Investigating Inside Reading Textbook Series: Layout and Coherence in Focus

Abstract

To many scholars, textbooks are considered as one of the most crucial factors in EFL settings and play a vital role in language learning classes in all educational contexts. The attempt of this study is to analyze Inside Reading textbook series in terms of layout and coherence. Twenty male and female EFL teachers who had been teaching these series were selected to be interviewed about their ideas on these textbooks. The results showed that 5 out of the total 16 reading texts were in the area of students' interest since the topics were concerned with culture, society, tradition, and history. Three of the texts were reported not to be of interest to students from their instructors' attitudes due to the fact that they were both about unfamiliar topics that students did not have any content information about and were not related to the students' cultural, social or historical background. Almost all mentioned reading texts were perceived very intriguing and considered apt for students' level of comprehension and vice versa. Of all the visual aids used some considered to be highly purposeful; however, two of them, among all, as stated by teachers, were not useful. The style of written format as well as the font size of the reading texts were seen particularly suitable for learners too..