example of text book analysis

INTRODUCTION

There are some characteristics of a good book that are available to use in school. The teachers should consider choosing the appropriate book or designing their own book for their students. Its characteristics determined by the teachers.  Teachers should have specifics characteristics.  The content of a book should meet with the students need and the context of learning. Therefore, they should have knowledge about their students’ characteristics, their school environment, and the teaching principles.

In this paper, I try to analyze the content of an English book. To analyze it, I try to find out some concept of learner characteristics that later I will use it as guideline in the process of analyzing.

REVIEW OF THEORIES

Learner Characteristics

          Students have different in some ways. They are different in the way of thinking; in the way of behave, in the way of perceiving knowledge, etc.  Some characteristics of learner in relation to learning process are presented as follows:

1.     Learning styles

Learning styles is the way in which students prefer to learn. Hunt (1979:27) believes that learning style describe a student in terms of educational conditions under which he is most likely to learn.

Some scholars have different opinions in defining learning style. Wikin et al identified learning styles based on field-independent and dependent, Yusrival (2001) looked at language learners as communicative, concentrate, authority-oriented, and undecided learners, and the most popular that we recognized in schools are Davis  and Barsch concept about learning style. Davis differentiated three kind of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor and Barsch proposed three main types of learning style: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile learners.

a.    Visual learners most effectively process visual information;

Characteristics of visual learner: reader/observer, scans everything; wants to see things, enjoys visual stimulation, enjoys maps, pictures, diagrams, and color, needs to see the teacher’s body language/facial expression to fully understand, not pleased with lectures, daydreams; a word, sound or smell causes recall and mental wandering, usually takes detailed notes, may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays

b.     Auditory learners understand best through hearing.

Characteristics of auditory learners:  Interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances, prefers directions given orally, seldom takes notes or writes things down, prefers lectures to reading assignments, often repeats what has just been said; talks to self

c.    Kinesthetic/tactile learners learn through touch and movement.

Characteristic of kinesthetic/tactile learners: needs to touch, handle, manipulate materials and objects, especially while studying or listening, counts on fingers and talks with hands, good at drawing designs, often doodles while listening, thus processing information, good at sports, mechanics, using appliances and tools, often adventurous, may find it hard to sit still for long periods, may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration

2.    Multiple intelligence

Intelligence is often defined as our intellectual potential; something we are born with, something that can be measured and a capacity that is difficult to change. In the last decade, more and more educators have warmed to Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Howard Gardner first identified and introduced to us seven different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind.

1. Linguistic intelligence is sensitivity to the meaning and order of words or mastery of language. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively manipulate language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically. It also allows one to use language as a means to remember information.
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence defined as ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.  The ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking
3. Musical intelligence is the capability to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. Musicians, composers and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
4. Spatial intelligence is the ability to manipulate and create mental images in order to solve problems. This intelligence is not limited to visual domains.  It is the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers and sculptors.
5. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to use one's mental abilities to coordinate one's own bodily movements. This intelligence challenges the popular belief that mental and physical activity are unrelated (ERIC, 1996:2)  the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
6. Interpersonal intelligence is an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence. core capacity to notice distinctions among others; in particular contrasts in their moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions (Gardner, 1993, p. 42).
7. Intrapersonal intelligence is an understanding of one's own emotions. Some novelists and or counselors use their own experience to guide others.

Then, Gardner identified an eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence.

h.     Naturalist is expertise in the recognition and classification of plants and animals. These same skills of observing, collecting, and categorizing might also be applied in the "human" environment. (Campbell, 2003, p. 84).

3.    Self – esteem

In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait, which means that it tends to be stable and enduring. Self-esteem can involve a variety of beliefs about the self, such as the appraisal of one's own appearance, beliefs, emotions and behaviors

Self-esteem involves a complex set of feelings, beliefs, and expectations based on a child’s changing skills in interacting with their environment and influencing their world (Apter, 1997). According to McFarland (1989), “it is a choice. Every individual is in charge of his/her own feelings which come from an individual’s evaluation about himself/herself and the extent to which one believes he/she is a competent and worthy person. Having high self-esteem doesn’t mean that you always feel wonderful. People with high self-esteem accept feelings such as being scared and lonely and know that they are all right no matter what types of feelings they may be having (McFarland, 1989:152).

