An Evaluation of the New Interchange Series

ABSTRACT: In language teaching and learning, textbooks can play a very important role. As Riazi (2002) stated,textbooks are the second effective factor in every classroom after the teacher. Therefore, choosing an appropriate textbook for a class has been one of the most essential tasks for teachers and curriculum planners. Thus, it is clear that evaluating a textbook is of great importance in order to achieve the desired objectives.In this paper, Littlejohn‟s framework (1998) is employed in this attempt with the aim of evaluating the New Interchange Serieswritten by Richards, Hull and Proctor (2006). This framework evaluates theselected textbook regardless of how it is used in the classroom. In sum, the analysis indicated that the New Interchange Seriesdon‟temploy learners or the teachers as a source for its content; rather, they pay attention mainly on pair works and meaning. They also encourage students to use the language, andmore importantly they usually require them to talk and discuss rather than to be a listener.However, there were some parts, including retrieving, repetition and written extended discourse, that need to be taken into better consideration.

Key Words: Textbook Evaluation, New Interchange Series, Littlejohn‟s Framework