A study case in southern Chile: perceptions of EFL teachers towards textbooks to develop macro-skills

This research project aims to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers regarding the efficacy of textbooks provided by the Ministry of Education to support the development of macro skills among students from public high schools in the Los Lagos region of Chile. This study was carried out by implementing a mixed qualitative and quantitative survey-based approach, including both close-ended and open-ended questions. The survey encouraged participants to focus on effective English language pedagogical practices they believed to be either integrated or missing in the textbooks. Findings from this research indicate that participants perceive the textbooks as effective overall for teaching receptive skills (reading and listening) and highly ineffective for supporting students in developing speaking skills. More specifically, the perceived weakness of the materials is the lack of meaningful speaking activities contextualized to the reality of the target student population. Another result reveals that respondents find the textbooks to include level-appropriate activities and ample exercises to guide students in practising vocabulary and grammar. A key conclusion suggests that the presentation and drilling of linguistic structures and lexicon is heavily favored over oral practice grounded in real-life scenarios and relevant use of the language, which seems to contradict contemporary pedagogical theories that emphasize communication.