Meaning-focused Input Four Strands

al., 2001 and also as teaching tools Graves, 2000 which help teachers and learners conduct the process of study. Textbooks are also one of a lot of learning media which holds significant roles in the classroom. It usually provides the curriculum material in an instructional system. Further, Richards 2001: 251 reveals that textbooks function as the source for much of the language input learners receive and the language practice that takes place in classroom. They provide goals, process and the most frequently-used material of an instruction and educational planning. For most teachers, textbooks provide the foundation for the content of lessons, the balance of the skills taught, as well as the kinds of language practice the students engage in during class activities. According to Cortazzi and Jin 1999, the textbook can be a teacher, a map, a resource, a trainer, an authority, and an ideology. Textbooks present the necessary tools in preparing learners for the transition of language skills across disciplines. For most teachers, textbooks provide the foundation for the content of lessons, the balance of the skills taught, and the kinds of language practice the students engage in during class activities. Textbooks turn out to be the focal source of language contact for students, apart from teacher input. From aforementioned explanation about textbooks, it can be concluded that textbooks serve not only as a learning aid Brewster et al., 2001 or teaching tools Graves, 2000 but they also provide goals, process and materials. Besides, textbooks are also considered significant as they provide language input for language learners Richards, 2001 which help them enhance their linguistic and communicative abilities Sheldon, 1987.

c. Textbooks as an Instructional Material

Instructional materials are perceived as very important in the teaching and learning of English language. Instructional materials are materials or tools or devices used to enhance and enlighten the effective teaching and learning process. Instructional materials include textbooks, technology-based materials, other educational materials, and tests. Due to this, in the English teaching and learning process, textbooks function as a part of the teachers‟ instructional materials. Donovan in Tomlinson 1998 affirms that materials should have a high degree of regularity in unit design, content, task type, etc. Tomlinson 1998 in Richards 2001: 263 suggests that good language teaching materials have the following characteristics: 1 Materials should achieve impact 2 Materials should help learners feel at ease 3 Materials should help learners to develop confidence 4 What is being taught should be perceived by learners as relevant and useful 5 Materials should require and facilitate learner self-investment 6 Learners must be ready to acquire the points being taught 7 Materials should expose the learners to language in authentic use 8 The learners‟ attention should be drawn to linguistic features of the input 9 Materials should provide the learners with opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative purposes 10 Materials should take into account that learners have different learning styles 11 Materials should take into account that positive effects of instruction are usually delayed