Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding the Efficacy of XI English Textbook Jamshoro in Developing Students’ Communication Skills

Abstract

The development of communicative competence has become a main objective of modern English language teaching. In many educational systems, textbooks serve as the primary instructional resource and significantly influence teaching practices and learning outcomes. This study explored teachers’ perceptions regarding the efficacy of the XI English Textbook Jamshoro in developing students’ communicative skills. The study was grounded in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Littlewoods’ communicative competence model, which conceptualizes communicative competence through structural, functional, social, and authentic communication stages. A qualitative research design and phenomenology method was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with English language teachers teaching intermediate classes in public colleges of Karachi region. Purposive along with Criterion sampling was used to select participants with direct experience teaching the textbook. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret teachers’ perceptions. The findings revealed that while the textbook provides substantial emphasis on structural language knowledge and reading comprehension, it lacks communicative tasks, authentic interaction activities, and opportunities for meaningful language use. Teachers perceived that the textbook remains examination-oriented and grammar-focused, limiting students’ development of communicative competence. The study concludes that although the textbook supports linguistic knowledge, it does not adequately promote communicative interaction. The study recommends integrating communicative activities, task-based learning strategies, and authentic communication tasks in future textbook revisions.