Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the current ELT textbook publishing processes and evaluate a descriptive model of the publishing processes. While criticisms of ELT textbooks abound (Akbari, 2008; Bell & Gower, 2011; Jordan & Gray, 2019; Tomlinson & Masuhara, 2008; Long, 2016; etc.), little previous research has focused on describing the ELT textbook publishing. This is despite most criticisms appearing to focus on aspects of ELT textbooks that come about during the publishing processes. The work of Littlejohn (1992), McGrath (2013), and Yildiz and Harwood (2023) are exceptions to this. To provide additional descriptive information on the publishing processes, this study used an online survey to collect qualitative and quantitative data on the steps of the publishing processes for ELT textbooks. The survey was also used to verify whether the proposed descriptive publishing process model it contained accurately represented the publishing processes with its permutations. For the study, 124 authors were contacted, of which 20 took the survey. The results showed that there is potentially a singular, permutable publishing process. Additionally, they showed that for the textbooks surveyed the processes involved both literature research and piloting.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

Rights

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