A Comparative Analysis of EFL Textbooks Used in the Third Grade Primary School

Abstract

As a result of ever-growing changes affecting educational discourse, the roles and importanceof textbooks have often been reexamined and redefined. This article reports the findings obtainedfrom a comparative analysis of three English language textbooks used in the third grade inprimary school. The main criterion used for the selection of these textbooks relates to the culturaland linguistic background of their authors. This study examines the complex nature of textbooksand the multifaceted perspectives involved in the evaluation of their quality and purposefulnesswithin the learner-oriented teaching framework. It compares structural organization and linguisticdevices used in three English language textbooks written by authors coming from differentbackgrounds, intending to establish differences or similarities in approaches and methods utilizedto present a certain content. This article also aims at drawing attention to the importance ofemploying textbook theory knowledge while selecting a textbook to be used in English languageteaching.

Keywords

• english language textbook analysis
• communicative approach
• cultural background
• textbook theory