Task Types, Cognitive Levels, And Skill Integration in EFL Textbooks: A Comparative Study of Mongolian and Inner Mongolian Grade 7 English Textbooks

The development of communicative competence has become a central objective of contemporary English language education, shifting instructional practices from grammar-centered teaching toward meaningful communication and integrated language use. Within this framework, textbook tasks play a significant role in shaping learners’ cognitive engagement and communicative development. Although previous studies have explored English language textbooks in terms of skill distribution and communicative orientation, limited attention has been paid to the relationship among task types, cognitive demand, and skill integration within a comparative context. Addressing this gap, the present study comparatively investigates Grade 7 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks used in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, namely Wider World 2 and Go for It, through the perspectives of Communicative Language Teaching and Learning (CLTL), the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the integrated-skills approach.
The study employed a quantitative content analysis design based on Brian McGrath’s (2002) textbook evaluation framework. A total of 189 integrated language tasks were coded according to task type, cognitive level, primary and secondary language skills, and patterns of skill integration. Statistical analyses were conducted using Excel and SPSS to identify the pedagogical distribution and cognitive orientation of tasks across the two textbooks.
The findings revealed that both textbooks reflect CEFR A2-level guided learning principles through the predominance of closed and semi-open tasks, emphasizing controlled and comprehension-oriented learning. However, notable pedagogical differences emerged. Go For It relied mainly on receptive-to-written integration patterns, particularly listening-to-writing and reading-to-writing tasks, reflecting a structure-oriented and accuracy-focused approach. In contrast, Wider World 2 incorporated more open and interaction-oriented tasks, including listening-to-speaking and reading-to-speaking integrations, demonstrating a more communicative and learner-centered orientation. Furthermore, the analysis showed a clear relationship between task openness, cognitive complexity, and skill integration: closed tasks were associated with lower-order cognitive processes and limited integration, whereas open tasks promoted higher-order thinking and broader multi-skill interaction. The study highlights the importance of evaluating textbook quality not only through linguistic content but also through the cognitive and communicative opportunities embedded in task design.

EFL textbooks, task types, cognitive levels, skill integration, CEFR, communicative language teaching and learning

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