Material Analysis (Example #2: Diego & Isabella)
Soars, L., Soars, J., & McCaul, J. (2019). Headway beginner: student’s book (5th ed.) (p. 27). Oxford.
Part I: Describe the material, the context, and learners
Pakistan: This material is a practice unit designed for intermediate learners in middle-high school, aged 13-15. It focuses on developing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through various exercises. The unit is intended for educational and academic purposes, helping students improve their overall language proficiency.
Türkiye: This material is designed for pre-intermediate middle or high school students learning English for various purposes. It focuses on teaching personal information, including vocabulary for different jobs.
UK: This material is designed for a diverse group of adult learners at the A1 pre-intermediate level. The unit begins with a listening exercise, followed by speaking activities 3 and 4, a grammar exercise in 5, a writing task in 6, and a linguistics-focused exercise in 7.
Part II: Evaluation of the material
2.1. Evaluating the material from the teacher’s perspective
Pakistan: As teachers, we notice that the pictures used in the material convey social injustice regarding gender roles. For example, the roles of police officer and meal server are shown in a stereotypical way, without acknowledging that these jobs can be done by any gender. The author focuses too much on vocabulary practice and does not include diverse backgrounds or perspectives. The material lacks diversity and does not promote inclusive or equitable pedagogy. It also does not consider cultural norms; for instance, in Pakistani culture, it is considered taboo for females to work as waitresses, which makes the material insensitive and irrelevant for some learners.
Türkiye: The material is sufficient for teaching the target language items, with a focus on writing and listening skills. It associates men with being taxi drivers and women with being waiters, which are suited for them. The material does not possess any controversial issues. Therefore, we can bring it to our class without hesitation. To improve it, we could add different pictures and discussion questions like, “What job would you want in the future?” or “What other jobs can you think of?”
UK: From a teacher’s perspective, there are several issues. First, the listening material for exercise 2 is inaccessible. Second, characters like Diego and Isabella may reinforce stereotypes about immigrants being limited to jobs like taxi drivers or waitresses. Third, questions about marriage or jobs could feel too personal, especially if a student has recently lost their job. Fourth, exercise 3 includes stereotypical questions, such as assuming someone like Diego is a police officer rather than a nurse. Finally, if stereotypes appear at the beginning of the book, it raises concerns about the rest of the material.
2.2. Evaluating the material from the students’ perspectives
Pakistan: The pictures may be culturally insensitive for students from societies like Pakistan, where certain professions are not acceptable for women. Immigrant students might get the impression that they can only secure low-prestige jobs in foreign countries, which could make them feel isolated or misrepresented. The material is not appropriate for all learners, especially if they feel their culture or identity is not given equal attention. Additionally, the content focuses too much on writing and communication skills without considering the sensitivities of the learners or the classroom environment.
Türkiye: The material is generally appropriate for the proficiency level, but it may not be culturally relevant in terms of names and roles. It does not raise any controversial issue that might be perceived differently. Women are often seen as warmer and more suited to service roles like waiters, while men are shown in roles like taxi drivers, which are sometimes overlooked in society. The material also misses the opportunity to show diversity, such as European men as taxi drivers or immigrants in various professions.
UK: For the students, this material is not appropriate or culturally relevant. It does not affirm their identities or reflect their life experiences. If used in an ESOL class for immigrants in the UK, students would likely dislike it because it repeats stereotypes they may already face in society.
2.3. Evaluating the material in terms of praxis
Pakistan: The material contains implicit biases, such as unjustified gender roles that may not be immediately obvious to parents or teachers. It also has explicit biases, including misrepresentation of gender roles and the injustices faced by immigrants. The images reinforce stereotypes based on skin color, ethnicity, gender, and age. The content is culturally insensitive and presents a narrow, exclusionary view of gender identities and roles, failing to challenge dominant or hegemonic perspectives.
UK: The material contains gender and racial biases, foregrounding a narrow view of immigrant workers’ realities. The pictures show people who seem happy with their jobs, but this may not reflect real-life feelings. Stakeholders like parents and learners might not notice the stereotypes, while administrators might approve of the material because it subtly reinforces societal expectations for immigrants. Additionally, exercise 7 only uses “he” or “she,” excluding non-binary individuals.
Part III: Adaptation
Pakistan: To address these issues, we can incorporate social justice objectives by introducing discussions on workplace diversity and inclusion. Students should be encouraged to critically analyse gender roles and racial representation in professional settings. The material should include more diverse pictures and texts that challenge existing stereotypes, such as showing waitresses in a Pakistani context. Additionally, critical questions should be added to prompt students to think about how they can challenge gender stereotypes in their own communities. This will make the material more inclusive, engaging, and culturally responsive.
Türkiye: To make the material more inclusive, we can emphasise diverse voices, like adding characters with varied ethnic backgrounds, such as Hernandez. We can include more jobs, especially those that are underrepresented, and use thought-provoking questions like, “How would you feel in Hernandez’s shoes?” or “What is wrong with these pictures?” Incorporating stories from various cultures and jobs, as well as discussing students’ parents’ jobs, can help students connect personally. Adding dialogues where students talk about jobs they relate to and describing pictures to uncover and discuss biases will make the lesson more engaging and reflective of both traditional and ideal contexts.
UK: To adapt the material, we can:
- Include more pronouns and a wider variety of jobs in exercise 7 to ensure inclusivity.
- Use pictures that represent people of different races and genders.
- Change personal questions in exercises 2 and 5 to focus on hobbies or favorite colors instead of phone numbers or marital status.
- Modify exercise 6 to let students interview someone they know, making the task more relatable.
- Add more names and countries in exercise 2 to increase diversity.