To sum up, that a textbook is one of a primary instructional medium which provide teaching materials and facilitate teachers and
students about what and how to teach in the classroom in teaching learning process.
2. The Selection of Textbook
The dominant role of a textbook makes the selection a textbook is an important decision. The important of a textbook, encourage many
writers and publishers producing textbooks in a large number of textbooks for various students’ level. Swan states, “There are fewer dull courses
around their days and many modern courses contain interesting and motivating material, with good texts, attractive visuals, and well-chosen
readings”.
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The writer also finds that almost textbooks are offered by publishers have own anxiety such as picture models, variant texts,
contents, etc. Due to that problem, the teacher
’s job is the ability to decide which one of the appropriate textbook for large numbers of students although
they lack precise information about individual students. The teachers need to have enough information about it.
The information of textbooks can be obtained from two sources; they are textbook description and textbook evaluation.
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More detailed is explained as follow:
a. Textbook Description
Textbook description is defined as the collection and description of data on the content and form of the textbook itself. It can be seen from:
1 authors’ and publishers’ information
2 textbook reviews
3 checklists
5
Michael Swan, “The Textbook: Bridge or Wall?”, in Roger Bowers and Christoper Brumfit eds., Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, London: Macmillan
Publishers Limited, 1991, p. 34.
6
Van Els, et. al., 1991, op. cit., p. 298.
4 textbook descriptions and the development of new descriptive
tools
b. Textbook Evaluation
Refers to the collection and description of data on the effects textbooks have on their users. In textbook evaluation usually
distinguish between two, namely: 1
users’ judgments teachers and learners 2
experimental research into the effects of textbooks.
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Thus, the selection of a textbook can be done in two ways; the first is the selection from the textbook itself and the selection from the users of
that textbook. In addition, there are two stages in the selection of a textbook
below: a.
Global selection, which has sufficient superficial appeal. The information needed to make such a choice can be obtained from
textbook reviews, users’ judgments, information from authors and publishers, and the teacher’s own global analysis.
b. Analysis of the textbooks remaining after first selection. For this
purpose checklists, comparative textbook descriptions, detailed comment from users, and, where available, reports on empirical
research into the effects of type textbook in question can be very useful.
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The writer concludes that these two stages is similar to the previous two sources in selecting a textbook, the difference is in its
classification. Besides, Davis judges a range of criteria in selecting a textbook as
follow:
accuracy and currency of content
coherence and clarity of content
level of difficulty and interest for students
cost -
choose the less expensive work if it is of comparable quality -
choose paperbacks rather than hardbacks
7
Van Els, et. al., 1991, op. cit., pp. 300-309.
8
Ibid., pp. 299-300.
- limit the total cost of books for your course by placing some
works on reserve in the library
size heavy large texts are hard to carry
format and layout ease of reading
9
From the specifications above, the writer sums that the criteria in selecting a textbook covers the organization and content implicate the level
of difficulty and interest for students; accuracy not ambiguity; and attractiveness of cover, size, and layout.
Therefore, the principals, especially the teachers have to be wise in selecting which one the good textbook for their students in the class.
3. The advantage of Textbook
