How well do ELT textbooks prepare students to use English in global contexts? An evaluation of the Vietnamese English textbooks from an English as an international language (EIL) perspective

Abstract

In response to the calls to incorporate the changing sociolinguistic reality of English in classroom practices, textbooks can serve as a powerful tool for equipping learners with knowledge of world Englishes and intercultural communication skills. This article explores the extent to which a set of locally produced English textbooks in Vietnam have oriented towards the English as an international language (EIL)-informed pedagogy and prepared students to use English for intercultural communication. The findings indicate that despite the fact that international communication may involve a broad spectrum of global English users, the books tend to focus merely on preparing students to use English for communication with Anglophone English users, thus only partially meeting the learners’ multiple communicative needs in the real world. Our findings highlight the importance of moving towards an EIL oriented approach in ELT materials development and use, as well as promoting discourses of multilingualism and globalization, and avoiding ideological biases.