A Review of Language Textbooks and Language Teaching in Nigeria

This study is a review work which looks into the selection of language textbooks being handled by language teachers in Nigeria and more especially since the language of instruction in our schools is English, which is a second language. No doubt, education is a dynamic instrument of change and it cannot take place in a vacuum; there is the need for the instruments that will help in ensuring that the society is experiencing a positive change in all ramifications. Teachers and textbooks are, no doubt, the catalysts that can translate what appears abstract into concrete reality. This paper sees the need for the use of appropriate textbooks in the teaching and learning of language, especially the English language. Language is the vehicle through which ideas are conveyed either verbally or in written form. Therefore, in the selection of textbooks for language teaching and learning, the paper examines, through the observational approach, the various ways in which textbooks, teachers and government policies are viewed. Based on the observations and the review made in this paper, the study arrived at the findings that will be of help in the selection and appropriate use of adequate textbooks in our school system.