An Analysis of Textbooks Used in Teaching Foreign Languages to Children in Terms of Language Skills

Abstract

Coursebooks are regarded as one of the fundamental resources in the planning and implementation of the language teaching process. In this context, how language skills are addressed in coursebooks designed for teaching foreign languages to children, the extent to which these skills are included, and whether they are presented in an integrated manner constitute an important area of investigation. Considering children’s age, developmental characteristics, and linguistic competence in their first language, it is expected that the activities presented in coursebooks support both receptive and productive language skills in a balanced and gradual way. From this perspective, it is essential that coursebooks be structured in a manner that enables children to comprehend, use, and communicate effectively in the target language. The aim of this study is to comparatively examine the use of language skills and the extent to which integrated language skills are incorporated in two coursebooks prepared for teaching foreign languages to children at the basic level, namely Les Loustics -1 and Çocuklar İçin Türkçe- 1. Conducted within the framework of qualitative research methods, the study is based on document analysis. Within this scope, the activities in each coursebook were classified according to the targeted language skills, and it was determined whether the activities focused on a single skill or addressed multiple skills in an integrated manner. The findings reveal notable differences between the analyzed coursebooks in terms of the distribution of language skills and the degree of integrated skill use. By describing the current state of how language skills are addressed in foreign language coursebooks for children, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature.