Textbook Analysis

This article discusses the role of textbooks in the implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Saudi Arabian schools. It explores the challenges faced by teachers and students in adopting CLT principles and analyzes the effectiveness of the textbook in promoting communicative competence and meaningful language use. The research methodology includes interviews with teachers, classroom observations, focus groups with students, and textbook analysis. The findings highlight the need for further improvements in the textbook design and pedagogy to enhance CLT implementation.

TEXTBOOK
ANALYSIS

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review.................................................................................................................................................4
Methodology........................................................................................................................................................6
Discussion..........................................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
The English language has spread all over the world. This spreading
of English has led to a rethink of how the language should be learned.
English language learning is widespread in Saudi Arabia where this
language plays a significant role in different fields. However, the
outcomes of English language learning in Saudi schools is below those
expected by the Saudi Government in 2004 when they implemented a
new curriculum based on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Many
studies, such as those of Abdulkader (2019), Albahri, Yang, and
Moustakim (2018); Wajid and Saleem (2016), Mangaleswaran and Aziz
(2019) have explored these outcomes of Saudi students after studying
English for more than 10 years. The results of these studies show that the
outcomes are very weak. These students are having difficulties in writing
simple sentences or communicating in basic language (Bhuiyan, 2016).
The new official CLT-based policy is student-centred and can be
summarised as aiming to improve the four skills of English (listening,
speaking, reading and writing), increase the awareness of other cultures,
and help the students to learn language for everyday use. These new
ideas are said with the emphasising the identity of the students, the
reason of this new policy. This new curriculum attempts to move away
from the traditional curriculum which was based on a stated policy of
aiming at student improvement in terms of their level of language
proficiency in order to ensure access to scientific and technical fields, to
transfer knowledge and to use English to spread Islam (Elyas & Badawood,
2016). These previous professional and religious aims did not emphasise
language as a means of communication or for everyday use. The former
curriculum was teacher-centred and pair work and group work in the
classroom was missing before 2001 when there was a reform of the
official curriculum in general and the English curriculum particularly.
The new curriculum has implemented new strategies and
techniques to enable the students to use the language more functionally
in the classroom. It aims to allow the students more space to use their

language and so teaching should become more student-centred. It has a
new perspective of helping students with language to communicate in
every day, which is core aspect of CLT, as well as aiming to facilitate
students acquiring language that is suitable for them for a range of future
jobs, to let students be aware how significant English is, how English is
becoming the language of the world. This new perspective goes alongside
the continued aim of improving the four English skills. As well, there is a
new emphasis on improving respect for other cultures and other religions
as well as reinforcing Saudi students’ national identity which is taken to be
the Arabic culture and Islamic religion of Saudi Arabia (Elyas & Badawood,
2016). However, a lot of research has found that this implementation of
this new curriculum has not yet been successful, despite theoretical
support for the approach (Abahussain, 2016; Al-Nasser, 2015; Al-
Seghayer, 2014; Batawi, 2007).
These studies cited above have provide different reasons why CLT
has being failed, the common one being that Saudi students and teachers
do not accept their classroom teaching to be communicative for several
reasons. These include low language level of the students so it is difficult
for them to use the target language, the teacher tending to dominate the
classroom and the new curriculum being perceived as a threat to teacher
control. Some of these studies also state that the new emphasis does not
match the assessment orientation as the focus of both the students and
the teacher is still to pass exams rather than to learn English as a life skill.
CLT typically includes letting the students use the language in a
way that helps them to communicate more meaningfully. CLT thus
increases the use of authenticity in teaching this language. When the
language taught is for everyday use, it is usually authentic text that is
chosen as teaching material, and the students can become familiar with
this. This choice is aligned with the theory of Hymes (1972) that the use of
more appropriate, authentic texts can help to provide with more useful
everyday language as it more real and has context.

