Textbooks in Saudi Arabia from TEIL Perspective: Analysis and Pedagogical Implications

Abstract

Textbook evaluation is a significant assessment tool for selecting appropriate materials in English Language Teaching (ELT). Within the field of ‘Teaching English as an International Language’ (TEIL), textbook evaluation is one of the major areas of research, but it has received relatively limited attention in Saudi Arabia compared to other contexts. To address this gap, the present study evaluates English textbooks used in Saudi Arabia from the TEIL perspective. The study adopts a content analysis approach, examining representations of English varieties, users, uses, locations, and cultural themes in the Super Goal textbook series. The findings reveal a clear imbalance in the representation of Global Englishes across the analyzed dimensions. While Saudi and Islamic identity are well represented in cultural themes, phonological and lexical features remain strongly influenced by a monolithic model of American English. Furthermore, English users, patterns of use, and locations are left unspecified. These patterns highlight a gap between standardized teaching approaches and the complex socio-linguistic reality of English use in the real world. This study contributes to the limited body of TEIL research in the Saudi context by providing a systematic evaluation of textbook representations of Global Englishes. The findings suggest that education policy in Saudi Arabia, particularly under Saudi Vision 2030, CE, could place greater emphasis on integrating Global Englishes into the curriculum for Saudi learners, so that it can prepare them to become competent users of English in the global marketplace.