A Critical Look at World English Textbook Evaluation and Its Effects on EFL Pre-intermediate Iranian Learners' Speaking Skill

This research was designed to look at World English textbook evaluation and its effects on EFL pre-intermediate Iranian learners' speaking skill. Thirty male students were selected randomly in Eshtehard language school. They took a pre-test as a proficiency test first to determine their proficiency. To gain this aim, a language proficiency test, i.e., Nelson test was given to the total participants. Then they were assigned to an experimental and a control group, fifteen students for experimental group, fifteen students for control group. During twelve sessions of the treatment, experimental group worked on World English textbook. The participants in experimental group were encouraged to study and notice meaningfully to the units of the textbook. Along with the experimental group, the participants in the control group also worked on a different textbook (Top Notch). At the end, two post tests were performed in one session. Finally T-test was used to analyze the results of the control and the experimental group post- tests, and a significant difference was observed statically in the two experimental and control groups. At last an ESL textbook evaluation checklist was administrated to evaluate World English. Ten teachers were asked to present their ideas through the checklist. Most of them were satisfied with the textbook in terms of content, design, and so forth.