A sociolinguistic perspective in the analysis of English textbooks: Development of a checklist

Cihat Atar,Cahit Erdem

doi:10.5937/istrped2002398a

Abstract

This study aims to suggest a checklist for teachers and researchers to analyze English as a second or foreign language textbooks from a sociolinguistic perspective. In the literature there is not a checklist or framework by which English textbooks can be evaluated considering the sociolinguistics issues raised in this study. After obtaining expert opinion and a piloting on 8 textbooks used in state schools in Turkey, a checklist consisting 6 criteria was suggested. Then, the check list was applied on the 9th grade English book ReLearn (Karamil & Birincioglu Kaldar, 2019) used in state schools in Turkey to demonstrate how the checklist can be utilized. The findings suggest that from a sociolinguistic perspective, the book in focus occasionally conforms to the sociolinguistic concerns while it needs some qualitative improvements. Improvements in providing genuine speakers of non-native and non-standard accents of English rather than using standard accent vocalizations for the speakers that are depicted as non-natives can be a primary suggestion and at the same time, the textbook should focus on different ways of life and perspectives instead of mostly providing intercultural knowledge such as cities or historic places. Finally, the textbook should pay more attention to the linguistic ecology in Turkey and adjust its contents so as to compensate for the foreign language status of English in Turkey. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature by providing a checklist to evaluate textbooks systematically with regard to essential sociolinguistic issues and it demonstrates the application of the checklist.

Highlights

With the globalization of the world in the recent decades and the global power the United Kingdom and the United States exerted throughout the world, English has become a world language and it is used for various purposes ranging from academic issues to trade and technology
A pilot study on 8 books used in public schools in Turkey was undertaken and the checklist was sent to expert opinion
This study aims to develop a rubric by which practitioners or academicians can evaluate whether a language textbook is coherent with the sociolinguistic issues

Summary

Introduction

With the globalization of the world in the recent decades and the global power the United Kingdom and the United States exerted throughout the world, English has become a world language and it is used for various purposes ranging from academic issues to trade and technology. As a result of this immense spread and the huge variations of users in terms of many variables such social status, political power, race, ethnicity and culture, the English used by these people was affected, and different Englishes have emerged (Kachru, 2006). Even if it is unrealistic, there is not a need to attain a native-like proficiency as most of the English learners merely learn it for practical purposes such as trading and they do not use it for academic purposes When this is supported with the fact that the number of people learning English as a second or foreign language is much larger than the native speakers, it is argued that the goal should not be set as the native-like proficiency and the standard British or American English. Different social and linguistic variables should be acknowledged to have a descriptive approach rather than a prescriptive one which imposes upon the reality

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