The art of the possible: the constraints associated with writing local TESOL textbooks

Drawing upon interviews with eight textbook authors working for a Middle Eastern Ministry of Education, this article explores the multifaceted constraints associated with the production of local TESOL textbooks. Significant challenges are at play stemming from tight production deadlines of just 2 months per textbook, thereby precluding any piloting of materials. Furthermore, severe MoE strictures regarding the form textbooks can take are in operation with regard to unit titles, moral values to be transmitted, skills and language content, and space allocated to each segment of the book. Additional constraints include the challenge of writing for a diverse target audience, the proscription of manifold taboo topics, and the lack of textbook development training the authors receive. These constraints reportedly lead to compromises in textbook quality and limit the authors’ ability to produce pedagogically effective and culturally sensitive materials. The findings illuminate the complex context-specific dynamics mediating textbook production, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of the local textbook production process and the constraints and challenges writers face.