in the classrooms. Hopefully teachers will choose books because of the content and not because the textbooks have a colorful and appealing appearance. Ellis (1997) suggests that material evaluation could be conducted at three stages: 1. Predictive or pre-use evaluation that is designed to examine the future or potential performance of a textbook 2. In-use evaluation designed to examine material that is currently being used

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3. Retrospective or post-use (reflective) evaluation of a textbook that is concerned with the evaluation of textbooks after they have been used in a specific institution or situation Rod Ellis (1997) differentiates between two types of materials evaluation: a predictive evaluation and a retrospective evaluation. A predictive evaluation is designed to make a decision regarding what materials to use, whereas a retrospective evaluation designed to examine materials that have actually been used. A brief review of the literature relating to materials evaluation reveals that the research focus to date has been more or less exclusively on predictive evaluation. Retrospective evaluation provides teachers with information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the used syllabus. It also serves "as a means of testing the validity of a predictive evaluation, and may point to ways in which the predictive instruments can be improved for future use" (Ellis, 1997, p. 37).

There are some requirements that should be met when choosing a new course book. According to Riddel (2006), there are five main conditions to be followed: 1) It should be written by experienced teachers. 2) Appropriate for the students and students level intended. 3) Visually attractive and well laid out clear and easy to follow. 4) Variety and balanced of language and skills work, pronunciation and grammar. 5) Well chosen suitable topics.

Penny Ur mentions suggests that any unit of a textbook should cover a range of language content and skills. These are the aspects she considers: Pronunciation practice The introduction of new vocabulary and practice Grammar explanations and practice

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Recordings for listening practice Listening and speaking communicative tasks Reading and writing communicative tasks Mixed skills communicative tasks Short and long reading texts Dictionary work Review or previously learned material Some entertaining or fun activities

Tomlinson (1998) describes the process of materials evaluation as The systematic appraisal of the value of materials in relation to their objectives and to the objectives of the learners using them. Evaluation can be pre-use and therefore focused on predictions of potential value. It can be whilst-use and therefore focused on awareness and description of what the learners are actually doing whilst the materials are being used. And it can be post-use and therefore focused on analysis of what happened as a result of using the materials.

Tomlinson (2003) strongly believes that materials evaluation is a procedure that involves measuring some or all of the following: 1. the appeal of the materials 2. the credibility of the materials to learners, teachers, and administrators; 29 3. the validity of the materials; 4. the reliability of the materials; 5. the ability of the materials to interest the learners and the teachers; 6. The ability of the materials to motivate the learners; 7. the value of the materials in terms of short-term learning; 8. the value of the materials in terms of long-term learning; 9. the learners' perceptions of the value of the materials; 10. the teachers' perceptions of the value of the materials;

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11. the assistance given to the teacher in terms of preparation, delivery and assessment; 12. the flexibility of the materials; 13. the contribution made by the materials to teacher development; and 14. the match with administrative requirements

Skierso (1991) suggests that after collecting some background information about the learner, the teacher, the course, and the institutional objectives, an evaluation of the material can be done under the following criteria: The textbook A. Bibliographical data B. Aims and goals C. Subject matter D. Vocabulary and structures E. Exercises and activities F. Layout and physical make up The teacher's manual A. General features B. Supplementary exercises C. Methodological and pedagogical guidance D. Linguistic background information A checklist is another instrument that helps practitioners in English Language Teaching (ELT) evaluate language teaching materials, like textbooks. It allows a more sophisticated evaluation of the textbook in reference to a set of evaluative criteria Cunningsworth suggests the use of different checklists to cover all aspects of the coursebook. The checklists cover aspects such as:

1. Claims made by the coursebooks 2. Types of materials evaluation

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3. Purposes of materials evaluation These aspects are covered within seven areas, which are: 1 Aims and approaches 2 Design and organization 3 Language content 4 Skills 5 Topic 6 Methodology 7 Teachers guide

McDonough and Shaw suggest two stages two evaluate textbooks. The two stages are external evaluation and internal evaluation. An external evaluation which offers a brief overview of the materials from outside (cover, introduction, table of contents), which is then followed by a closer and more detailed internal evaluation. Of course the evaluation process is never static; when materials are deemed appropriate for a particular course after a preliminary evaluation, their ultimate successor failure may only be determined after a certain amount of classroom use.

Criteria for External Evaluation

The intended audience: Who the materials are written for?

The proficiency level: What level is the material suitable for?

The context in which material are to be used: Whether the materials are for teaching general learners or perhaps for teaching English for Specific Purposes

How the language has been presented and organized into teachable units/lessons: Whether the material fits into an educational program in relation to time

The authors views on language and methodology.

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Are the materials to be used as the main core course or to be supplementary to it? Is a teachers book in print and locally available? Is a vocabulary list/index included? What visual material does the book contain and is it there for cosmetic value only or is it integrated into the text?

Is the layout and presentation clear or cluttered? Is the material too culturally biased or specific? Do the materials represent minority groups and/or women in negative way? Do they present a balanced picture of a particular country/society?

The inclusion of audio/video material and resultant cost. Is it essential to possess this extra material in order to use the course book successfully?

The inclusion of tests in the teaching materials, would they be useful for your particular learners?

Criteria for Internal Evaluation The presentation of the skills in the materials. The grading and sequencing of the materials. Where reading skills are involved, is there much in the way of appropriate text beyond the sentence? Where listening skills are involved, are recordings authentic or artificial?

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Do speaking materials incorporate what we know about the nature of real interaction or are artificial dialogues offered instead?

The relationship of tests and exercises to (a) learner needs, and (b) what is taught by the course material. Do you feel that the material is suitable for different learning styles? Is a claim and provision made for self-study and is such a claim justified? Are the materials sufficiently transparent to motivate both students and teachers alike, or would you foresee a student/teacher mismatch?

2.4 Features of textbooks Based on Tomlinsons (1998) conception of what constitutes effective language teaching materials, we believe good textbooks should have the following features. Good textbooks should attract the students curiosity, interest and attention. In order to do this, textbooks should have novelty, variety, attractive layout, appealing content, etc. Of course they should also make sure that learning really takes place when the students use the textbooks. It is not necessarily enough that students enjoy the textbooks. Textbooks should help students to feel at ease. The layout of presentation, tasks and

activities, and texts and illustrations should all look friendly to the students so that they feel relaxed when seeing them. Textbooks should help students to develop confidence. Good textbooks help to build

up students confidence by providing tasks or activities that students can cope with. Textbooks should meet students needs. What is covered in the textbooks should be

relevant and useful to what the students need to learn and what they want to learn. Textbooks should expose the students to language in authentic use. Generally speak-

ing, textbooks written in authentic language are more motivating and challenging.