Poor self-esteem has been traced to under achievement at school or work (Branden, 1983). Many adolescents feel discouraged once they are introduced to the requirements of school and the difficulties of tests. Often times they put up a front and show an attitude of not caring, when in actuality, the majority of teenagers are very anxious about school and grades (Apter, 1997).

Students with low self-esteem tend to get little satisfaction from school since low self-esteem interferes with good academic learning (Clemes & Bean, 1990).

There are pillars of self-esteem (Jhonson, 1995) that presented below:

a.    The Practice of Living Consciously

b.    The Practice of Self-Acceptance

c.     The Practice of Self-Responsibility

d.     The Practice of Self-Assertiveness

e.    The Practice of Living Purposefully

f.    The Practice of Personal Integrity

4.    Risk – taking

Risk taking is a process by which we decide whether to take chance of losing something with value to gain something that we desire. Often these decisions must be acceptable (kindler, 1999)

5.    Self – efficacy

Self-Efficacy is defined as a person’s belief about their ability to organize and execute courses of action necessary to achieve a goal. In other words, persons with strong efficacy beliefs are more confident in their capacity to execute a behavior (Bandura, 1997). Self efficacy refers to personal beliefs about one’s capabilities to learn or perform skills.

After considering some characteristics of learners, I try to match these characteristic with the content of an English book, to explore to what extent the content of the book support learners to learn in their ways.

 The second edition of Backpack 4 were written by Mario Herrera and Diane Pinkley and published by Pearson Longman in 2009. This book is provided for the fourth grade elementary students or for level 4. This book looks colorful, full of pictures, and the publisher of this book provided a CD room as a tool for listening practices.

1

 

          friends Old and New

In this chapter, the authors introduces learner to learn in new class. In the beginning of the chapter students are directed to read a song’s lyric in part 1, and listen to track A3 of CD room. In this activity, the authors tried to make all of students with different learning styles are interested to learn.

Ø  Visual learners can enjoy reading the lyrics of the song while look at the picture behind of lyrics. Pictures in which the author describes pupils’ activities in a joyful situation.

Ø  Auditory learners will prefer to listen carefully when CD room is playing. They can catch the meaning of song through listening

Ø  Kinesthetic learners can enjoy singing and they may prefer to act or move their body. The lyric of this song describes an excited of a someone to meet with his/her old friend but still hesitates because his/her friend looks different

Learners who have potential in musical intelligence will be able to recognize musical pitches, tones, and rhythms in these activities.

The next activities, the learners are directed to look at four pupils’ pictures with different hairs (activate visual learners), while listening to track A4 of CD room (activate auditory learners), students point to picture which match with every sentence then and say the sentences (activate tactile learners). The author also provides the sentences above the picture. It seems that the authors are trying make all students with different kinds of learning style can involve in learning process.

  The authors also provide stickers to stick in the picture of part three. The students listen to track A5 of CD room which describes 4 different pupils then they should stick the appropriate name above the picture. These activities will be interesting activities for visual, auditory, and tactile learners

To support communicative language teaching approach, the authors give some guidelines. These guidelines are presented in Language in the Real world section (part 4 to12).

Part 4: The guidelines of how to introduce ourselves in front of new classmate. There are five examples of self introduction including texts, pictures (activate visual learners), and audio (track A7, activate auditory learners).

Part 5 to 10: the guidelines of how to use question formation; comparative adjective. There are two conversations that indicate the using of comparative adjectives including pictures, texts (activate visual learners), and audio (track A8 and track A9, activate auditory learners), then students practices in part 7, they look at pictures, compare them then decide to use the appropriate comparatives adjectives. Learners who have potential in spatial intelligence will be able to manipulate and create mental images in order to solve these tasks.  The using of get + adjectives is illustrated in part 8 and 9. Learners who have potential in linguistic intelligence will do all these talk actively. The learners try to write questions or answers based on provided clue and picture in part 8 (appropriate for spatial and linguistic intelligence), and then every learner asks some of their classmate to complete the provided chart in part 9. The students are given chance to practices their understanding of using comparative adjective. Students should try to compare their selves to their friends (the authors provide question in part 10). These activities will encourage students to build up their high self-esteem and high self – efficacy in order to bring them in taking high risk.

