Do you use a published textbook?
Regional Group / Language |
Published? |
Date Published |
Target Audience |
African |
|
|
|
Swahili |
Yes |
----- |
North Americans |
Hausa |
Yes |
----- |
British |
阿拉伯语、豪萨语、斯瓦希里语、约鲁巴语 |
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 |
|
|
|
希伯来语 |
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1993, 1 unpublished |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 |
----- |
外国人 |
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. |