Literature Review
CLT is an approach to language teaching based on communicative
competence first proposed by (Hymes, 1972). Hymes came up with the
concept of communicative competence because, as he argued, there is a
need to look at the appropriateness of the language used in a specific
context. Language has to be used according to who and what is in context
and what the reason to communicative functionally is. This was a
response to Chomsky (1965) who argued that the ability to use with
mechanisms of language is innate and that, as we are born with
language, it is used regardless of the context. Chomsky called this innate
ability to use language the universal grammar. Hymes is looking from a
different perspective on language in use. He argues that it is impossible to
disconnect the language from the context, but rather it is necessary to
consider how to speak, to whom and in what manner (Nunan, 1999).
Brown, 2007 suggests that CLT adopts communicative competence
principles but based on a broad approach rather than a specific method.
Therefore CLT may be seen as an approach with principles aiming at
language learning by more meaningful communication with more
authentic language text. The first principle of CLT is that the form is not
the only focus; instead all aspects of competencies are important. The
second principle is that learner fluency is as important as accuracy. The
third is that the language used in the CLT classroom has to be more
productive for the learners. Productive language use means that language
is not planned but the leaner has use of all resource of language with
more freedom to let the students expand their language. As the language
is not known or predictable, but depends on what comes out of the lesson,
this increases the chance of communication in the target language. The
fourth principle is that the language used in CLT classroom has to be more
meaningful language: the language should be personal for the speakers
and they should relate it to their everyday language use. The final
principle is that the language to be used is authentic. Authenticity in this
regard means that it is: “drawn from a wide variety of contexts, including

TV and radio broadcasts, conversations, discussions and meetings of all
kinds, talks, and announcements [as well as] magazines, stories, printed
material and instructions, hotel brochures and airport notices, bank
instructions, and a wide range of written messages” (Nunan, 1999, p. 80).
The principles of CLT detailed above act as a bridge between what is
learned in the classroom and the language used outside the classroom.
Because the language is used in the classroom to prepare the students,
they use a similar language for them to communicate outside the
classrooms rather than only language to pass the exams.
A further communicative strategy to be found in the CLT classroom is the
information gap, which lets the students communicate in order to meet
the pedagogical aim.
One of the important aspects of CLT is the textbook. Saudi Arabian
has very centralised educational system heavily based on teaching the
textbook (Ministry of Education, 2002). The textbook may be seen as the
“visible heart of any English Language Teaching (ELT) programme”
(Sheldon, 1988, p. 237). The textbook has a significant role in teaching
English it suggests what kind of pedagogy to employ, what content to
teach and how to teach it, with a sequence to follow. It provides with the
technique and the strategies to be used as well as activities to be used. In
Saudi Arabia the Ministry of Education has not only changed the textbook,
but the entire pedagogy and the power of the textbook is such that it can
be seen as the guide of this shift. Therefore, it is very important to look at
what the textbook is aiming at. Analysing the textbook is useful because
the textbook provides the type of pedagogic in use in the classroom.
Tomlinson (2012) adds that the textbook is used by teachers as the
guidance of the English program. They follow the sequence, strategies
and their sequence suggested by the textbook. Therefore, the role of the
textbook is significant. However the over use of the textbook has a
negative impact on the teacher practice in the classroom as it limits
freedom (Hutchinson & Torres, 1994). It can limit the freedom of the use
of the language productively, especially if there is a restricted time to

finish the textbook course. This may lead the teacher to not use their own
pedagogic practice and push them to use the textbook strategies and
techniques.
Methodology
This research forms part of my ongoing Ph.D. study of the factors
behind the failure of the implementation of CLT in Saudi Arabian middle
(high) schools. The research design is qualitative case study as this has
provided me with the required depth to explore these phenomena (Yin,
2009) using interviews with four teachers, before and after classroom
observation. I also conducted two focus groups with students of two of
these teachers, as well as textbook analysis – which is the only aspect of
my research presented in this article.
Here I have used my criteria to analyse one unit of the textbook, Full
Blast, for the third year in middle school in Saudi Arabia. The typical age
of the students in this grade is 14 years old students. The textbook is for
both male and female students but my research is only on male students,
as Saudi schools are single sex and it would be very difficult for a male
researcher to enter a female school. The textbook is given to the students
for free at the beginning of each year. I choose one unit at random
because all the units are typical and designed in the same way.
The criteria I used analyse the textbook I adapted from the CLT
approach. I assessed the activities and the textbook aims in terms of:
whether or not they are communicative; meaningful; free; authentic;
personalised (whether the activities relate to the students’ personal
experience and let them use the language personally; whether or not they
are scaffolded; accuracy or fluency-oriented; and whether an information
gap exists.
Lesson 1 – fictional text in graphic novel format, the children are
being asked questions related to this. This includes multiple-choice
questions, answered on the page, the second exercise includes grammar

