Teachers’ Conceptualization and Use of the Textbook on a Medical English Course

Abstract

SummaryWhile there have been numerous analyses of second language (L2) English language textbook material, there has been far less research conducted on how teachers use this material in class, and why. This chapter duly focuses on seven English language teachers’ conceptualizations of, and adherence to, their prescribed textbook. The teachers were teaching English to medical students on an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course at a Saudi Arabian university. Classroom observations were followed up by qualitative interviews to explore teachers’ textbook use and motivations underlying their practices. Teachers held varying views of the textbook, with some describing it using metaphors associated with constraint or tedium while others conceptualized it in more positive terms, using metaphors associated with guidance. Although the textbook played a central role in all the teachers’ lessons, there were variations in the ways teachers adapted the materials to meet their learners’ needs and to best satisfy their own pedagogical preferences and priorities. However, a perceived lack of subject specialist knowledge, a shortage of time, and an exam-driven syllabus all negatively impacted on teachers’ use of and attitudes towards the textbook. The implications of this study are explored, particularly for teacher development within ESP contexts.

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