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20091012 Learning Today--Does it really matter what textbook we use?

This morning I have got some idea from Professor He Anping¡¯s lecture about the general analysis of course book. She offered us some criteria to evaluate the textbooks we use, from which I learn how to appreciate various textbooks we have come across.

Since the education reform carried out in 2004 in senior high, we say goodbye to the time of one syllabus, one textbook. I remember the year 2004 when we first used the New Standard English as our textbook in Shaoguan, the only city in Guangdong province to pick up this book as our course book, we hesitated and even a bit worried whether we could make the best use of this book, as many other cities followed the trend and still stuck to the course book published by People¡¯s Publishing House, which sounded more authoritative and powerful. It is quite natural that people don¡¯t want to be the exception especially when coming across something new. But we had no way out but take it as it was the decision made by the local authorities.

After using this course book for about 5 years, I come to realize that it really doesn¡¯t matte what textbook we use, as each book may have its own advantages and disadvantages. Besides, we now are using the book to teach instead of teaching the book.

Today¡¯s lecture helps us to discover some good features of this course book, especially when Ms He asked us to use 3 adjectives to describe our favorable course book. At least up till now this New Standard English Book published by Foreign language Teaching and Research Press is quite a good book in my mind.

Take book 1 for example, the first 4 modules are concerned with students¡¯ daily life, ¡°My First Day at Senior High¡±. ¡°My New Teachers¡±, ¡°My First Ride on a Train¡±, and ¡°A Social Survey---My Neighborhood¡±. The topics all related to the learners¡¯ themselves make them feel easy and interested to learn. I remember some argue that the contents (the material chosen for the reading) are too easy, and not many wonderful and complex sentences for students to taste and recite. But if we have a second thought to change our teaching objectives, it won¡¯t be a problem. Why not ask students to imitate the text and write their own compositions as abundant materials (including vocabulary and sentence patterns )are available for them? Isn¡¯t it a way to reduce the students¡¯ learning anxiety? When we are teaching, we needn¡¯t teach everything included in the textbook. The teaching materials should be carefully tailored and selected according to the students¡¯ need.

This book, compared with the course book I used before 2004, is a better one. First of all, it does not only focus on knowledge (especially the grammar) to the students, it also lays importance on the students¡¯ attitude, interest and their learning process and cultural awareness. It encourages students to actively involve in the inside and outside classroom activities, as we can clearly see the tasks assigned in each module, asking students to write the brochure about their school, to set the criteria for a good teacher and to plan a presentation about their neighborhood and so on and this will motivate them to participate in learning, cooperate with their peers and explore more. Isn¡¯t it the spirit that is advocated by the Education Reform---learning in using, for using and by using.

Textbook should be instructive and interesting. No textbook can meet each one¡¯s need as one¡¯s meat may be another man¡¯s poison. What we teachers can do is read more and make a good choice of the material we use--- discard the dross and select the essence.

(Sticking to nothing but one course book may not be a wise decision in this information era)