A Cross-National Middle-School Textbook Analysis: Communicative Language Teaching in Korea, Japan, and China

Abstract

Proficiency in the English language has become a key determinant of success for many individuals worldwide. This trend is particularly pronounced in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China, where English education is emphasized from an early age, establishing it as the primary foreign language and a mandatory component of school curricula. Learners in these contexts rely heavily on textbooks for language acquisition, as they often lack opportunities for interactions with native speakers or immersion in English-speaking environments. This study analyzes English textbooks commonly used in middle schools across Korea, Japan, and China, focusing on the integration of communicative language teaching (CLT) principles. Key areas of inquiry include: (1) Instructions: how many individual instructions do the textbooks contain, and in what language? (2) Texts: what text types (e.g., stories, role-plays, articles) do the textbook lessons use? (3) CLT activities: of the activities used in the textbooks, how many can be considered CLT activities (e.g., information gap, role-playing, games)? The findings show that both the Chinese and Japanese middle-school textbooks do more to incorporate CLT principles throughout the lessons than do the Korean middle-school textbooks, with the Chinese textbooks especially demonstrating the integration of CLT principles.