Curricular Resources and Textbook Adjustment Procedure for General ESL

If you teach level 1 (NESL 301) to level 6 (ESN36) in a General ESL program, you should know that in the "Staff Only" area of dept. website, there is a link called "Textbook Pool / Courses of Record by Level." Click on it and you will see another webpage called "Palomar College General ESL Textbook Pool." Organized by Tracy Fung as part of a team effort to revamp our General ESL curricula back in the spring 07 semester, the webpage is more useful than its title suggests.

First of all, there is a link to each level's COR (Course Outline of Record). Each is the ultimate curricular guide for the level, specifying the scope of what needs to be covered. In credit levels (ESL 3, ESL 34, ESL 35, and ESL 36), there are additional stipulations addressing required daily reading, required writing amount in a semester, and critical thinking goals.

Then, there is a "completion list" for each level. This serves two purposes. First, it is a kind of benchmark to measure the outcome of our individual classes against. This completion checklist should help you to set more effective course goals. Secondly, if you find a new textbook that looks promising, this checklist makes it easy for you to see how compatible the book is to the course level.

Finally, there is at least one contact person for each level listed. This full-time faculty member is responsible for the particular course outline of record, and as such, he or she also acts as a new textbook reviewer, meaning you should recommend your new textbook to this person.

Speaking of new textbooks, a third textbook choice has just been reviewed and added to the pool for level 1.

Early in October, the contact persons in charge of these levels exchanged email and firmed up these guidelines for making adjustments to the textbook pool.

"As a committee, we, the FT faculty in charge of the textbooks for a level, agree to:

1. Uphold our textbook pool as it supports our curriculum
   
2. Carefully review new textbooks, including those suggested by teachers and latest editions sent by publishers, for level appropriateness
   
3. Make necessary changes to the book list in anticipation of the book orders for a new term by:
   
1. Emailing Tracy to update the list online
   
2. Securing exam copies so that everyone can look at the text
   
3. Sending out a general announcement well in advance of the book order date.

For teachers to suggest a textbook, here’s the procedure:

1. Evaluate the book against the checklist
   
2. Submit the checklist and a copy of the desired textbook to the FT faculty in charge of the level for further consideration."