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Textbooks should provide the students with opportunities to use the target language to

achieve communicative purposes. Textbooks should take into account that the positive effects of language teaching are

usually delayed. Research into SLA shows that it is a gradual rather than an instantaneous process and that this is equally true for instructed learning (formal learning). So it is important for textbooks to recycle instruction and to provide frequent and ample exposure to the instructed language features in communicative use. Textbooks should take into account that students differ in learning styles. Tasks and

activities should be variable and should cater for a range of learning styles so all students can benefit. Textbooks should take into account that students differ in affective factors. Good textbooks should accommodate different attitudinal and motivational background as much as possible. Textbooks should maximize learning potential by encouraging intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement which stimulates both right and left brain activities. Good textbooks enable the stud5nts to receive, process and retain information through multiple intelligences. According to Alan Cunnigsworth in his book Choosing Your Coursebook there are two approaches to evaluating a textbook: 1. Impressionistic Overview. Provides a general overview regarding features of the textbook, such as layout, illustrations, sequencing, pleasing appearance, attractiveness, and so on. 2. In-depth Evaluation. A deeper look into the books features: topics, approaches to learning, sequencing, teaching methodologies, organization, amount of learned participation included in the activities, amount of recycled information. To review some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a textbook, I will provide two lists given by Jack Richards. Such lists can be found on his website.

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Advantages of using a textbook according to Jack Richards: They provide structure and syllabus for a program. Without textbooks a programs may have no central core and learners may not receive a syllabus that has been systematically planned and developed. They help standardize instruction. The use of a textbook in a program can ensure that students in different classes receive similar content and therefore can be tested in the same way. They maintain quality. If a well developed textbook is used, students are exposed to materials that have been tried and tested, that are based on sound learning principles and that are paced appropriately. They provide a variety of learning resources. Textbooks are often accompanied by workbooks, CDs and cassettes, videos, CD-ROMs and comprehensive teaching guides, proving a rich and varied resource for teachers and learners. They are efficient. They save teachers time, enabling teachers to devote time to teaching rather than materials production.

They can provide effective language models and input. Textbooks can provide support for teachers whose first language is not English and who might not be able to generate accurate language input on their own. They can train teachers. If teachers have limited teaching experience, a textbook together with a teachers manual can serve as a medium of initial teacher training. They are visually appealing.

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Commercial textbooks usually have high standards of design and production and hence are appealing to learners and teachers. Disadvantages of using a textbook according to Jack Richards: They may contain non-authentic language. Textbooks sometimes contain non-authentic language since texts, dialogs and other aspects of content tend to be specially written to incorporate teaching points and are often not representative of real language use.

They may distort content. Textbooks often present an idealized view of the world or fail to represent real issues. In order to make textbooks acceptable in many different contexts, controversial topics are avoided and instead an idealized white middle class view of the world is portrayed as the norm. They may not reflect students needs. Since textbooks are often written for global markets they often do not reflect the interests and needs of students and hence may require adaptation. They can deskill teachers. If teachers use textbooks as their primary source of their teaching leaving the textbook and the teachers manual to make the major instructional decisions for them, the teachers role can become reduced to that of a technician whose primarily function is to present material prepared by others. They are expensive. Commercial textbooks may represent a financial burden for students in many parts of the world.

A survey about textbook effectiveness was conducted by TESOL (2002), which stated that effective textbooks must cover the following considerations:

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They should be up-to-date. They should contain relevant content. They should consider the linguistic and cultural diversity of students. The layout and formatting (including font size) should be appropriate for students. Visuals and graphics should be clear and culturally sensitive. They should present clear, authentic and appropriate audiovisual materials. They should address a variety of learning styles. They should be usable with a variety of grouping strategies. They should contain exercises in which learners share previous experience with prior knowledge of the content.

Cunningsworth (1995) states that It is illuminating to consider the general principles that underline the actual methodological procedures adopted by courses, and these principles are made explicit in the case of several courses. The main themes of the principles identified above, where they refer to methodology, are these:

There should be controlled presentation of language Rules need to be learned, either inductively or deductively There should be a balance of accuracy and fluency Skills need to be learned both separately and in an integrated way Communicative practice should resemble real-life language use Learning and acquisition each have their place Learners should be actively and fully involved in lessons Learners should use language creatively, and activities should be personalized where possible Learning activities should be varied. Learning should take place in non-judgemental atmosphere and there should be a positive attitude to error Use of the mother tongue and bilingual dictionaries is justified where it supports learning

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2.5 Teaching English in secondary education in Mexico According to the SEP (Secretary of Public Education), the purpose of studying a foreign language (English) in secondary education is for students to participate in certain social practices of language, both oral and written, in their own or in a foreign country in contact with native and non-native speakers of English. In other words, through the production and interpretation of a variety of spoken and written texts of a quotidian, academic and literary nature, students will be able to satisfy basic communication needs in a range of familiar situations.

2.6 Role of materials in secondary state schools The SEP states that materials play a significant role in this program. As may be inferred from the proposed methodology for teaching, the quality of the texts (oral and written) to which students are exposed will heavily influence students production. Although authentic texts are ideal, these are not always available to teachers. For that reason, it is essential that texts designed for teaching purposes reflect the characteristics of real-life texts: they are purposeful, contextualized, and present authentic models of language. In addition, it must be remembered that task authenticity is equally important, if not more, than text authenticity. If learners are to be successful participants of the social practices of the language, it is fundamental that they engage in tasks that mirror the real world.

3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE This paper looks at textbook evaluation and selecting criteria to do a pre-use evaluation of and EFL textbook for seventh graders. At the same time, this project examines the curriculum and syllabus used for teaching English in secondary state schools. Such curriculum and syllabus was created by the Secretary of Public Education in Mexico (SEP).

