Redevelopment Of Young Learners English Textbooks

Textbooks are a key component in most language programs as well as the primary resources for English curriculum. They play a vital role in the process of language learning and teaching. Much of the language teaching that occurs throughout the world today could not have taken place without the extensive use of commercial textbooks (Richards, 2003). However, as every coin has two sides, the use of textbooks may also bring about some adverse effects on language teaching and learning. Although they are compiled by experts, they are not suitable to every teaching situation and different learner groups'learning needs due to inherent and unavoidable limitations. Thus, when utilizing textbooks, teachers must redevelop them to make the content, language, structure and methodology of them better match learners'aptitude and satisfy their diverse learning needs. It is very important for language teachers to bridge the gap between the textbooks and learners in order to overcome the weakness of textbooks and maximize learners'learning potentials.Concerning some problems existing in young learners English textbook and teaching, the present study, within the framework of"Tyler Rationale and Developmental Psychology", taking Cambridge Young Learners English (CYLE) textbook as an example, attempts to explore how to redevelop young learners English textbooks, which is based on the investigation of young learners'learning needs and textbook evaluation.The present study employs both qualitative and quantitative research methodology, and the participants are 120 young learners of four intact classes in Movers and 30 teachers in Cambridge Young Learners English Centers at Baiyin, Gansu. The instrument consists of questionnaires and interview, which is to investigate into young learners learning needs, their attitudes towards the CYLE textbooks as well as teachers'and the current situation of CYLE textbook redevelopment.The results show that: 1) young learners have some common learning needs, meanwhile, they still possess some different learning needs, which is diversified according to different proficiency level; 2) the CYLE textbook can meet young learners'learning needs to a large extent, however, some aspects such as topics, vocabulary, grammar, arrangement of contents and activities still need to be redeveloped; 3) the current situation of young learners English textbook redevelopment is not ideal and the teachers need both theoretical and practical instruction on redevelopment.Based on the findings of the investigation, the present study proposed three principles for young learners English textbook redevelopment (the ESC-oriented principle, the textbook-based principle and the learner-centered principle) and worked out a redevelopment model, which is in turn specifying objectives of redevelopment, selecting dimensions of redevelopment, organizing methods of redevelopment and evaluating the outcomes of redevelopment.Finally, some implications are also proposed in this paper in terms of materials development, teaching methodology and teacher development. And the limitations and suggestions for further studies in this area are also pointed out.