Evaluation of Standard-Based First-Year African Language Textbooks

Abstract

Textbooks of most African languages were written during the grammar-translation era, and some still serve as guides to the teaching and learning of African languages. This study intends to evaluate the vision of African language teaching and learning materials, specifically first-year textbooks focusing on where the African language teaching materials have been, where the field is now, and where it might go in terms of teaching and learning materials, based on the standards for foreign language teaching and learning in the United States. The study follows Schleicher and Gleisner's (2001) research on African language textbooks, which found that many African language textbooks were not communicatively oriented.