ELT Journal Advance Access originally published online on May 22, 2008
ELT Journal 2009 63(2):145-153; doi:10.1093/elt/ccn019
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
What makes a coursebook series stand the test of time?
Éva Illés teaches in the Department of English Applied Linguistics at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. She holds a PhD in ESOL from the Institute of Education, University of London. She has a wide range of experience including teaching ESOL in Britain, EFL in Hungary, as well as teacher training and materials development
Email: evailles{at}hotmail.com
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Abstract |
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Intriguingly, at a time when the ELT market is inundated with state-of-the-art coursebooks teaching modern-day English, a 30-year-old series enjoys continuing popularity in some secondary schools in Hungary. Why would teachers, several of whom are school-based teacher–mentors in the vanguard of the profession, purposefully choose materials which were published not years but decades ago? This paper attempts to find the reasons for their decision and argues for the importance of pedagogically appropriate texts. It confirms the view that it is not necessary for a piece to be written by native speakers for native speakers in order to be authentic in the classroom context. The study also suggests that texts which display qualities that works of literature possess can not only successfully engage and motivate learners but stand the test of time as well.