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Choosing the right textbook has become more and more indispensable at all levels of instruction. Evaluating and choosing a textbook can affect the future success or failure of generations of Mexican students. Mexico is striving to have more students who can speak English. They will implement English from first to eleventh grade as a compulsory subject in the near future. When evaluating and selecting a textbook, we should be able to go beyond the physical appearance and look more into the content taking into account our students and their context. By doing so, parents, students and teachers can rest assure that the learning of English as a foreign language is based on more reliable sources. There is not enough information about the textbooks available or the criteria that can be used in order to make an educated decision about selecting a textbook for a particular grade. There is specific content that teachers need to follow and this is provided by the Secretary of Public Education (SEP) in Mexico. Teachers are more concerned about covering such content and choosing a suitable textbook is often times neglected. Throughout the last fifteen years that I have been an English teacher in Mexico, a lot of teachers have asked me the same question: What is a good book for students who are entering secondary school? I had the opportunity to be an Academic Consultant for a publishing company and that is why I became more interested in textbooks for General English Language Teaching (GELT). The reasons I described above were a great motivation for me to carry out a pre-useevaluation of an ELT textbook. I hope this evaluation can be of any value for teachers who need to decide on a textbook or a series of textbooks. Especially for those students who will have their first formal contact with a foreign language. For this paper, I will be evaluating the curriculum used for the first year of secondary education in state schools in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. One of my main objectives with this paper was to compare the SEP curriculum with the content of an ELT book by Cambridge University Press. According to Nunan (1988) materials are, in fact an essential element within the curriculum, and do more than simply lubricate the wheels of learning. Sometimes, teachers choose books based on shallow and superficial factors. Teachers might choose textbooks because the publishing companies offer them gifts, extra materials and workshops and sometimes preparation courses for their teachers to be certified.

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By doing this research and analyzing the books I hope at least one teacher can make a better decision about choosing a suitable textbook for their class. Textbooks can benefit both teachers and students because they are part of the teaching learning process. Textbooks have been of great importance throughout the years due to the fact that English teachers have seen them as a tool that they can trust. Students have seen them as the means of practice. In the past, textbook were sometimes they only resource teacher had to create and plan their lessons. One of the main features of language learning materials is that they are composed of written and visual content. In order to provide more tangible evidence to suggest what textbook is more suitable for the secondary students in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, I included the curriculum that state school teachers need to cover in a school for English as a foreign language for 7th graders (Mexican Secretary of Education). I had access to this information and I added it in my appendix section. The textbook that was analyzed is called More by Cambridge University Press. I used the American version. The main goal of my research was to find out whether the content of this textbook was suitable for the curriculum expected to be covered by secondary teachers who impart English as a foreign language in grade 7 in the state schools in Guadalajara, Mexico. I conducted an extensive and thorough revision of level one of a course book called MORE By doing so, I will be able to have a more educated idea if other Mexican teachers ask for my opinion on the subject. Next year, I will be applying to become a State school teacher and I intend to teach secondary education which is 7th, 8th and 9th grade. That was another great motivation to carry out this research. The project intends to answer the following questions: Is the grammar content suitable for students in their first year of secondary school? Is the vocabulary appropriate for their level? Is the number of hours compatible to the Secretary of Public Education school year? Is the social and cultural content of the book suitable for the students context? Are the topics and themes relevant form the students background and context? Are the rest of the components useful?

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What is the use of CLIL throughout the book? Can the textbook be a viable option to suggest to the Secretary of Public Education in Mexico?

4. METHODOLOGY In order to examine if the textbook American MORE is apt for the SEP curriculum, I browsed checklists with similar criteria proposed by different authors such as Cunningsworth (1995), Ur (1996) and Nunan (1989). Cunningsworth (1995:3) presents a quick-reference for evaluation and selection that considers the following features: aims and approaches design and organization language content skills topic methodology teachers book practical considerations

For this paper, I created a checklist based on Cunningsworths criteria (quick-reference for evaluation and selection) taking into consideration only a few aspects which are described below. I also added other features that I found pertinent. After that I compared the outcomes with the curriculum used by the Secretary of Education (SEP) in my country. The textbook under evaluation is American MORE! level one published by Cambridge University Press.

4.1 The checklist The following evaluation checklist is an adaptation from Allan Cunnigsworth. As a mentioned before, for this paper I selected only six features to delimit my results and discussion. The questions I used for each aspect were selected thinking about the specific context which is students who attend their first year of secondary in state schools in Guadalajara Mexico. The criteria selected for the checklist are: content, topics, skills,

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vocabulary, CLIL and grammar. The checklist is presented below and the questions will be answered in detailed in the results and discussion section.

Checklist to evaluate American MORE: Content and Topics How is the content organized in terms of the type of syllabus Is there sufficient material of genuine interest to learners? How are the tasks and activities presented? Are real topics included in the unit? Are they suitable for the age group? Do they relate to and engage the learners' knowledge system, i.e. the knowledge

of the world that they bring with them? Skills Do the presentation and practice activities include the integration of skills in Are all four skills adequately covered? Is practice in all four skills included? If so, is it balanced? If not, which skills are realistic contexts?

omitted, and why? Grammar Items Do the grammar items correspond to students' language needs? How are the new grammatical items presented and practiced?

Vocabulary How is new vocabulary presented (in wordlists, in a text, with visuals)? How is the meaning of new vocabulary taught? I also prepared another set of questions comparing and contrasting the content of American MORE with the SEP curriculum/syllabus. The questions are presented below and the answers are discussed in detailed in the Results and discussion chapter. The questions are:

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Is the number of hours compatible with to the SEP school year? Is the social and cultural content of the book suitable for the students context? Are the topics and themes relevant for the students background and context? What is the use of CLIL throughout the book?

The results are presented in the following order: first the evaluation of the textbook (MORE!) taking into account the content, topics, skills, vocabulary and grammar items plus its components. Then the SEP curriculum is described in detailed. The third part will be the discussion of the questions that this paper intended to answer.

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter is divided into three different sections. The first section presents the detailed description of the textbook American MORE level one. The second part describes the SEP curriculum. The third section shows the results of the questions selected to find how appropriate the textbook is for the SEP setting.

