Do you use a published textbook?
Regional Group / Language |
Published? |
Date Published |
Target Audience |
African |
|
|
|
Swahili |
Yes |
----- |
North Americans |
Hausa |
Yes |
----- |
British |
Arabic, Hausa, Swahili, Yoruba |
Yes |
(dated) |
one N.A., one British |
Arabic, Hausa, Swahili |
Yes |
----- |
----- |
Yoruba |
Yes |
1993 |
general |
Swahili |
Yes |
1979 |
North Americans |
Hausa |
----- |
----- |
North Americans |
Zulu |
No |
----- |
----- |
Hindi-Urdu |
|
|
|
Hindi |
Yes |
1989 |
British |
Hindi-Urdu |
Yes |
1976 (later revisions) |
US college |
Hindi |
Yes |
90s (but dated) |
----- |
Hindi |
Yes (grammar) |
1989/92 |
North Americans |
Middle East |
|
|
|
Hebrew |
Yes |
----- |
North Americans |
Persian |
Yes |
80s-90s |
native English speakers |
Persian |
Yes (1st yr only) |
----- |
----- |
Scandinavian/Germanic |
|
|
|
Norwegian |
Yes |
1993, 1 unpublished |
North Americans |
Danish |
Yes |
1993-96 |
Students of Danish as L2 |
Swedish |
Yes |
1989 |
Swedish immigrants |
Dutch |
Yes |
1994 |
general audience |
Dutch |
Yes (grammar) |
60s-70s (revised 90s) |
N.A.s |
Dutch |
Yes |
1990 |
general |
Slavic |
|
|
|
Polish |
Yes |
----- |
U.S. students |
Russian |
----- |
----- |
native English spkrs |
Slavic lgs |
Yes |
----- |
some for N.A., some general |
Russian |
Yes (beginning) |
1993 |
North Americans |
|
(2nd yr) |
1994 |
North Americans |
| (3rd yr) |
1994, 1996 |
N.A.s |
Russian |
Yes |
1993-96 |
North Americans |
Russian |
Yes |
1991-96 |
North Americans |
Other European |
|
|
|
Portuguese |
Yes |
----- |
non-Brazilians |
Irish |
Yes |
----- |
English speakers |
Chinese/Japanese/Pacific |
|
|
|
Chinese |
Yes |
1981 (rev '90) |
anyone outside of the PRC |
Chinese |
Yes |
1992-96 |
North Americans |
Chinese |
Yes |
----- |
foreigners |
Hawaiian |
Yes |
----- |
native English spkrs |
Japanese |
Yes |
----- |
North Americans |
Maori |
Yes |
----- |
general |
Samoan |
Yes |
----- |
native English spkrs |
Tongan |
Yes |
----- |
North Americans |
Tagalog |
Yes |
1985 (beg. conversation) |
----- |
|
|
1981 (int. conversation) |
----- |
| 1990 (grammar) |
----- |
Micronesian lgs |
No |
----- |
----- |
Japanese |
Yes |
1996 (1st & 2nd yr) |
North Americans |
|
|
1994 (3rd yr) |
students at Japanese colleges |
Japanese |
Yes |
1998 |
N.A. college students |
Japanese |
Yes |
1994-95 (1st & 2nd yr) |
North Americans |
Japanese |
Yes |
1977 |
native English spkrs |
Japanese |
Yes |
1994, 1995 |
North Americans |
Japanese (high school level) |
No |
----- |
----- |
Mixed Groups |
|
|
|
Chinese, Japanese, Russian |
Yes |
early 80s |
North Americans |
Japanese, Latin Russian, etc. (high school level) |
Yes |
----- |
----- |
Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hindi |
Yes |
1990-96 |
native English spkrs |
Summary
Almost all respondents reported using a textbook of some kind, at least
for 1st and 2nd year courses or as a grammar reference. For the more advanced
levels, however, many reported gleaning their own materials from a variety
of textbooks. Five of the respondents reported using a text that they had
authored or co-authored.
Not all who responded to this question gave a publication
date for their textbooks, but most of those who did said the textbooks they
use have been published within the last 10 years. Some of the published textbooks
are republications of texts first produced in the 60s and 70s, however, and
several reported that even texts first published in the 90s were dated with
respect to style of instruction and content. Three people said they are using
unpublished or soon-to-be published textbooks.
Most of the textbooks are aimed at native speakers
of English, and of those most are directed at a North American audience. Some
of the texts for Hindi and for some African languages are aimed at a British
audience, while other texts, (e.g., Chinese and Portuguese) are aimed at foreigners
in general. One Swedish textbook in use is designed for immigrants to Sweden.
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