Evaluation Of First Year Second-generation Textbook Of English: An Insight Into Pros And Cons

It is widely accepted that textbooks are an extremely indispensable component of any ELT programme, and deciding their suitability and relevance in the teaching-learning process is a long-standing question for both experts and teachers. Measuring the pedagogic valuable contribution of the textbooks can be exclusively accentuated by subjecting them systematically to critical evaluation, an assisting coin for teachers towards a wiser selectivity of materials to be taught. This paper, therefore, focuses on an overall analysis of Algerian first year Middle School second-generation textbook of English which has been fully implemented since 2016. The purpose is to examine the adaptability and usefulness of the recently refined materials designed to meet both learners and teachers’ needs. It also seeks to highlight teachers’ perception regarding the applicability of competency-based approach equipped with long-lasting skills and the preparation for a whole-person development in an interactive environment. In order to reach research objectives, this study follows both quantitative and qualitative approaches of research by adopting two fundamental techniques; the first is the CATALYST technique (Grant, 1987) presented in the form of a checklist to be answered by four experts in the field, and the second is a questionnaire directed to 1st year M.S. teachers of English. The two techniques focus on the assessment of materials and the decidability about the pedagogic effectiveness of the textbook.