correction – both reading and speaking, and the last part includes a
listening exercise.
This is meaningful because it creates a story/ scenario for
applicability, but as this seems to be created for the purpose of the lesson
it is not authentic. The lesson overall is scaffolding knowledge and
building towards a larger exercise and knowledge base. It is personalised
to a degree: it does seem to be based in the country, so there is an
element of locality. Later exercises also call on the students’ own personal
experiences. There is a general drive towards accuracy and a higher level
of complexity. The final exercise offers a certain degree of freedom, whilst
the rest have a very clear right/ wrong dichotomy. There is a big switch in
Exercise I.
Unit Three Lesson One
The title of the lesson is “If I were the new manager”
Activity A Reading.
The aim of this lesson, in the Teacher’s Book is: “to read for gist; to
introduce the vocabulary of the lesson”.
The sequence of this activity is:
“Look at the pictures and establish the setting (a football match).
Choose two students to read the parts of the supporters. Do not help
with vocabulary yet. Students use their voting cards to show their
answer.”
Reading exercise, establishing background knowledge and perhaps the
relevant vocabulary for the rest of the lesson. The teacher is encouraged
not to correct the students as they read but to asks for the ‘best’ title for
the exercise – seemingly a subjective choice, but notably the Teachers’
Book outlines a clear answer to this: – No. 1. It seems to limit the potential
for discussion, there is limited freedom. The textbook offers the potential
for freedom, whilst the Teachers’ Book limits this and adds further
constraints and control.

Activity B Reading and Speaking
The aim of this activity is: “to read for specific information.”
The sequence of this activity is:
“In pairs, students use the cartoon to answer the questions. Monitor
their corrections. Note any common problems. Choose pairs to share
and discuss their answers with the class. Review any outstanding
vocabulary issues or other common problems.”
Activity C Listening and Speaking
This exercise is a pair exercise focusing on encouraging the
students to engage with the picture and to start looking at it. The
questions are very simple spot-the-difference style points that only
require focus on what is in the image. There seems to be a sense of
encouraging enjoyment in this exercise. There is no information gap and a
relatively low level of complexity – the students do have to supplement
words, but the structure and form of the sentence is given to them. It is
controlled and there is limited space for freedom as there is quite a clear
answer being sought (clearer than it was in exercise A). There seems to
be a focus on accuracy rather than fluency as the sentence is fed to them,
requiring only the supplement of a word or two and then the teacher book
is clear that they should be monitoring the answers and using the
opportunity at the end of the exercise to ensure the vocabulary is correct.
It is meaningful as it literally has a meaning. Not authentic because it is
not real.
The aim of this activity is: “to improve pronunciation, stress and
intonation; to promote fluency”.
The sequence is:
“Say Now ‘listen and repeat’. Play track 12. Students repeat, following
in their books. Monitor and repeat if necessary. Students repeat the
dialogue in pairs. Choose pairs to demonstrate to the class.”

This is a very structured exercise that asks the students to listen to and
repeat a section of audio relating to the football match theme. The focus
outlined in the teacher handbook is very clearly on accuracy in relation to
various levels: pronunciation, stress and fluency. There seems to be a
very strong focus on correctness; it is perhaps more controlled than the
ideal CLT approach that requires a greater level of freedom. Again,
meaningful but not authentic, as with the above exercises. By this stage
there is a level of scaffolding – this exercise is clearly building on and
using knowledge that has been developed at previous stages, although in
itself the exercise does not involve much scaffolding. Homework activity
seems to be less meaningful and engaged than the rest of the lesson –
unlikely to engage the students’ attention as it seems to entail learning a
list of words rather than continuing the kind of story element of the
lesson. Potentially quite a high level of complexity in this exercise as the
students need to understand in order to repeat with a good level of
accuracy, and then get the intonation, etc. correct. Whilst the Teacher’s
Book says this exercise aims to promote fluency, in fact the focus seems
to be on accuracy – getting detailed elements such as pronunciation and
intonation, etc. correct.
Activity D Language Help
The aim of this activity is: “to introduce the second conditional with If I
were (person) + I would/’d + (verb).
The sequence of this activity is:
“Read the language help information. Highlight the two examples in
the cartoon (If I were the referee, I’d show a red card; If I were the
manager, I’d change all of your team.). Elicit more examples from the
students. Note: Teach If I were … as a phrase. The students don’t need
to understand the grammar yet.”
There is a high level of complexity in this exercise as this is introducing
(working on) a very difficult grammar point to the students. A lower
level of meaningfulness in this exercise as the teacher textbook sets a
model and asks the students to apply it. The Teacher’s Book explicitly

