Evaluation of an ESP Textbook for the Students of Sociology

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to describe the process that was undertaken to evaluate the textbook English for the Students of Sociology: Social Science Texts taught at the University of Tehran. The purpose of this research project was to determine the overall pedagogical value and suitability of the book toward this specific language program. To achieve this goal, a questionnaire consisting of 20 items and examining 6 factors (practical concerns, materials in relation to course objective, subject matter, linguistic issues, skills and strategies, variety of tasks and activities, and the layout of materials) was used. Participants included 30 students of sociology, who were taking an ESP course at the University of Tehran. The findings indicated that the book, despite having merits, was not very suitable for the course. Suggestions regarding the kinds of activities, strategies, layout and other important issues are discussed.