The central theme of this master’s thesis is motivation and the affective factor in ELT coursebooks, more precisely, the nature of affective textbook activities.
The theoretical part of this dissertation features thorough research on the underlying principles that constitute an affective ELT activity: learner characteristics (learning styles and strategies, personality and age factor, motivation and attitudes), the teacher’s role in generating and maintaining motivation in an ELT classroom, the closely related concepts of learner autonomy, learner-centredness and humanistic education, a brief look at ELT coursebooks in general, and finally, the identification of affect in learning, outlining how exactly it is manifested in the six selected coursebooks intended for different age groups and language levels.
The empirical part presents an evaluation of eleven coursebook activities using a convenient checklist comprised of twelve properties deemed mandatory for an activity to be considered affective. The criteria strongly rely on the discussed theoretical premises. The checklist analysis successfully highlights two exceptionally affective textbooks.
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