5.1 Description of American MORE American MORE! is a four-level course from a highly respected author team that's bursting with features for lower secondary students. With dedicated reading, culture, grammar, vocabulary, skills and cross-curricular learning sections, plus a wide range of flexible components, you really do get more with American MORE! Each level contains 8090 hours of class material. Teachers can draw on a wide range of multimedia components to make lessons and homework varied and enjoyable, such as the free Student's Book CD-ROM, Classware DVD-ROM, Testbuilder CD-ROM, DVDs, and online activities which can be accessed via the course website. Students put new vocabulary to immediate communicative use through the 'Language Focus' in every unit of the Student's Book and extra exercises from the Teacher's Resource Pack. They can build their writing skills in the 'Writing for your portfolio' section in every unit and using the tips on writing in levels three and four.

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The textbook has four levels and it can take students to level B1 according the European Framework of References for Languages. The level 1 textbook has an 18-page Started Section that offers students a dual entry to suit who may not have done English at primary level. There is thorough grammar coverage thanks to a dedicated 'Grammar' section in every unit. Students learn to 'Read MORE for pleasure' with the extra reading pages every two units. Students are encouraged to 'Check progress' every two units to see how they are doing. The fun and challenging CD-ROM enables students to practice vocabulary, grammar and skills in their own time, at their own pace.

Each level of American MORE contains the following components:

Students Book with CD-ROM Workbook with audio CD Teachers Book Class Audio CD Extra Practice Book Online Resources

The authors of this series of textbooks are Herbert Puchta and Jeff Stranks with the collaboration of Gunther Gernngross, Christian Holzman and Peter Lewis-Jones. The students book is divided into 12 units, with level one having an additional starter unit for students who are new to English. Each units is structured in the following way: an introductory photo dialogue with key language introduced, a get talking exercise, a grammar section, a skills section which practices the four skills and a writing portfolio. These are the names of the 12 units for MORE! level 1 (British and American Version)

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Starter Section Unit 1 Hello! Unit 2 In the classroom Unit 3 My bedroom Unit 4 Who is that boy? Unit 5 Whats for lunch? Unit 6 Time for change Unit 7 Shopping! Unit 8 My family Unit 9 What are you doing? Unit 10 Right now Unit 11 Where were you? Unit 12 Game over!

In the teachers edition the authors talk about the special period students face in their lives after they have attended primary schools. The authors claim that students are not children anymore but oftentimes they behave as such. When students attend secondary school for the first time, they want to be older than they are. They try to imitate the behavior of those students who are one or two grades above them. The units of the teachers edition start out with a box of aims and objective where it is stated what students will learn. Other features that the book has are: cultural notes, explanations of grammar rules, examples, follow-up activities extra teaching ideas, answers keys, tape scripts among others. Another aspect that is mentioned and described in the teachers edition is the importance of supporting students self-esteem. By having a CAN do learning culture, students are more aware and responsible of their own learning. Students can also assess their own learning process through regular tests. The workbook is the natural extension of the students book. It gives students the opportunity to review with exercises about listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and speaking. It can be used for class assignments or homework.

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Students

have

access

to

online

activities

and

resources

on

www.cambridge.org/elt/americanmore even if they do not purchase the textbook. On the website, there are interactive and fun exercises reading, writing, listening, vocabulary and grammar.

5.2 Description of the units in the textbook American MORE The first unit of the student book is an introductory one. It is called Started Section. In this unit the grammar aspects covered are the following: Subject pronouns, simple present of the verb to be, possessive adjectives and plural nouns. For the language and vocabulary, the section reviews classroom objects and language along with numbers, greetings, asking about age, international words, colors and days of the week. There is a pronunciation section called Sound Right and for this unit they practice the alphabet. The skills they practice are: listen and understand international words, talk about favorite foods, listen to and complete a dialogue to introduce yourself, read about other people and where they from. Listen to and complete facts about people, spelling and talk about myself and others. There is a section called a song for you and the name of the song is Alphabet Stars

Unit one The name of unit one is Hello! The grammar covered is simple present of BE, questions with whom, and a review of possessive adjectives. The language focus and vocabulary section covers feelings, days of the week. The functions students practice are: saying hello and introducing themselves, asking how people feel, read and write about the days of the week and feelings. The song is called the weekend is for me. The CLIL section of this unit is called Information Technology. Unit 2

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Unit number two is called In the Classroom. The grammar students learn is imperatives, questions with who, where, what, why, what color and prepositions. The language focus and vocabulary section covers classroom objects and the schwa sound //. The functions covered in this unit are: asking and saying where things are, listening and understanding imperatives and writing about their desk. In this unit there is a progress check about unit one and two. There are also two sections. One is called Learn MORE about culture where they talk about the East Coast of the U.S. The other section is called read MORE for pleasure and the reading text is about relaxing weekends. Unit 3 This unit is called My Bedroom. The grammar items for this unit are: There is/are and possessive adjectives. The language focus and vocabulary covers furniture and rooms in the house. The functions for this unit are: describing rooms and furniture, listening to information about a zoo, reading a story and writing about their ideal room. The CLIL part has a section about Sleep. Unit 4 This unit is called whos that boy? The grammar topics for this unit are: have/has and the indefinite article. For the language focus and vocabulary, the students will learn about parts of the body, countries and nationalities and the /h/ sound. The functions for this unit are: talking about nationality, describing people, talking about possessions, listening to and understanding physical descriptions, reading descriptions of people, writing a description of themselves or a friend. There is a progress check section for unit 3 and 4. In learning MORE about culture there is an article about School in the US and the reading MORE for pleasure has a reading text called the wide-mouthed frog.

Unit 5 The name of this unit is whats for lunch? The grammar topics for this unit are: simple present affirmative, third person singular and adverbs of frequency. For vocabulary and language focus the unit covers food and question intonation. The functions are: making and replying to offers and requests, talking about what you eat, reading about different

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diets and foods, listening and completing a dialogue about food and writing about their eating habits. For CLIL there is a section on food from around the world. Unit 6 This unit is called Time for a change the grammar that is cover in this unit is: simple present with negatives, questions and short answers as well as object pronouns. The language focus and vocabulary is about daily activities. The functions of the unit are: asking and telling the time, talking about daily routines, reading about other peoples routines and writing about your day. The name of the song for this unit is The master of time. Unit 7 The name of the unit is Shopping! The grammar topics for this unit are: demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, count and non count nouns, how many/how much and some/any. The language and focus sections covers clothes and the TH voiced sound. The functions are: talking about prices, talking about clothes, listening to and understanding a dialogue in a grocery store, describing someone in the class and writing about clothes they like to wear. The CLIL section is called Math made easy. Unit 8 The name of this unit is My family. The grammar topics are: MAY for permission, CAN for ability and Like/Love/Hate doing. The language and vocabulary focus is on family members. The functions are: asking for permission, talking about your family, talking about abilities, reading a text about a family, listening and understanding what activities people do and writing a poem. The song is called Heaven. There is also a progress check about unit 7 and 8 and a reading and cultural section. The culture section is about School breakfast programs and the reading is about a teenage web designer.

Unit 9 This unit is called What are you doing? As the title suggests, it is about present continuous affirmative, negative and short answers. The language focus and vocabulary is about telephone numbers, ordinal numbers and months of the year. The functions covered in this unit are: talking on the phone, talking about birthdays, listening to and identifying

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sounds, reading about birthdays and different cultures and writing a postcard. The song is called Mr. Muddle is never right! The CLIL section is called The carnival of the animals. Unit 10 The name of this unit is Right now. The compare and contrast simple present and present continuous tense plus they learn about articles. The language focus and vocabulary section is about computers and free-time activities. The functions for this unit are: making invitations, talking about free time, listening and talking about pets and reading and understanding a short article. There is a check progress for units 9 and 10. The culture section is called spend, spend, spend and the reading section is about poems. Unit 11 This unit is called where were you. The grammar for this unit is simple past of BE negative, questions and short answers and past time expressions. The vocabulary and language focus is furniture. The functions are: asking and saying where people were, saying where things are, reading, listening to and understanding a mystery story and writing about your day yesterday. The CLIL section is about money. Unit 12 The name of this unit is Game over! The language focus and vocabulary for this unit is stores. The grammar is simple past positive. The functions are: saying when you were somewhere, talking about shopping, reading short articles and matching them to the correct information and listening to a story and correcting sentences. The song is called summer vacation. There is a progress check for units 11 and 12. The culture section is about free time activities and the reading is called Great mysteries of the world: flight 19.

5.3 Mexican Secretary of Education (SEP). Approaching the teaching of English in secondary education In the SEP curriculum, the student is considered the constructor of knowledge. The teacher is considered a more experienced entity whose main function is to provide

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conditions for students to approach the language and become effective participants of an English speaking community, in this case: the classroom.

5.4 Description of the SEP EFL curriculum/syllabus for the first grade of secondary education The syllabus for the first grade of secondary education in state schools provides learners and teachers with an organization of contents in thematic units. There are five units per grade, one for each bimester of the school year. In addition, there is an introductory unit in the first grade which should be covered during the first bimester (making a total of six units for first grade). Figure five shows a distribution of units over a school year.

The school year is divided into 40 weeks (see figure 5 in appendix). The first two weeks are an introduction and there is a specific unit for that. This unit is called Personal Identification and it has 18 sessions of one hour each. The second unit is called Actions in Progress and it lasts 8 weeks with 24 sessions of one hour. There are 21 sessions of one hour for unit 3. This unit is called Hobbies, Leisure and Sports this unit should be covered in 7 weeks. Unit 4 is the longest one. It lasts for 10 weeks and it has 30 sessions. It is called Daily Life. The last unit is called Places and Buildings the unit has 21 sessions to be covered in 7 weeks. Each unit is divided into seven sections (unit title, unit purpose, social practices, performance evidence, and reflection on language, strategic competence and unit focus. Each section, specific instructions are given to the teacher about what contents are supposed to be taught and how to approach them. See figure 6 in appendix.

5.5 Description of the Five Units As it was mentioned before, the first unit is an introduction. The name of it is Classroom Language. The purpose of this unit is to provide students with some basic classroom language the will enable them to communicate in English at all times during

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their foreign language lessons. The social practice or functions of the unit are: greeting people and responding to greetings, communicating in the classroom, maintaining communication in and out of the classroom. In the Introductory unit, students need to get used to the idea of the teacher speaking English at all times in the classroom. Students learn instructions, greeting and leave takings, asking for permission, vocabulary and expressions related to the classroom such as what is the meaning of so that the lesson can be carried out in English and students can function in the classroom. Unit 1 is called Personal Identification. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to introduce themselves and others and to exchange personal details. The functions of this unit are: introducing oneself and others, asking for and giving personal details. For this unit teachers are encouraged to ask students to create different identities to practice with each other and also fill out application forms, create a new email account and subscribe to a website they might be interested in. Unit 2 is called Actions in Progress. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to give and obtain information about possessions and to describe actions that are in progress at the moment of speaking. The functions for this unit are: asking and answering questions about personal possessions and describing what people are wearing and/or doing at the moment of speaking. For this unit, students are encouraged to bring photos of their family or friends to describe them in class. They can exchange emails with classmates or key pals with a picture attached in order to practice present continuous tense. Unit 3 is called Hobbies, Leisure and Sports. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to express their personal interests around the topics of hobbies, leisure and sports and to make and respond to invitations to events or places related to the topic. The functions of the unit are: expressing preferences, likes and dislikes, inviting and responding to invitations. Students practice Simple present tense throughout the unit and polite requests with would. There is a greater emphasis on speaking and listening. Unit 4 is called Daily Life. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to describe actions that happened daily or periodically in their lives or in the lives or people and animals they are interested in. the functions of the unit are: asking and telling the time

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and asking for and giving information about everyday activities. In this unit students can reuse activities from the previous units such as timetables, writing emails and reading about famous people they are interested in. Unit 5 is called Places and Buildings. The purpose of this unit is to enable students to describe the place where they or other people live and o ask for and give directions. The functions of this unit are: giving simple information about places, asking the way and giving directions. In this unit, students describe their city, areas where they live and places they know. The results of this paper will be presented and discussed in this section. They will be presented in the following order: first the evaluation of the textbook (MORE!) taking into account the content, topics, skills and grammar items. Then the SEP curriculum will be compared and contrasted with the textbook American MORE! The third part will be the discussion of the questions that this paper intended to answer.

