PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS?

THAT IS THE QUESTION

Public or Private English textbooks? That is the question

By Marcelino Valdés Vergara

Teacher Victor Birkner Duarte

November, 21th, 2014

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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS? THAT IS THE QUESTION

Public or Private English textbooks? That is the question

Textbooks have been an important element in our learning process, but over the years

have lost prominence in their contents. Since 1860, when the state passed the Law of Primary

Instruction, the first textbooks in Chile came to promote learning in students through readings

and exercises. In 1920, with the amendment of the Law of Primary Instruction, from voluntary to

compulsory, Chilean industries forged their own industries were printed texts according to the

objectives set by the state. During the Military Government, in their 1980 Constitution, two new

ways of schools emerged in Chile: the subsidized schools (shared funding between the state

and a private manager) and the private schools (the manager is the owner of the school). From

this, the schools could import books from other editorials, even foreign. This is how they could

reach textbooks in other languages (For English and French Language) and accommodate the

learning objectives according to the needs of each school. According to EducarChile (2013),

between 81 and 85 percent of Chilean teachers use the book, but do not review for utility,

ideology or essence. That is why the question arises, how we can find the ideology and essence

in an English textbook for Chile between the Ministry of Education and foreign publishers.

The ideology and essence of these two books can be searched through the advantages

offered by each. On the one hand, English textbooks featured by the Ministry of Education

presents a list of units to be developed according to plans and programs provided by the

government (Mineduc, 2013). They present a consistent sequence of events as the national

reality and the present situation in the country we are located. This textbooks use a Basic

English language, allowing the target language to bring to our country. On the other hand,

foreign book publish lists the contents to be developed within the year, but the list varies

depending on the edition and the English level to be treated according to foreign standardized

tests as KET, PET, FCE and CAE (Cambridge, 2010). Therefore, they invite us to travel the

world through their pages in a full English textbook, giving us the challenge of learning a foreign

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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS? THAT IS THE QUESTION

language. “Textbook is a key item to viable educational innovation processes” (Parcerisa,

1997). Therefore, these advantages can help to understand clearly the idea of English textbook.

These advantages give us the idea of English textbooks, but there are items which do

not please both teachers and students. According to Mario Waissbluth (2013), educator and

coordinator of the NGO Education 2020, school textbooks are a benefit but publishers

concerned. The book is described from a baseline, it is added distribution cost and whether it is

for sale to the public will be multiplied by 10 and the result is expensive because the cost of a

textbook is not to reach a vulnerable family. Therefore, it can not reach the learning objectives

proposed by the government. In counterpart, the English textbooks of the Ministry of Education

do not provide optimal learning standards where the number of recognized words is more

focused than the foreign language on the four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening)

(Celce-Murcia, 1991). For these reasons, the problem is not the publisher of its content, but the

policies of a country dealing with a prestigious publishing house.

Not all students learn the same way and the same pace in place of teachers.

Consequently, the most viable way to integrate English textbooks is to invite expert teachers in

English language in the construction and design of it to recognize the learning needs of each

country. In 2006, an international seminar of textbooks was issued by a panel of experts in

collaboration with the Ministry of Education which they developed new textbook methodologies

for learning improvement (SITE, 2006). However, Ministerial English textbooks available are not

instruments to respond to the diversity of our educational reality. While some people call the

attention there are different textbook versions for the public and private sector, another thing

that draws attention is in Chile have no greater diversity of supply of various educational

projects, different learning and teaching styles, different geographical and cultural context. In

conclusion, I believe that English textbooks should be developed by experts according to the

students based on their learning styles. In this way, students and teachers through their

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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS? THAT IS THE QUESTION

textbooks can learn English the same way and at the same rate and the learning environment

will be more effective and meaningful.

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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS? THAT IS THE QUESTION

References

 Cambridge ESOL (January, 2010). Cambridge English Exams. Available in:

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org

 Celce-Murcia, M. Ed. (1991). Teaching English as a Second of Foreign Language,

second edition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

 EducarChile (2013). ¿Cómo usar textos escolares? Available in:

www.educarchile.cl/ech/pro/app/detalle?ID=205407

 Ministerio de Educación, Gobierno de Chile (2006), Primer Seminario Internacional de

Textos Escolares (SITE). Available in PDF:

http://www.mineduc.cl/usuarios/tescolares/doc/201108291247090.SITE.pdf

 Ministerio de Educación, Gobierno de Chile (2013). Planes y Programas de Estudio.

Available in: http://www.curriculumenlinea.mineduc.cl

 Parcerisa Aran, Artur (1997). Materiales curriculares. Cómo elaborarlos, seleccionarlos y

usarlos. Editorial Graö

 School Textbooks International Seminar Chile 2006

 Waissbluth, Mario and Severin, Eugenio (February 6th, 2014) Textos escolares:

terminemos otro abuso. Available in:

http://www.elmostrador.cl/opinion/2014/02/06/textos-escolares-terminemos-otro-abuso/