Short-Term Effect of Teaching English as a Foreign Language without a Textbook

Abstract

Communicative language teaching, demanding a certain degree of freedom, has to a certain degree undermined
the role of the textbook in it. However, insufficient research exists of the issue. The current article aims at
understanding what effect English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms without a textbook may have on
learners’ achievements in mastering the target language. Textbook reliance is taken for granted in the field of
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). However, many researchers and practitioners realize that such
practice has its pitfalls and drawbacks which sometimes outweigh the positive features that course books
represent for learning and teaching any foreign language. The article summarizes literature review concerning the
issue, presents an experiment conducted with 30 undergraduate freshman students of General English during one
month for verifying the effectiveness of no-textbook EFL teaching/learning and corresponding conclusions and
recommendation for EFL educators and researchers. The students in the control and experimental group took
pre- and post-tests, while the students in the experimental group were asked to fill in a questionnaire on their
satisfaction with no-textbook teaching. The research proved the effectiveness of no-textbook EFL lessons for
developing learners’ language skills and competences.