Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Introduction

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Language Teachers at Work

  • 325 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter starts by examining the perennial debate over the role of English textbooks across the world. I then attempt to explicate the possible reasons for the paradoxical views on language materials by comparing and contrasting Eastern and Western cultures. A gap in ELT materials use research is pinpointed based on the analysis of the debate. The context of the study is introduced by unfolding my personal experiences of English Language Teaching (ELT) in higher education in China. Against the unique backdrop of ELT in China, the study aims to tackle two research questions. The chapter concludes with the outline of the book.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allwright, R. L. (1981). What do we want teaching materials for? ELT Journal, 36(1), 5–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, J., & Gower, R. (2011). Writing course materials for the world: A great compromise. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials development in language teaching (2nd ed., pp. 135–150). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Peretz, M. (1990). The teacher-curriculum encounter: Freeing teachers from the tyranny of texts. Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. (2009). The teacher-tool relationship: Theorizing the design and use of curriculum materials. In J. Remillard, B. A. Herbel-Eisenmann, & G. M. Lloyd (Eds.), Mathematics teachers at work: Connecting curriculum materials and classroom instruction (pp. 17–36). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, X. T. (2011). The ‘English Curriculum Standards’ in China: Rationales and issues. In A. W. Feng (Ed.), English Language across Greater China (pp. 133–150). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (1992). Teacher as curriculum maker. Handbook of Research on Curriculum, 363–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garton, S., & Graves, K. (2014). Identifying a research agenda for language teaching materials. The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 654–657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graves, K. (2008). The language curriculum: A social contextual perspective. Language Teaching, 41(02), 147–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerrettaz, A. M., & Johnston, B. (2013). Materials in the classroom ecology. The Modern Language Journal, 97(3), 779–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, H., & Zhan, C. (2011). An investigation into the impact of college English textbooks on teachers’ professional development. Foreign Language World, 4, 67–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, N. (2005). What do we want EAP teaching materials for? Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 4(2), 149–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, N. (Ed.). (2010). English language teaching materials: Theory and practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, N. (2017). What can we learn from mainstream education textbook research? RELC Journal, 48(2), 264–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, J. (2011). A comparative study of textbook evaluation between New Horizon College English and New Standard College English. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, Xi’an Technological University, China.

    Google Scholar 

  • Humphries, S. (2014). Factors influencing Japanese teachers’ adoption of communication-oriented textbooks. In K. Garton & S. Graves (Eds.), International perspectives on materials in ELT (pp. 253–269). England: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kachru, B. B. (1986). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions and models of non-native Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ke, I. (2012). From EFL to English as an international and scientific language: analyzing Taiwan’s high-school English textbooks in the period 1952-2009. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 25(2), 173–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, C. M., & Keller, J. D. (1996). Cognition and tool use: The blacksmith at work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen-Freeman, D. (2014). It’s about time. The Modern Language Journal, 98(2), 665–666.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, I. (2005). English language teaching in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR): A continuous challenge. In G. Braine (Ed.), Teaching English to the world: History, curriculum and practice (pp. 35–45). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., & Harfitt, G. J. (2017). An examination of language teachers’ enactment of curriculum materials in the context of a centralized curriculum. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 25(3), 403–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., & Harfitt, G. (2018). Understanding language teachers’ enactment of content through the use of curriculum materials. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 46(5), 461–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D., & Wu, Z. (2015). English language education in China: Past and present. Beijing, China: People’s Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Littlejohn, A. (2011). The analysis of language teaching materials: Inside the Trojan horse. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Material development in language teaching (pp. 179–211). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, I. (2006). Teachers’ and learners’ images for coursebooks. ELT Journal, 60(2), 171–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education (MOE). (2010). Outline of China’s national plan for medium and long-term education reform and development (2010-2020). Beijing: People’s Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education (MOE). (2017). Daxue Yingyu Jiaoxue Zhinan (Guidelines on College English Teaching). Beijing: Higher Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC). (2016). China Statistical Yearbook 2016. Beijing: China Statistics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabardel, P., & Bourmaud, G. (2003). From computer to instrument system: A developmental perspective. Interacting with Computers, 15(5), 665–691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. T. (1999). Curriculum materials in mathematics education reform: A framework for examining teachers’ curriculum development. Curriculum Inquiry, 29(3), 315–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. T. (2000). Can curriculum materials support teachers’ learning? Two fourth-grade teachers’ use of a new mathematics text. The Elementary School Journal, 100(4), 331–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. T. (2005). Examining key concepts in research on teachers’ use of mathematics curricula. Review of Educational Research, 75(2), 211–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. (2009). Considering what we know about the relationship between teachers and curriculum materials. In J. Remillard, B. A. Herbel-Eisenmann, & G. M. Lloyd (Eds.), Mathematics teachers at work: Connecting curriculum materials and classroom instruction (pp. 85–92). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. T., & Heck, D. J. (2014). Conceptualizing the curriculum enactment process in mathematics education. ZDM Mathematics Education, 46(5), 705–718.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swales, J. (1980). ESP: The textbook problem. The ESP Journal, 1(1), 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornbury, S., & Meddings, L. (2001). Coursebooks: The roaring in the chimney. Modern English Teacher, 10(3), 11–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(02), 143–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, B. (2016, June). What should be authentic and why? Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Materials Development Association, Liverpool, U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, B., & Masuhara, H. (2018). The complete guide to the theory and practice of materials development for language learning. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, P. (2010). A comparative analysis of MEXT English reading textbooks and Japan’s National Center Test. RELC Journal, 41(2), 165–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Q. (2007). The national curriculum changes and their effects on English language teaching in the People’s Republic of China. In J. Cummins & C. Davison (Eds.), International handbook of English language teaching (pp. 87–105). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. (1999). ‘College English’ in China. English Today, 15(01), 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wartofsky, M. (1979). Models: Representation and the scientific understanding. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: D. Reidel.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wertsch, J. V. (1998). Mind as action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, J., & Fan, Y. (2017a). Exploring the strategies and motives of using textbook-based tasks by college English teachers. Modern Foreign Languages, 40(1), 91–101.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Foreign Languages, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China

    Zhan Li

Authors
  1. Zhan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhan Li .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Li, Z. (2020). Introduction. In: Language Teachers at Work. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5515-2_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5515-2_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-5514-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-5515-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation