Bridging global pedagogy and local practice: Pre-service EFL teachers' textbook adaptation strategies

Anh Nguyen; My Phan

doi:10.65956/procia.2026.106

Authors

Nguyen Thi Lan Anh Corresponding author email: ntlanh@ufl.udn.vn University of Foreign Language Studies - The University of Danang https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7146-8766
Phan Vu Tra My University of Foreign Language Studies - The University of Danang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65956/procia.2026.106

Keywords:

English language education, teacher training, textbook adaptation

Abstract

English language education globally promotes communicative teaching approaches, yet implementation in local contexts often faces practical constraints. This qualitative study with descriptive quantification investigates textbook adaptation strategies commonly employed by pre-service EFL teachers during lesson planning and factors influencing their adaptation decisions, addressing the critical gap between global pedagogical theories and local classroom applications. To do so, eight female final-year students were selected on a voluntary basis from a cohort of 33 in an English teacher education program at a university in Vietnam. Drawing on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and EFL textbook adaptation frameworks, data from lesson plans and semi-structured interviews during their mandatory 8-week teaching practicum at four local high schools were analysed thematically. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers employ cautious adaptation approaches, primarily adding supplementary activities rather than fundamentally modifying existing textbook content. Three primary strategies emerged: Addition as the most common approach, followed by combined Addition and Change, and Change alone. The principle of Variety dominated adaptations, while more sophisticated principles like Personalization and Humanizing were minimally applied. Supervisors’ requirements significantly constrained adaptation decisions, requiring the participants to maintain core textbook content. Despite theoretical training in Communicative Language Teaching, adapted activities showed increased focus on controlled practice compared to original materials, revealing implementation challenges in translating global pedagogical approaches to local institutional contexts. This study contributes to understanding how global English teaching methodologies are adapted in local settings and highlights the need for innovative teacher training approaches that better bridge global pedagogical theories with classroom realities.

Author Biographies

Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, University of Foreign Language Studies - The University of Danang

Nguyen Thi Lan Anh holds a Master of Applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne and is a lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Language Teacher Education, University of Foreign Language Studies, The University of Danang. Her current research interests include agency, language pedagogy, EME, teacher training, and teacher education.
Phan Vu Tra My, University of Foreign Language Studies - The University of Danang

Phan Vu Tra My is a recent graduate of the English Language Teacher Education program at the University of Foreign Language Studies - The University of Danang (UD-UFLS). Her graduation paper explored how pre-service EFL teachers use Generative AI to adapt textbooks and design effective English lessons. She is enthusiastic about innovative and practical approaches to English language teaching in the Vietnamese context.

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