Coursebook

A coursebook (also textbook) is a published teaching resource designed to serve as the primary material for a language course, typically organised into units that sequence grammar, vocabulary, skills, and topics across a defined proficiency range. Coursebooks embody a particular approach to syllabus design and implicitly enact a methodology.

Coursebooks remain the most common organising tool in ELT worldwide. Their strengths — structure, consistency, and accessibility — must be balanced against limitations: they cannot fully account for local learner needs, may date quickly, and can encourage a "cover the book" mentality that substitutes content coverage for genuine learning.