Advantages and Disadvantages of Textbooks

correspond with the aim of the syllabus and curriculum Cunningsworth, 1995; Nunan, 1989 and McDonough and Shaw 1993:64. However, conflict of goals cannot be avoided since teachers, learners, materials developers and sponsors involve in teaching and learning management Allwright, 1981. There is always a conflict of teachers, leaners, material developers and sponsor goals found in textbook. Shortly, Allwright 1981 argued that a textbook may contribute to some ways but it cannot determine goals. The approach of a textbook is also considered to be evaluated in a textbook evaluation process. Cunningsworth 1995 and Brown, 2001 suggested some questions to evaluate this criterion whether a textbook is flexible to any teaching and learning situation and style. In a slight different opinion to this approach issue by Allwright 1981 was that in materials evaluation assessors or teachers should be able to measure to what extent the management of the activities are maximally profitable. However, he pinned important clause that textbook can and do contribute to the teaching and learning process, including the teaching approach, but cannot possibly cope with many important decision made by the teachers regarding their various situation Allwrigth, 1981. In conclusion to the discussion about the approach, the researcher agrees to Allwrig ht’s opinion that detailed local decision is clearly beyond the scope of publication 1981. The materials or textbook then can only impose suggestion to the teachers. Human being loves everything which is beautiful. It is also not too much to say that aesthetically positive experience through the use of attractive illustration and its design can facilitate learners in language acquisition and development Tomlinson, 2008 since it can arouse the learne rs’ interest Rowntree 1997,92. A good material must provide a pleasurable learning experience which can be achieved by practicing learning items in an interesting and novel way Richards, 2001. This can be done by using attractive illustration and design Tomlinson, 2008. Besides the design and illustration, a good textbook should help the learners feel at ease Rowntree 1997. Therefore the sequence and the grading of textbook should be able to make the learners at ease and suitable for the learners Cunningsworth, 1995. In the same time, Cunningsworth 1995 also believes that a textbook should allow the teachers to undergo various teaching styles. In a simple way, a textbook should be flexible for the teachers. The next criterion of a textbook to be reviewed is the language content. In this aspect of textbook, three main elements are described. Those are grammar, vocabulary and phonology. Cunningsworth 1995 sees that those three elements are important in term of learning the language. Therefore, in his textbook checklist, he tried to find out whether a textbook provides adequate grammar item for the students to learn autonomously and teachers as the source of grammar knowledge. Besides the grammar item that should be presented in textbook, vocabulary in terms of quantity and range must be adequately provided in a textbook. Another important aspect that should be presented in textbook related to content is the pronunciation. A textbook has to give teachers and students the pronunciation work in terms of individual sounds, word stress and intonation. Related to the content of textbook, language skills presented in textbook should be carefully paid attention of since referring to what Tomlinson 2008