57 textbook does not require any particular equipment because there is no activity
which needs it.
B. Strengths and Weaknesses of
Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Student X
The strengths and weaknesses were explored briefly in the following description. Pictures taken from the textbook were added to strengthen the
description. More examples were provided in appendix 3.
1. Aims and Approaches Aspect
a. Strengths
The first strength was that Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Student X covers most what is needed. According to Riddell 2003:206, “An
ideal textbook should have variety and balance-language work, skill work, pronunciation, review units or section, and grammar summaries”. When a
textbook provides those packages, it will be very helpful for teaching-learning activities because what is needed by teachers and students have already fulfilled.
This textbook provides variety and balance language work, skill work, pronunciation, review units or section, and grammar summaries. There are four
basic skills explored in each unit, listening skill, speaking skill, reading skill, and writing skill which are accompanied by various activities. For the pronunciation
work, this textbook provides pronunciation key and phonetic transcriptions in every vocabulary list as provided in figure 4.1.
58
Figure 4.1 Example of pronunciation work
Review sections are provided in each unit of the textbook in a form of summary and tasks or activities related to the materials they have learned. There is Let’s
Make a Summary in the last part of every unit. This section summarizes the whole materials that have been learned. The example of Let’s Make a Summary can be
seen in figure 4.11.
Figure 4.2 Example of review section
59 There is also reflection section in every unit where the students are expected
reflect after learning each unit. Guideline questions are provided to help the students making their reflections.
Figure 4.3 Example of reflection section
Grammar summary is provided in this textbook. There are several grammar items provided, such as simple past tense, simple present tense, present perfect, and past
perfect.
Figure 4.4 Example of grammar summary
60 The second strength was that Interlanguage: English for Senior High
School Student X provides various teaching and learning style. According to Jordan 1997:95, “A learning or cognitive style is the particular approach by
which a student tries to learn”. Textbook should pay attention to students’ learning style. Every student has different learning style and it should be respected
by teachers or textbooks. They cannot be forced to use certain method because as stated by Cunningsworth 1995, “individuals have different learning strategies
and will not respond to methods which they distrust” p. 106. There are many ways for the students to learn something. A good textbook should accommodate
their learning style. According to Felder and Henriques 1995, there are two learning styles;
verbal and visual. Different learning styles require different methods to keep the students motivated in teaching learning activities. Students’ learning styles are
accommodated in this textbook. For verbal learners, who prefer spoken or written explanations to visual presentations, this textbook provides some supported
activities and written information.
Figure 4.5 Example of activity for auditory learners
61 The second one is visual learners. Students with this learning style prefer
that information is presented visually. In order to help the students to comprehend the materials, this textbook provides related pictures for each topic. There are
some passages with the illustration and some activities which use pictures.
Figure 4.6 Example of activity for visual learners
b. Weaknesses
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