The ESL grammar textbooks: Are they really useful?

Grammar textbooks are essential to English as a Second Language (ESL) students for academic purposes because they provide students with content and management for learning both inside and outside the classroom (Hutchinson & Hutchinson, 1994, 1996). However, to what extent are those textbooks useful remains unknown. This study involves two typical grammar textbooks for English learners and ten ESL students from the three different faculties/institutions at the University of Tasmania. This research aims to find out the accessibility of a textbook's pedagogical knowledge, and the usefulness of the grammar activities from the perspective of ESL students. Data were collected from surveys and textbook analysis. The findings of this research indicate that factors, such as various graphic devices and discourse forms used, can affect students' learning of the pedagogical knowledge. The paper also suggests that involving conscious-raising activities and interpretation tasks in textbooks may enhance student motivation and understanding in grammar learning. © Common Ground, Yong Ming Shi.