An Evaluation of the Materials Deployed in English Language Proficiency Courses for Postgraduate Applicants: A Content- Based Study

Abstract

There is broad recognition that a textbook, among other components, plays an important role in many English language classrooms today. As a result, its evaluation is a significant issue to guarantee its contribution to the success of the teaching- learning process. Evaluating textbooks and other instructional materials used in the teaching- learning contexts is one of the responsibilities of teachers. The textbooks adopted in Kurdistan university language centers are no exception. Hence, the present paper is an attempt to conduct a post-use evaluation for the content of one of the textbooks (Interchange 3) used at the intermediate level in Kurdistan university English language proficiency courses. It aims to determine the areas of strengths and weaknesses of the textbook content and to see to what extent it was appropriate in helping the learners improve their level of English from the teachers’ perspectives. The textbook is analyzed using a descriptive content analysis method. For this purpose, 23 teachers who taught this textbook in six different language centers were asked to participate and the data were obtained through a 24-item questionnaire suggested by Demir and Ertaș (2014). The results of the content analysis indicated that the teachers are highly satisfied with the textbook under evaluation regardless of some deficiencies in certain aspects of the textbook - and that the textbook suited the teaching/ learning context as it could provide sufficient meaningful opportunities for the learners to communicate with the target language.