Second Language Acquisition and its Practical Application: Evaluating French Textbooks at the Secondary School Level

A textbook is an essential starting point for education in a foreign language classroom. That is why it is so crucial that teachers take the time to consider a text extensively. There are multiple textbooks on the market for secondary French teachers from which to choose. What makes a textbook more appropriate for one teacher or one class of students than another? I believe that we must start by looking at some of the information that is available that explains how students learn a second language. Then, it is important to consider some of the ways that the teaching of foreign languages has changed over the years and how these relate to how students learn. I will next look at the Standards for Foreign Language Learning and how these can be brought into the classroom. After this, I will offer an evaluation tool that I propose will aid teachers in considering textbooks for classroom use. A student will not have successfully mastered a second language until he or she can use that language to communicate with other speakers of this language. It is important to use a textbook that will most effectively allow a student to become interested in and comfortable with their second language