states that the students do not need to understand the grammar
behind this. No information gap here or any kind of search for
understanding by the students. Lower level of scaffolding because the
use of the running theme – football – seems to be more superficial, and
indeed the students could move away from this with very little
difficulty, and still be correct. Potential for less engagement here as the
teacher is asked to elicit responses from students, which may not
include everyone. Added to the lack of explanation, this could lead to a
lack of attention.
Activity E Reading
The aim of this activity is: “to practise giving reasons and brief
explanations for opinions.”
The sequence of this activity is:
“Read through the advice and then the list of reasons. Help with
vocabulary. Students complete the task and vote on the answers,
making corrections where needed.”
Focus on meanings and reasons in this exercise. This seems to be a
relatively low complexity lesson that encourages the students to
engage with the text and draws the focus back to the topic at hand
after the previous exercise has perhaps drifted away. The teacher is
encouraged to develop any vocabulary that emerges out of this and
there seems to be a strong element of scaffolding. Not authentic
because this is not real material – clearly illustrated by the fact that the
grammar is a bit poor. No freedom in this exercise as there are a
predefined set of answers and no scope for moving away from these.
Potentially an element of fluency focus as it is pushing towards
understanding full sentences/ phrases.
Activity F Speaking
The aim of this activity is: “to practise asking for and giving advice, and
giving reasons for opinions.”
The sequence of this activity is:

“Ask students to give advice using If I were you, I’d … and the
sentences in Exercise E.
Choose two students to demonstrate using the speech bubbles.
Students complete the task in pairs. Monitor for the target Structure”
This activity builds on the previous two sections to create further difficulty
in the sentences the students create. It fits with activity D, but lacks the
focus on understanding the grammar. Instead the focus is on applying it
and using it in context. Potentially more freedom in this activity as the
students could move away from the format already given, particularly in
activity E. In this sense the activity is also more personalised. More
communicative because they are being asked to work in pairs to create
this dialogue independently. A focus on accuracy as the teacher is
instructed to monitor the structure and the language use as the students
work in pairs. There is a high level of meaningfulness in this exercise as
the focus is on applying reason.
Activity G Pronunciation
The aim of this activity is: “to differentiate between different sounds in
English.”
The sequence of this activity is:
“Play track 13. Students listen and tick the sound they hear. Monitor.
Check answers as a class.”
Strong element of meaninglessness in this activity as the sounds are
being lifted out of context. The exercise requires the students to listen to
a sentence and then select a correct pronunciation from a list of options.
This is very controlled and provides a very clear right/ wrong dichotomy.
The teacher handbook simply instructs the teacher to ‘monitor’. No
freedom in this activity, not particularly complex; focus is on accuracy
with a detailed attention to creating the correct sounds. It drifts away
from scaffolding as there has been little emphasis on this aspect in the
class so far. Lack of authenticity as well as there is no real element to this.
Very de-personalised.

The final two activities are not mentioned in the Teacher’s Book,
which is presumably an error, but could also be construed as offering the
teachers greater freedom. The Teacher’s Book does suggest a variation
on activity F, supplementing a new phrase, but again not explaining the
reasoning behind this grammar use.
Activity H has little information on it in the Teacher’s Book, so it would be
difficult to discuss, but it would presumably be a similar format to the
discussions above.
Activity H Listening
Aims: “Repeat Exercise F, using Why don’t you and You’d better as
revision”
Activity I WRITING
Aims: “Workbook pages 100 and 101 Final activity”
The sequence of this activity is:
“Students write a short list of possible problems. Working in pairs or
small groups, they take turns reading a problem. Their partner has to
give advice using If I were you, I’d …
There is a strong focus on meaningfulness in this activity, as the students
are encouraged to create and write advice for one another based on a set
of problems outlined – notably only the last of the four relates to football,
which has been the subject discussed throughout the lesson. There is a far
greater level of freedom to create and develop ideas here, as well as
some scaffolding on some of the topics that have been discussed above –
still without explanation of the grammar points though. As this is a writing
task, the students are presumably working on their own in this. No
information gap, relatively high level of complexity. This is very
personalised as the students are given the freedom to develop their own
ideas. The lack of advice in the Teacher’s Book – whether on purpose or
by mistake – also contributes to this as it means we are given no clear
idea of what they expect and there is no right or wrong answer outlined.

