Title: Textbook Literacy of Foreign Language Teachers in Higher Education: Connotation, Constituent Elements, and Developmental Pathways
Authors: Xiaoquan Pan, Jicheng Shen
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: 78-83
Publication Date: 2026/07/28
Abstract:
Against the backdrop of profound globalization and educational internationalization, university foreign language education, which shoulders the critical task of cultivating cross-cultural communicative competence, is confronted with unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Textbooks, serving as the core medium of classroom instruction, have become a key factor constraining the quality of foreign language teaching, contingent upon teachers' effective application and creative adaptation capabilities. This study focuses on the "textbook literacy" of foreign language teachers in higher education. It systematically reviews the evolving trends in textbook research paradigms, the conceptual framework of textbook literacy, and the constituent elements of teachers' textbook literacy. Subsequently, based on the constitutive elements of university foreign language teachers' textbook literacy, the study explores their current predicaments and practical pathways for development. To foster the systematic construction of textbook literacy, this research proposes a "three-dimensional driving mechanism": (1) At the individual level, internal drive is cultivated through metacognitive enhancement and action research; (2) At the institutional level, organizational support is established via teaching-research communities and resource platforms; (3) At the societal level, environmental safeguards are realized through national standards and digital resources. This study contends that enhancing teachers' textbook literacy holds significant practical value for advancing foreign language curriculum development and optimizing the cultivation of international talent.