GUIDELINES FOR TEXTBOOK

AUTHORS OF ENGLISH

LANGUAGEBy: Mrs. Asma Hassan

Subject Specialist EnglishPTB

In the current scenario, English is the language of international communication, higher learning and better career options. It should, therefore, reach the masses so that there is no discrimination amongst the rich and the poor in Pakistan in terms of opportunities for personal, professional and economic development.

The new curriculum aims to provide holistic opportunities to the students for language development and to equip them with competencies in using the English language for communication in different academic and social contexts than on acquiring knowledge about the language for its own sake.

It acknowledges, on one hand, the importance of teaching the knowledge about the language system ; on the other , it moves a step forward to emphasize the appropriate use of that knowledge so that students’ ability to communicate in real life situations is improved and made effective for various purposes.

Curriculum Development Process

Identifying Competencies

& selecting Competencies

Developing Learning

Standards

Defining Benchmarks at developmental

levels

Developing Student Learning

Outcomes at each grade

level

The Organization of the Curriculum Framework

C Competency

C1…C5 Subsequent number of competencies

S Standard

S1…S3 Subsequent number of standards in each competency

BM Benchmark

BM1…BM4 Subsequent number of benchmarks at each developmental level

Example of Coding:C1S2BM3

Competency 1, Standard 2, Benchmark 3

Codes for Competencies, Standards & Benchmarks

The curriculum identifies five competencies and a total of eight standards for key learning areas of the English language. The fifth competency specifies the appropriate ethical and social development and is to be developed and incorporated across the other four competencies through selection of appropriate text and activities.

Competencies and their standards: Competency 1: Reading and Thinking Skills Standard 1,2 Competency 2: Writing Skills Standard 1 Competency 3: Oral Communication Skills Standard 1 Competency 4: Formal and Lexical Aspects of Language

Standard 1,2,3 Competency 5: Appropriate Ethical and Social Development

Standard 1The order in which the standards are listed does not indicate the relative importance of the standard. All are equally important.

Competencies in English Language

Competency 5: Appropriate Ethical and Social Development

An Example of Appropriate Ethical & Social Development

(Competency 5)

Initial review of the manuscript at Textbook Board’s level should take into consideration curriculum objectives, contents and SLO (Student Learning Outcomes) and its alignment with the National Curriculum.

1. The text should fully cover illustrations, activities and graphics. It should be:

a. coherent, cohesive and easily comprehensible. And b. clear, logical, systematic and progressive.

2. The graphics in the textbooks should be according to scale, appropriate, stimulating and illustrations to support the text.

General guidelines for submission of manuscript

3. Each chapter / unit in a manuscript should clearly cover appropriate combinations of:

a. Themes and topicsb. Learning outcomes.c. Suggested activities

4. The exercise and activities should be planned and organized for effective learning and be in line with the required SLOs. The exercises and activities should also engage learners to participate actively, productively and creatively at all levels of learning.

5. No anonymous materials, poems, stories, etc. should be included in the textbooks.

6. There should be no controversial topics / materials in the manuscripts, especially in languages, Islamiyat and Ethics.

7. There should be no materials repugnant to Islam as well as the ideology of Pakistan.

8. The materials in the language manuscripts should lead students to learn and master the language skills outlined in SLOs/ learning outcomes. The approach chosen in presenting the materials must be clear and age appropriate.

9. The materials in the manuscripts should be dynamic, challenging, stimulating and user friendly.

11. Manuscripts should have glossary of terms and an index at the end of

manuscript. 12. Reference to textbooks, materials,

other resource material, etc. should be acknowledged and mentioned in the manuscript.

13. Instructions to authors as included in the subject curriculum should be strictly adhered to.

14. At the end of the textbook a small paragraph about the author should

be given.

In the material writing stage: Select a range of authentic reading texts in a

variety of styles. If required, adapt these texts to match the age and grade level of the students. Give complete reference details for the selected texts.

Write the texts, where necessary, to match the age and grade level of the students.

Develop activities on selected skills, sub-skills, vocabulary, grammar, etc. Make sure the activities a) are in line with the SLOs for a particular grade; b) provide sufficient independent and integrated language practice of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Specific guidelines for English Language Authors

Include sufficient review exercises. Write a summary of the knowledge and

skills focused on in the unit, and grammar and spelling rules(if any) at end of each unit.

Provide a progress test after two or three units to assess the SLOs focused upon in these units

Decide which illustrations are to be used and prepare an art brief with instructions for the illustrator and designer.

Examples of Suggested Activities for English Language

Authors

Study the paragraph about cigarette smoking. In the space provided, write the topic sentence, circle the controlling idea and outline the support given in the paragraph. Write the concluding sentence if there is one.

Topic Sentence: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________Support: (1) ______________________________(2)______________________________________(3)______________________________________(4) _____________________________________Conclusion: _______________________________________________________________________