VietTESOL International Convention 2026

In response to the calls to integrate the changing sociolinguistic landscape of the English language into pedagogical strategies, educational textbooks emerge as a powerful tool for equipping learners with proficiency in diverse English varieties and intercultural communicative competencies. This study undertakes an evaluative examination of how two English textbook series designed for sixth-grade students in Vietnam help prepare secondary school students for effective English communication within an international and global context. Adopting the 2014’s analytical framework for EIL material evaluation by Hu & McKay and Nguyen et al. (2020)’s coding framework for patterns of communication, the findings indicate while international communication necessitates engagement with a broad spectrum of global English users, the textbooks predominantly concentrate on equipping students for communication with Anglophone English users, thereby addressing only a fraction of learners' multiple communicative needs in real-world scenarios. Furthermore, the study underscores a marked prevalence of British English norms, alongside an excessive portrayal of characters with light skin tones. Similarly, minimal exploration of accommodation strategies in intercultural encounters are depicted in both textbooks. These findings underscore the need for ELT materials to more effectively integrate collaborative learning methods and diverse cultural perspectives to better prepare learners for communication in a globalized world. The lack of communicative strategies also prompt more investigation into how the textbooks can prepare students for effective interactions in intercultural communication.