Innovation in Language Learning

The linguistic evaluation and validation of school textbooks can influence educational systems on multiple levels [1], including teaching and learning workloads, examination design and results, as well as student motivation and engagement. Numerous studies have emphasized the importance of aligning teaching materials with cognitive development stages to ensure that content is both accessible and engaging for students. Research on textbook readability, terminology, the interaction between linguistic and visual elements, and age-appropriate exposure has been essential in improving educational resources. However, in Romania, limited progress has been made in this area. After transitioning from a single-textbook system during the communist era to a multi-textbook system [2], there has been no comprehensive study to verify that this shift was based on rigorous interdisciplinary analysis. For over thirty years, textbooks have been developed and approved by the Romanian Ministry of Education without undergoing linguistic validation.

This study adopts a corpus-informed approach to evaluate the linguistic load of Romanian textbooks, focusing on a case study of 6th-grade textbooks for two subjects: Romanian language and mathematics. The analysis demonstrates that linguistic evaluation is crucial not only for language-based subjects but also for other disciplines. The findings reveal considerable linguistic overload, particularly regarding text readability [3] and task density, as well as content overload compared to national curriculum standards. These issues indicate that the textbooks may surpass the cognitive and linguistic abilities of students, potentially obstructing their learning and comprehension. The research underscores the necessity for a more integrated approach to textbook development in Romania, which includes linguistic validation to ensure materials are appropriate for students' cognitive levels and aligned with international pedagogical standards. Addressing these linguistic challenges will help create textbooks that are more accessible and effective across various disciplines.

Keywords:  linguistic overload in school textbooks, linguistic research based textbook design, Romanian school textbooks, curriculum development, Romanian education