Probe on Compiling of English Linguistics Textbooks for Independent Colleges

【Abstract】The paper mainly focuses on two textbooks that widely used by students of English in independent colleges. One is Linguistics. A New Course book edited by Professor Hu Zhuanglin of Peking University， the other is A New Concise Course on Linguistics for Linguistics for Students of English， which was written by professor Dai Weidong and He Zhaoxiong. What will be discussed are the suggestions on the compiling of english linguistics textbooks for students of English in independent colleges.

【Key words】English linguistics textbooks； compiling

1. Priority to Problem-solving

According to “the syllabus for English majors in universities and colleges” （2005）， students of English in 21st century are required to have such abilities： the ability to acquire knowledge， apply knowledge， analyze problems， show viewpoints independently and ability to innovate something. Among those abilities， ability of innovation is particularly important. As far as Linguistics textbooks are concerned， for cultivating students’ ability of acquiring knowledge， it is necessary to point out some important references and list some useful linguistic websites， in order to supply sources for further knowledge acquisition. At the same time， it is indispensable to introduce some research methods of linguistics， enable students to obtain first-hand knowledge.

To cultivate students’ ability of applying knowledge， the fundamental way is to put theory into practice. Based on it， the content of linguistics textbook should own practicality. The materials or examples that are familiar or interesting to students should be selected to explain linguistic theories. The author found textbooks compilers often directly quote original sentences in academic works without taking the cultural backgrounds differences between textbooks users and foreign students into account （Zhou Jun， 2007）.

2. Readability and Workability for Independent Study

Attention should be paid to the readability of textbook， with the aim to be convenient for student to learn by themselves. For being readable， compilers may be aware of avoiding “too simplified”， because excessive simplification often causes students’ misunderstanding and may not promote students’ self-study. Compilers may learn from foreign teaching materials， which put the clarity and readability in significant position. Narrative language should be simple， avoiding using obscure language as far as possible. Each chapter and their internal structure should also be closely linked in order to be a whole system. The difficulty of questions set in the beginning and ending can be slightly higher than the level of students. Moreover， it is necessary to take the content of instruction of linguistics extracurricular practice into consideration， which may enhance the practicability.