Evaluation of the books: Nuovo Progetto Italiano 1-A and 1-B in terms of European Language Portfolio Criteria

In foreign language teaching materials are presented by teacher in various environments in order to increase the efficiency and facilitate the teaching and learning process. Real objects and models, written and visual printed materials, audio components, televisions, videos, computers and Internet pages are used as material. Written materials include books, exercise books, working papers, the materials created by teachers and books prepared as reference book. Textbooks remind one of publications prepared by professional instructors. However, there are positive and negative arguments for textbooks: Favourable argument indicates that textbook shapes curriculum and therefore helps students follow a planned and developed syllabus in a systematic way. According to unfavourable argument, since the textbook was prepared not on real situations but on targeted elements of teaching, it’s language can be unauthentic. In this case it’s argued that instead of describing real life, it reflects the use of an idealized language. Concerning the use of textbook, in order to reconcile these two arguments, the solution suggestion is material adaptation. The adaptation process is accomplished by changing the context, adding or removing the content, rearranging the content and material change. In this context the study examined the textbooks, which are one of the written materials used for foreign language teaching. The textbooks namely Nuovo Progetto Italiano 1-A and 1-B, which were published by Edilingua Publishing House, were evaluated according to the criteria of the A1 and A2 levels of European Language Portfolio, based on Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. An evaluation criteria has been adapted based on European Language Portfolio, A1 and A2 level control lists of Language Biography: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production and writing. Thus an evaluation and detailed examinations of the books were made. In line with obtained data, the quantitative and qualitative competence aspects of the textbooks were discussed according to A1 and A2 levels.

Keywords

European Language Portfolio, Evaluation of Italian Language Textbooks, Material Adaptation