Part 11: guidelines how to write letter. There 5 examples of letters in track A11 of CD room, students should listen and try to match it with picture in part 11 (visual, auditory, spatial and linguistic intelligence are required in this task)

Part 12: describing a friendship. There is lyric song in this part and picture in which the authors describe meaning friendship. Students can listen to this song in track A 12 while they can read lyric and chant it. They should listen for main ideas and details; description, stress; rhythm; and intonation (visual or auditory, spatial and musical intelligence are required in this task)

Before continue to the next chapter, the author give space for pupils to make conversation cube, access to learning value (be friendly), and review learning content.

ü  The pupils cut out the cube on page 131 then try to create it by adding information of their family, and then make conversation with their friends. Picture of this activities are including

ü  The pupils can look at 2 different pictures and read text then discuss three questions to gain learning value.

ü  Te pupils cut out the picture on page 133 then place them in square (page 13)

These activities will be interesting things for auditory, visual, and tactile learners, and it can lead student in taking risk in order to have high self-esteem and strong self – efficacy belief.

For performance assessment, the authors illustrate in a picture how to do it. 

I think all of task in this chapter demonstrate some activities in which all of pupils with different characteristic could interest and enjoy it. The authors are able to integrate some activities in one task. Visual learner can see colorful picture, auditory learner can listen to CD room, and tactile can move and play.

The activities can let student to learn in their intellectual potential. Try to support the linguistics intelligence in developing their potential in question formation and comparative adjective, to support musical inelegances in recognizing it in the lyrics of song, to support spatial intelligence to manipulate mental image in order to solve problem. The work of this author in this chapter should be appreciated.

The teacher could invite some students to perform some of these activities in front of classroom, like singing, making conversation about their family through conversation cube or introduce their selves. Give them challenges and encourage them to have high risk taking and positive self-esteem. 

2

Teachers need to build up their students’ belief and confidence that they can learn English effectively through practices and guide them to recognize their learning style and make it works.

    It’s About Time

          The authors try to make connection between daily routines or chores and expression time. All activities are provided to enable students in using English, tell and communicate their daily activities and frequencies of time in real situation. Some activities are integrated in a task.

          Section 1, students will read a lyric of song with the title Tomo’s week. Students are able to listen to the song in track A13 of CD-room and look at the picture behind lyric in which the authors describe daily routines of Tomo. All types of learner will interest to work on this task. They read, they listen and they sing together. Learners who have potential in musical intelligence will be able to recognize musical pitches, tones, and rhythms in these activities

          Section 2, student will see picture of Sarah Luis that are talking; their conversation can be read in the left and listened in the track 14 0f CD room. They are directed to listen to their conversation then they read it and they say every of words of these conversation. The activities in this task appropriate for auditory, visual, and tactile learners.

          Section 3, students should ask questions based on the activities of Luis and Sara in the pictures. Three kinds of activities are applied in a task. Look carefully to the picture; translate their activities into right sentences, stick it in the picture and say their sentences. The activities in this task will activate visual, auditory and tactile learners. Spatial intelligence will find high confidence to work in this task.

          Section 4 to 12 presents language in the real world to make pupils/students learn English for communicative purpose.

Students can learn 4 examples of daily activities of 4 different people: Keisha, Soo-jin, Roberto, and Leo. Students can listen to these texts in track A16 while they look and read it in the text book. Later they will hear question about the activities of these people (section 5, track 17) Learners who have potential in spatial intelligence will be able to manipulate and create mental images in order to solve these tasks, and also they hear question of time frequencies (section 6, track 18). They should find some guidelines about question formation of time frequencies. The knowledge of students about these can be tested in section 7 and 8. Questions in section 7 should be answered based on the picture in the right side and questions in the section 8 should be answered base on the chart. All of these activities appropriate for visual and auditory learner, and tactile learners. Learners who have potential linguistic intelligence will not find difficult to do these task. The integration of activities for communicative performance can be seen in the next section, where students are asked to move to other chairs and find out their classmates activities then write in table as given example in section 9.

Before going on to the next section, the students are given space to draw pictures of their weekly activities and access to values of learning content. The authors illustrate these activities in page 23 and page 24. At the end of this section, the authors provide activities in page 25 to review of this section. All of these activities are illustrated in picture and make students play and learn. I think these activities will be an interesting task for every student. Then it will lead students in taking risk in order to have high self-esteem and strong self – efficacy belief.