5.6 Answers from the Evaluation checklist Content and Topics Textbooks are designed according to different syllabus types. The following syllabi are usually mixed depending on the students needs

Structural syllabus : It gives emphasis to language form, primarily grammatical form, and the teaching of language is defined in terms of form. Functional syllabus : The teaching is defined in terms of forms and functions which are taught in isolated pairs. Situational syllabus : according to it; language is taught realistically or semirealistically by using real-life situations in the form of dialogues or role-plays in the classroom.

Topic based syllabus : It focuses on subject matter or themes with an additional concern for language form and function. As in real language situation learners do not begin with a list of either forms or functions that they wish to produce, but with a

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subject that they are interested in and would like to learn more or say something about. The concern form thematic substance is what distinguishes topic - based syllabus from other syllabus." Based on the information above and after an extensive revision of the book American MORE, we can say that such textbook is a mixture of the syllabi. The content of the textbook stimulates students to think and to develop and become aware of human values. The topics in American MORE are geared towards teenagers, related to their daily lives, suitable for their age and up to date. For instance, there is a section about taking care and being responsible for pets, another section about exercising, eating healthy, and reading passages about other cultures and lifestyles such as food and birthdays around the world. In such texts, they show students the importance of respect and empathy with others. Cunningsworth (1995) states that textbooks must include subject-matter and topics that are of interest to learners as part of real life. They should include topics that will draw their attention and inform students at the same time.

This course is designed for making students communicatively competent in English at a basic level so the language is presented in a meaningful context with its form and functions. Each unit has a specific topic/theme and all the vocabulary and grammar items are related to this topic/theme. This provides reliance between the items and the activities in which the students practice the language. The activities in the course are also flexible. Teachers may not follow the sequence of the lay out because the activities are independent from each other. They can skip activities that do not suit the learners and they can add alternative activities from the teachers guide.

The tasks and activities are presented in terms of difficulty and complexity. The book starts with an introductory unit for true beginners. The first grammar item they review is the verb to be in present tense and the last grammatical structure in the book is simple past tense. According to Breen and Candlin (1987) the importance of organizing the content in any teaching material is crucial. They say that material should be organized from simple and familiar concepts to more complex and less familiar. Other authors such

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as Hutchitson (1987) and McDonough and Shaw (1993) mention aspects that should be taken into account such as organization, sequencing and continuity. The textbook does have more trivial and superficial topics such as shopping and Internet. The textbook has a mixture of serious and fun topics; there are pictures of real people, cartoons with imaginary characters such as animals talking, comic strips, and real world content.

The lay out of the course is presented clearly in the introduction part in each level. The sections of a unit are explained step by step; how the organization of the content of the unit is provided, what the each section aims with the material they contain. The lay out of the course is presented clearly in the introduction part in each level. "Many teachers and students are happier when they have a straightforward route through a course and they sometimes feel more secure when the conventional beginning - to - end direction is used." (Cunnigsworth, 1995:28).

In American MORE, each unit is structured in the same way. They all include vocabulary, listening, reading, writing with grammar. This provides the teachers and students to find their way around the textbook easily. The beginning of every unit presents the main grammar points and relevant new vocabulary. The textbook emphasizes inductive learning. It offers personalized practice all through the units. There is controlled and freer practice when it comes to grammar.

The authors of the textbook chose content that is psychologically relevant for the students age. They created imaginative content. They also developed this teaching program based on values because the authors believe that the teacher of teenagers is not only a language teacher but an educator. Students are this age need guidance. The content of the textbook has been carefully selected to stimulate students thinking and help them develop human values such as tolerance of other cultures and people, critical thinking and empathy with others. The topics in the textbook are thought provoking and stimulating. They offer real-world content. This can be seen in the documentary style photographs that appear throughout the book. The textbook also offers fun ways of

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learning such as songs, poems and chants. The content offers interesting encounters with young people in English speaking countries.

Skills The integration of the four skills is the tendency in new EFL textbooks. Each of the units in American MORE contains sections about listening, speaking, reading and writing all integrated into most activities. Although both receptive and productive skills are practiced throughout the textbook, there is a greater emphasis on aural skills (speaking and listening). Most of the speaking activities are done and practiced in pairs. Some of these activities are role-plays or surveys. At first, students are given a structured dialogue with the grammar in it. They read the passage and listen to a recording of the conversation at the same time and they have to practice and present the dialogue with a classmate. There is not a Listening section per se, however, throughout the book there are a large number of listening tasks. The teachers can have students listen to the different reading passages as well.

A wide selection of authentic reading texts is a paramount feature of an EFL/ESL textbook. The reading passages in the textbook are not quite authentic and this is due to the level of English. The higher the level, the more authentic the passages can be. The reading texts have different topics such as reading about someones routine, sleep, a relaxing weekend, all the way to poems and mysteries around the world. These topics expose students to different language. The reading part covers two pages of each unit. They do not have a wide variety of pre-reading such as skimming and scanning. The postreading activities are much guided due to the basic level.

There is a specific section that was mentioned before. It is called Reading MORE for pleasure. This section has 6 reading texts with varied topics and the main objective is to stretch students imagination and linguistic ability with relevant and interesting content and to present grammar and vocabulary in realistic contexts. Each unit finishes with a writing activity. It is called writing portfolio students are given a text which serves as a

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model to produce a short of writing (guided). Different writing styles and registers are introduced. The topics are interesting, enjoyable and suitable for students age and level.

Topics: Writing about your desk Writing about you ideal room Writing a description about yourself or a friend Writing about your eating habits Writing about your day Writing about clothes you like to wear Writing a poem Writing a postcard Writing about your day yesterday

Grammar items Without grammar instruction, students fail to reach advanced levels of grammar competence. Another strong reason to incorporate grammar into textbooks is that students expect it. The textbook starts every unit with a topic and vocabulary. On the first page of every unit there is a picture along with a dialog to show the grammar in an inductive way. Students internalize the meaning of the rules, not the rules themselves. They grasp the grammatical structures from the context. The textbook follows a performance-based approach. There is an emphasis on the use of the language. On the same page there is a chart showing the grammar to be learned in that unit and can-do statement so that students see what they are going to be able to do when they cover each unit. In each unit, there is a table with the grammatical structure.

