Textbook selection and learner assessment in ESL programs

Teaching ESL: Teaching English to Young Learners

Textbook Selection

Which books do you use in your program? Why?

Despite being based in America, the program prefers books that make use of British English, and which are, accordingly, authored by British writers over those that use General American English. This is because British English is the standard form of English used in most English-speaking countries. Giving children a foundation in Standard English makes them more flexible in terms of language in destinations outside the U.S. The program considers this flexibility crucial for success in this age of globalization.

What is the procedure for selecting a new book?

In selecting a new book, the teacher needs to first assess the book's standards to ensure that they are in congruence with the program's curriculum policy, and that they satisfy the student support and accountability standards stipulated by the program. To ascertain that the book indeed satisfies the program's principles of selection, the teacher is required to seek out expert advice regarding the book's suitability from more experienced colleagues within the program. The book should only be used if its standards conform to the program's requirement for materials that are recommended for use in teaching children in a particular age bracket.

What is your definition of assessment?

Learner assessment is the process of collecting relevant data and information in a systematic process, and then using this information to draw conclusions on learners' degree of understanding in a particular area of knowledge or teaching aspect (Hilsen, 2013). Assessments are an effective way of gauging children's progress and at the same time evaluating the effectiveness of the instructional techniques and strategies used by the instructor. Basically, therefore, assessments help the teacher identify those topics or subject areas that the learners have properly understood, and those that they have not and perhaps need more help with. This assists the teacher in drawing up their lesson plan to ensure that more attention is paid to the specific topics that the learners have not properly grasped. The teacher could also use assessments as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. For instance, if the overall level of understanding in multiple topics is low, one could conclude that the techniques or materials used in teaching are ineffective for that group of learners and that they consequently need to be changed.

Common Examples of Assessments

Some of the most commonly-used methods of assessment in the case of young learners include i) continuous assessment tests, where the teacher issues graded or non-graded tests to assess learners' understanding of topics learnt in related lessons; ii) short-assessment activities which seek to test learners' knowledge on some general aspects; iii) individual reviews of learners' tasks and workbooks to obtain ongoing evidence on their achievement and learning; and iv) administration of short questionnaires that allow learners to indicate what topics they find difficult and what topics they consider easy, as well as what they like and what they do not like about the lesson.