3

         

          At the World’s Table

In this chapter, students will learn some kinds of food and they will learn how to order food. The authors of book provide some activities to take students attention learn effectively.  In part 1, students are required to read song lyric, listen to track A22 of CD room, and sing it. Students can look at the picture of food that mention in lyric behind the lyric song. In this task, all students with different styles will interest to learn because all of activities have a link to their learning preference. Learners who have potential in musical intelligence will be able to recognize musical pitches, tones, and rhythms in these activities. Student will learn how to order food in part 2. They can read the conversation between waiter and Ann, listen to the conversation in track A23 of CD room and practice these conversation, they also can look at the picture in the right side of conversation. In part 3, students will see picture of plate, and ask to cut sticker of food to stick it in plate based on Mary and Pablo ordering in track A24 of CD room. These activities will attract students with different learning styles (auditory, visual, tactile learners and spatial intelligence) to do this task.

Students will learn how language used in the real world in part 4 to part 12. Students will learn different kinds of food in different countries by reading 4 texts in part 4 including their picture, then they will learn to order food by using question formation in part five including examples (track A27, picture and sentences in book). Learners who have potential in linguistic intelligence will do all these talk actively. They could test their ability used their language knowledge of food and ordering food, students can look do exercises in part 7 to part 11. All of these task including their picture. In part 7 and 8, students should complete the sentences, and in task 9 students need to look at the menu in the right side of question then answer the questions. Student will work with a friend to practices language in part 10, they will act as waiter and customer in a café, the list of menu is provided. To check students of the name of food, they do exercise in part 11 by listening to track A30 and match with its picture, and in the last task students will read lyric of song and listen to track A31. They are required listen to main idea and details, stress, rhythm, and intonation. It seems that the authors have considered different styles of learning style, and tried to engage students in learning language for communicative. The author also give space to related these lesson to social studies (it is illustrated in pictures, see pages 35), to access to value of learning content by discussing questions in page 36, to review the learning content through card and role-play ( illustrations can be seen in page 37). The authors provide picture for all task. I think these activities will be an interesting task for every student. Then it will lead students in taking risk in order to have high self-esteem and strong self – efficacy belief.

4

 

                   Take Care

Students will learn how to take care their health and how to give advice. The authors provide various activities to attract students’ attention to learn. There are text, picture, audio, chart, sticker, etc.

All students will give some advice to take care their health through the lyric of song and some pictures in part 1. They can listen to tract A32. They will practice four conversations in part 2 (including its picture in part 2 and its audio in track A33) and differentiate some kind of disease. Students will engage to learn language in the real world in part 4 to 12. Students will learns four kinds of exercises and their functions (including pictures and audio in tract A35) then they will hear some questions in track A36 and 37, the directions and script provided in part 5 and 6). To check their understanding to use question formation; should + verb and reflexive pronouns, students should complete sentences in part 7 (based on picture) and part 8. To make students practices their language, students are ask and give advise three of their classmates (example, chart, and picture are provided in part 9 and 10), and students will hear five kinds of disease then write the number in the task of part 11. In the last activities, the students will read lyric of song in part 12 the listen to track A40. They are directed to listen for main idea and details, health, stress, rhythm, and intonation.

At end of chapter the authors always give space for students to connect the learning content to other studies such as art, social studies and science, to access to learning value, to review learning content. These activities are illustrated in pictures.

CONCLUSION

After describing and exploring tasks and activities in this book, I come to a conclusion that the content of this book have been designed for all types/style of students/learners. The writer of the book has provided some activities in a task. Teachers who use this book can chose activities that appropriate for their students.

REFERENNCES

Branden, Nataniel. 1995.  The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem.

Hund, D.E. 1979. Learning style and student need. Reston: VA National SSP

Gardner, Howard (1999) Intelligence Reframed. Multiple intelligences for the 21st century, New York: Basic Books. 292 + x pages. Useful review of Gardner's theory and discussion of issues and additions.

McKenzie, Jill K. 1999. CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-ESTEEM IN  STUDENTS

Kindler, Herbert S.  1999.  Risk taking.