Grammar can be that inductively that is when the rule is inferred through meaningful context, the teacher gives the students a means of discovering the rules for themselves. The grammar can be also taught deductively where the rule is presented and the language is produced based on the rule, here the teacher gives the rule. The grammar items are presented in an inductive way. No rules are given. There are exercises and

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activities for students to practice such structures. A clear example of this approach can be seen in unit 4. This unit is called who is that boy. Students are presented a dialogue with a picture in which they practice has/have. In the grammar section, there is a chart that students need to complete with the information provided in the previous dialogue. After the students complete the chart they do exercises to practice has/have going from more to less controlled. The organization of the textbook is according to grammar structures. Each of the reading passages, dialogues and all of the four skills activities are related with each units grammar structures. The grammar items that are included in American MORE correspond to students language needs. Some simple phrases and sentences are provided for students to give personal information or to encourage them to talk about their interests in simple terms. American MORE is based on performance based approach. It teaches new grammatical items with the emphasis on its use. By doing this, students internalize the meaning of the rules; not the rule itself. They grasp the rule of structures from the context. In each unit, there is a Grammar Table after the dialogues. This grammar table shows the grammar items in an inductive way; no rule is given. Students are made understand the rules by themselves. As we see, American MORE uses Inductive Structure. Students practice grammar structures in the exercises which follow the table. They practice the grammar structures in writing first, then orally.

Vocabulary Lexis is where we need to start from; the syntax needs to be put to the service of words and not the other way round (Widdowson, 1993). As to the importance of vocabulary teaching, Cunningsworth(1995:38) states that students can communicate more effectively with a knowledge of vocabulary than with a knowledge of grammar. In the textbook there is a section called language focus. The vocabulary is always introduced in this section. The words are presented through pictures so that students can understand the meaning through visuals. The textbook gives importance to vocabulary teaching. The essential vocabulary is given according to some particular topics depending on a structure. In unit 4, the topic is describing people and talking about nationalities so the vocabulary given is about peoples physical appearance and nationalities. The necessary structures

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for talking about origins and somebodys features are have/has the plural forms of the nouns and am/is/are. So, while teaching these structures it gives students the necessary vocabulary items for this topic. The words chosen are appropriate in terms of frequency and usefulness. All the words in those units are basic necessary things and likely to be used in daily life language and the topics assigned are not that contrived. For instance, in the same unit mentioned above (unit 4) students are asked to write a letter to a foreign friend describing themselves. This topic is useful for them to practice and produce with the new words that they have learned.

Vocabulary learning exercises are based on collocations, situational relationships and semantic relations. According to Michael Lewis, it is essential that teachers introduce the idea of multi-word units to their learners and then adopt classroom strategies which constantly remind learners of the importance of these multi-words. For example, in unit 5 which is about daily activities, they teach formulaic language such as walk the dog, surf the net, hang out with friends to mention a few. All the words in the exercise are about activities and they are commonly found in association with each other. The words chosen are based on situational relationships. Word sets are associated with particular topics. These are sports and activities. This exercise is about the semantic relations. Here we have the word groups (on the left) and students are asked to match the activities with the pictures.

In American MORE, each unit starts with the presentation of new words and each word is presented through a picture, so that students understand the meaning easily by visualizing it. Here, from these examples we can infer that this textbook gives much importance to vocabulary teaching. The essential vocabulary is given according to some particular topics depending on a structure. Even though the syllabus type is multidimensional, it mostly uses and focuses on topic-based Generally it chooses the topic, the situation and the vocabulary; then creates a context according to that. The topics are amusing and chosen according to their ages and interests.

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Is the number of hours compatible to the Secretary of Public Education school year? Yes. Even though the textbook is designed for up to 90 hours of class work, the hours can be extended by using the other resources that accompany the book such as the extra activities in the teachers edition, the workbook, the CD-ROM and the online materials.

What is the use of CLIL throughout the book? There is cross-curricular content covered throughout the textbook. These subjects can be found at the end of units 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. These sections give students interesting facts and information to make them want use English to find out more on the subjects. The main objective of the cross curricular vocabulary is to show students they can learn words and phrases that go beyond social situations or a particular textbook. CLIL topics: Information technology Sleep Food from around the world Math made easy The carnivals of the animals Money

5. 7 the compatibility with the SEP curriculum Cunningsworth (1995:5) states that analysis of learning/teaching situation give teacher a profile of the context for which teacher is selecting the teaching materials and some of the requirements that the materials will have to meet. He maintains that the learning/teaching program should have at its base a clear view of what students need to learn in order to make effective use of the language in personal, professional, academic or whatever other situations are relevant.

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The most suitable course books for learners will reflect as closely as possible to language content, language skills and patterns of language use that are needed. Cunningsworth (1995:15) states that this involves teachers in looking beyond the confines of the classroom and focusing teachers attention on the use which individual learners will make of what they have learned. Cunningsworth (1995:16) explains that by engaging students interests and challenging their intellect. Course books can provide much of the stimulation which will motivate them to become more independent in their learning and in their use of English. He maintains that this can be done by including interesting, stimulating topics and by encouraging learners to think for themselves around these topics and discuss them with others. American MORE addresses the learning needs and interests of such students and has been specifically written for their cognitive level. It takes into consideration that learners between the ages of 11-12 are very receptive to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. They need to be offered a wide variety of exercises and activities in order to maintain their interest and motivation. It is also easier for them to learn sentences and phrases rather than complicated grammar rules. The thematic units in the SEP curriculum should start with a text, which can be written or oral, which is based on the topic of the unit. This topic contains the functions of the unit. The teacher selects specific areas of the language to focus on. The process continues with students using the language through various tasks that move from control to freedom. In the textbook under study, the follow a similar sequence, they start by having an introductory photo dialogue with key language introduced. Then, the book has a get talking exercise and a grammar section. After that there is a section in which students practice the four skills, ending with a writing portfolio. The SEP English curriculum for secondary education stresses the importance of authentic texts. They say that texts designed for teaching purposes should reflect the characteristics of real-texts. They should purposeful, contextualized and present authentic models of language. American MORE offers serious real-world content through documentary-style photographs. It also has songs, poem and enjoyable texts.

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The SEP curriculum also stresses the importance of the communicative approach and the personalization of the activities. In American MORE, the interaction among students is fundamental for the language process. Students negotiate meaning by asking each other and answering questions involving the world around them. The authors of the textbook believe that the access to communicative target language outside the classroom is extremely limited.