Discussion
The Teacher’s Book suggests aspects of CLT as mentioned above,
but it is very controlling of any activities in which students use the
language more freely. These activities sometimes show conflict between
the Teachers’s Book and the text book, as in activity A when Teacher’s
Book limits the student’s use of the language but the textbook is asking
the students to use their language. Teachers also have to face trouble
when the time limit for teaching content is limited. It reduces their
freedom and also increases their dependency on course text book. Many
activities concentrate on improving pronunciations, they are very effective
in minimising the mistakes relating tone and stress. Practicing is most
important part of communication; all the activities have a common aim
i.e. to hone English communication skill by promoting correct
pronunciation and bring language on the tongue on students (Tomlinson,
2012). Listen tracks may not be considered as significant as of speaking
but they are integral part of teaching process as it teaches new words
along with their appropriate pronunciation. Principles of CLT provide a
path to learners as it assists them achieving more compared to what they
have learnt in the class. Changing pedagogy in Saudi Arabia instead of
only textbooks is much needed decision. One cannot communicate in
English by only reading textbooks; they have to listen different ascents,
understand new words, and learn correct pronunciations. Some activities
are focused on listening tracks; the reason behind this session is to
improve student’s capacity to understand the language.
Conclusion
From the above sections, it can be concluded that new Pedagogy will improve ability
to communicate in English of Saudi Arabian students. The activities included in curriculum
will decrease gap between class room teaching and outer world. The idea of changing whole
teaching process and style is essential if radical changes in CLT are required (Abahussain,
2016). Previous curriculum was too teacher-centred, it does not include practicing English
language and it was more focused on theoretical aspects. One of the most important parts of
improving communication is to use it in daily life i.e. every day. In past system, there was

hardly any activity and complete curriculum was based on text books. This kind of process
does not allow students to get the language on their tongue. They cannot develop confidence
on speaking English unless they have practiced it in front of teaching and other students.
Correct knowledge is also required for building confidence. New curriculum covers these
important aspects as many activities in curriculum are related to listening and then speaking.
The research findings also show some flaws that are still present in CLT. The
decency on textbook is still high. Teachers have to cover lot of content in limited time period
(one session), this ultimately do not allow them to introduce new something new from their
side. This research does not concentrate too much on the shortcomings of present curriculum
but it clearly state that idea of creating a friendly surrounding for communicating in English
still need some improvements. It is unarguable that jobs in upcoming time will revolved
around English. This language is used in many part of the world and increasing globalisation
will increase its importance in forthcoming time. Students-centred Pedagogy will bring
changes in CLT, it will assist students in getting better jobs as excellent communication skills
are basic requirement of skilled job profiles. Aim of Saudi Arabia is to spread Islam and they
understand that this cannot be done by learning the global language i.e. English. It is true that
their past curriculum was not aiming at using English is communication medium but new
Pedagogy has potential to achieve this target.
Recommendation
At the end, it can be recommended that Saudi Arabia has to
continue the process of improving CLT based policy as they have to
update Pedagogy with time. They want to promote Islam across the globe
but this task cannot be done without having a population that can
communicate in English. Some of the activities in curriculum are still not
student-focused. Limited teaching time period and high dependency on
textbooks is one of the major issue then can be addressed by removing
insignificant content from the textbooks. Students in Saudi Arabia have
low proficiency in English language so it is difficult for them to learn it (Al-
Nasser, 2015). Telling the importance of this language should also be
included in their curriculum as it will motivate students to practice it daily;
the most important act of learning any language
. At the time of making modifications in present curriculum, Saudi
Arabian Government should concentrate on creating a balance between

textbook teaching and class activities. They should not take any
aggressive step like remove textbooks from curriculum or reduce their
importance. Both theoretical and practical knowledge is important for
learning a language. Confidence of communicating in English is
dependent on quality of knowledge and experience. Knowledge is gained
through books and experience comes from doing different activities on
daily basis. Thus both have their own significance.

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