Developing an Evaluation Checklist for English Majors’ Textbooks in China: Focus on Intercultural Communicative Competence

• Published in: Arab world English journal 2020-09, Vol.11 (3), p.92-116
• Main Authors: Lei, Wanrong, Soontornwipast, Kittitouch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College Students; Communicative Competence (Languages); English (Second Language); Evaluation Criteria; Foreign Countries; Intercultural Communication; Language Teachers; Majors (Students); Native Speakers; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Specialists; Textbook Evaluation; Textbook Selection
• ISSN: 2229-9327; 2229-9327
• DOI: 10.24093/awej/vol11no3.6

With the rising interest in the Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in language teaching, evaluating the ICC attributes in EFL textbooks is becoming a great concern. This study aimed to find out the evaluation criteria for the ICC attributes in EFL textbooks generated from the literature and from EFL experts, and then construct an evaluation checklist for assessing the ICC attributes of the English majors' textbook in China. The findings revealed that thirty-six items were identified from the literature and another thirty-six new items were generated from the interview with nine experts in the fields of ICC research and textbook selection. These items were constructed into a draft checklist and checklist was validated by another nine EFL teachers and native-speaker teachers. Consequently, a try-out checklist with two dimensions, eight themes and sixty-one items was developed. Given the vital role of ICC in English teaching, it is essential to understand the ICC attributes in EFL textbooks, which is a relatively new construct. The proposed checklist was a critical step towards a better evaluation of ICC attributes in English majors' textbooks and would be a helpful tool for teachers in textbook evaluation. Future research is required to refine the try-out checklist.