Grammatical Structures in Common between American MORE and the SEP Syllabus
SEP American MORE

Imperatives May for permission Prepositions Simple present of BE Prepositions of locations Possesive adjetives Present continuous tense Questions wiith Who Where, Why, What Demostrative adjetives and pronouns Subject pronounds The indefinite article Like / Love / hate doing Simple present There is / There are Plural nouns

Have / Has Simple past Can for ability Simple past of BE Adverbs of frequency Object pronounds Count and Noncount nouns Questions wiith Who

6. CONCLUSIONS In regards to the outcomes of the Mexican Secretary of Education curriculum, it can be concluded that the textbook American More By Cambridge University Press is not entirely compatible with all the objectives. However, the SEP curriculum is based on social practices and American MORE! most offers those functions throughout level one. Both the textbook and the SEP curriculum promote the students interaction. In the SEP syllabus,

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they state that its the teachers responsibility to establish respectful and purposeful interaction among students and between students and the language. Whereas in the teachers guide of American MORE level 1, they claim that they create a balance between classroom interaction and individual language training. Based on what is mentioned above and the pre-use evaluation, I can say that the textbook American MORE is a viable option for students who attend first grade of secondary state schools in Guadalajara Mexico. As teachers, we know that there is neither a perfect textbook nor a perfect class. As Tomlinson (2006) states there is no perfect course book because each course book is used in different situations by different students who have different objectives, needs, wants, proficiency level, and cultural background.

The main limitation of this project is the fact that the textbook could be evaluated by actual teacher or even piloted and then evaluated again. According to Cunningsworth, pre-use evaluation tends to be the most difficult kind since there is no actual experience of using the course book. In this paper, I preevaluated the textbook American MORE level one using specific criteria that I adapted and adjusted. There were aspects that were not taken into account such as price, availability, physical appearance of the book among others. In order to evaluate the textbook and its components, I created my own checklists based on other researchers lists.

One of my future research lines will be to be able to offer workshops on selecting and evaluating EFL textbooks for state school teachers so that they make more educated decisions when choosing a textbook. The purpose of this research was to evaluate an EFL textbook taking into consideration specific criteria and then consider its suitability for a certain target audience which is students who attend the first grade of secondary in state schools in Guadalajara Mexico. Based on my research, I can say that the textbook American MORE and all its components are suitable materials for the first year of secondary education in

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state schools in Guadalajara Mexico. The grammar and vocabulary covered in the textbook is geared towards adolescents. The book does a good job about practicing the four skills throughout the units.

American MORE is fairly new on the Mexican market. It has many notable characteristics. For example: the textbook package is very well put together and conceived. It contains a variety of useful supplementary materials such as the teachers edition, the workbook and the on-line resources. The teachers book offers guide about how the student book can be used at its best. The activities throughout the book include individual, pair and group work. It has a multi-skills syllabus and integrates the four skills without neglecting other aspects such as grammar and vocabulary. The content of the book is realistic generally speaking. It is interesting, relevant and meaningful for adolescents. They are enough topics and subjects covered throughout the units and it does not exhibit any negative stereotypes.

By evaluating teaching materials, teachers learn more about language awareness, teaching ideas and activities and eventually improve their own learning skills. There is not a specific book that can be suitable for a particular situation, as teacher we need to adjust, adapt and adopt the textbook so that they utilize them in a better and more efficient way.

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7. REFERENCES ALLEN, J. P.B. (1984) "General-Purpose Language Teaching:a Variable Focus Approach" in Brumfit, C.J. (ed.) General English Syllabus Design. Pergamon Press Ltd. and The British Council. BREEN, M.P and CANDLIN. C.N. (1987). Which materials? A consumers and designers guide. In L. E. Sheldon (ed), ELT Textbooks and Materials. Problems in Evaluation and Development, (pp. 13-28). Oxford: Modern English Publications. CUNINGSWORTH, A. (1984). Evaluating and selecting EFL teaching materials. London: Heinemann. CUNNINGSWORTH, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Oxford. Heinemann http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/textbook

ELLIS, R. (1997). The empirical evaluation of the language teaching materials, ELt journal, 51(1), 36-42 HARMER, J (2001). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman HUTCHINSON, T. (1987). What is underneath? An interactive view of the materials evaluation. In L. E. Sheldon (ed.), ELT textbooks and materials: Problems in evaluation and development, (pp. 37-44), Oxford: Modern English Publications. LEWIS, MICHAEL. 2000. Teaching Collocation. Hove: LTP MCDONOUGH, J. & SHAW, C. (2003). Materials and Methods in ELT: A Teachers Guide. Blackwell publicating MCGRATH, I. (2001). Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh University Press

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MACMILLAN Online Dictionary. Definition of coursebook from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Publishers Limited. NUNAN, D. (1991): Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers, PrenticeHall. NOSS, RB. and RODGERS, T.S. (1976) Does English for Special Purposes Imply a New Kind of Language Syllabus in Wilson, G.H. (ed.).Curriculum Development and Syllabus Design for English Teaching. Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre RICHARDS, J.C.(2001) The Role of Textbooks in a language Program,

www.professorjackricahrds.com RICHARDS, J.C (1998) Beyond Training-Perspectives on language teacher education, Cambridge University Press RIDDELL, DAVID (2006) Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. McGraw-Hill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Mexico

SEP. Secretaria de Educacin Pblica. Lengua Extranjera-Ingls. Programas de Estudios 2006. Reforma de la educacin secundaria. Hacia una nueva escuela secundaria. Mxico DF SHELDON, L. (1988). Evaluating ELT textbooks and materials. English Language Teaching Journal, 42(4), 237-246. SKIERSO, A. (1991). Textbook selection and evaluation. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp.432-453). Boston: Heinle and Heinle. TESOL Standards for Adult Education Programs (2002)

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TOMLINSON, B. 2006. Localising the global: Matching materials to the context of learning. In J. Mukundan (ed.), Readings on ELT Materials II TOMLINSON, B. (1998). Materials Development in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press UR, P. (1996): A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. WEIR, C and J. ROBERTS. (1994). Evaluation in ELT. Oxford. Blakwell Publishers WIDDOWSON, HENRY G. (1993) "Proper Words in proper Places." ELT Journal 47/4. 317-329

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8. APPENDIX

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